News: 30 Jan-05 Feb 2017

Watchdog with teeth to name, shame and ban dodgy health providers: Dodgy health providers can now be named, shamed and banned in Victoria by a new complaints watchdog with bolstered powers that extend to unregistered practitioners and those providing general health services like massage.

Why We Need Scientists On Social Media, Now More Than Ever: More young scientists see social media platforms as an important way to engage the public and clear up misinformation.

Chiropractors And Vaccination: A chiropractor condemns anti-vax colleagues whose views endanger the community and the profession.

An Alternative-Medicine Believer’s Journey Back to Science: The supposed mechanisms of energy healing, homeopathy, and acupuncture are unscientific and violate basic laws of physics and chemistry.

Dishing the dirt on detox: Be wary of products that claim to ‘detox’ you.

Human experiments – the good, the bad, and the ugly: Research involving human subjects is littered with a history of scandal that often shapes people’s views of the ethics of research.

Wellness research: mostly embarrassing nonsense: ‘Wellness’ has been around for years and seems to attract charlatans of all imaginable types.

How to differentiate good from bad research: How can you be sure that a study is sound?

The role of criticism in the realm of alternative medicine: Criticism is painful but often necessary and it produces progress.

Anti-inflammatory drugs ‘no better than placebo’ for back pain: study: Popular anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, have little impact on lower back and neck pain.

From Canada:

Ottawa doctor releases sci-fi comic to teach kids about immune system: Immunity Warriors illustrates importance of vaccines.

From Africa, Asia and South America.

Donkeys ‘being stolen and SKINNED ALIVE for Chinese miracle youth serum used in face creams and beauty masks‘: As many as 10 million donkeys are at risk from the ingredient which is alleged by Chinese medicine practitioners to be a youth-preserving gel.