Dr. Barry Dworkin » Debunking Pseudoscience

Bad Science

Dr. Barry Dworkin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:59:42 +0000

Original broadcast date: March 29, 2009

If there is one quote that epitomizes the plethora of ideas expressed in physician and Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre’s book bad science, it is this from paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science, Steven Jay Gould: “ When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown”.

I have talked at length about this book and how well it encapsulates the problems we face today with respect to science reporting, how clinical studies are conducted, the vested interests and machinations that promote treatments, cures, and modes of teaching and thinking. No industry, university or political party is immune to the lack of critical appraisal of claims and research that have sown the seeds of manipulation.

Dr. Ben Goldacre, physician, award-winning writer, and broadcaster, who has written the weekly Bad Science column in the Guardian since 2003 and is author of the book of the same name.

Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Dr. Barry Dworkin — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:51:43 +0000

Every year millions of people flock to complementary and alternative therapists offering a vast array of treatments ranging from acupuncture to biofeedback to urine injections. Millions more purchase over-the-counter alternative medications, such as glucosamine, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. While consumer motivations for turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) vary, there is one common element among them all: a belief in their effectiveness. This belief appears to be prevalent among all elements of society, from scientists and physicians to celebrities such as Prince Charles and Oprah Winfrey to clerical workers and senior citizens.

On Sunday House Call we focus on the scientific evidence to help us understand whether a treatment claim, be it for medications or alternative therapies, do what they purport. And if they do, what is the true mechanism of action behind it?

Barker Bausell, PhD, biostatistician and author, Senior Research Methodologist in the Office of Research and Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore. He was Research Director of a National Institutes of Health-funded Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Specialized Research Center.
Author of Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the science of complementary and alternative medicine.

Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear

Dr. Barry Dworkin — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:37:28 +0000

Original broadcast date: April 20, 2008

We are the safest and healthiest human beings who ever lived, and yet irrational fear is growing, with deadly consequences — such as the 1,595 Americans killed when they made the mistake of switching from planes to cars after September 11. In part, this irrationality is caused by those — politicians, activists, and the media — who promote fear for their own gain. Culture also matters. But a more fundamental cause is human psychology.

Working with risk science pioneer Paul Slovic, author Dan Gardner, author of his new book Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear, sets out to explain in a compulsively readable fashion just what that statement above means as to how we make decisions and run our lives. We learn that the brain has not one but two systems to analyze risk. One is primitive, unconscious, and intuitive. The other is conscious and rational. The two systems often agree, but occasionally they come to very different conclusions. When that happens, we can find ourselves worrying about what the statistics tell us is a trivial threat — terrorism, child abduction, cancer caused by chemical pollution — or shrugging off serious risks like obesity and smoking.

Dan Gardner is a columnist and senior writer for the Ottawa Citizen, specializing in criminal justice and other investigative issues. Trained in history and law, Gardner worked as a senior policy adviser to the premier and the minister of education before turning to journalism in 1997. His writing has received numerous awards, including the National Newspaper Award, Amnesty International’s Media Award, and others.