Tag Archives: scientific consensus

How to find and access peer-reviewed studies (for free)

Posted on September 17, 2019 by

The peer-reviewed literature is where scientists publish their research, and it is the source for scientific information. As a result, I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about it. I have explained how the peer-review system works … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Don’t cherry pick your experts

Posted on August 26, 2019 by

The appeal to authority fallacy is one of the most common logical fallacies in internet debates. It is a favorite tactic among climate change deniers, anti-vaccers, young earth creationists, and pretty much anyone else who rejects “mainstream” science. I previously … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, Rules of Logic | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Windows into Science: Scientific Conferences

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

I am writing this on my way home from attending two scientific conferences. These meetings are critical components of the modern scientific enterprise, and they provide a lot of insights into how science works, so I thought it would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged | 6 Comments

Vaccines and autism: A thorough review of the evidence (2019 update)

Posted on March 12, 2019 by

One of the most common concerns that people have about vaccines is that they might cause (or exacerbate) autism. This idea is perpetuated by celebrities and innumerable websites, and it has become one of the cornerstone arguments of the anti-vaccine … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Acupuncture is just a placebo

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

Acupuncture is an extremely popular form of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) that has even worked its way into many “integrative” hospitals. It is also fiercely defended by its believers. Unfortunately, it is not well defended by actual evidence, so I … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Courts don’t determine scientific facts

Posted on August 11, 2018 by

Most people have probably seen the recent news that Monsanto has been ordered to pay $289 million following the ruling by a California jury that Monsanto’s glyphosate (a.k.a. Roundup) is dangerous and likely contributed to Dewayne Johnson’s cancer. I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science, Rules of Logic | Tagged , , , | 54 Comments

Most anti-GMO papers contain serious flaws

Posted on July 30, 2017 by

Unfortunately, bad papers sometimes get published, and those faulty results often get hailed by members of the anti-science community as evidence for their positions. As a result, it is extremely important to both look at the entire body of literature … Continue reading →

Posted in GMO | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments