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| ben goldacre bad science: Bad Science Ben Goldacre, 2010-10-12 Have you ever wondered how one day the media can assert that alcohol is bad for us and the next unashamedly run a story touting the benefits of daily alcohol consumption? Or how a drug that is pulled off the market for causing heart attacks ever got approved in the first place? How can average readers, who aren't medical doctors or Ph.D.s in biochemistry, tell what they should be paying attention to and what's, well, just more bullshit? Ben Goldacre has made a point of exposing quack doctors and nutritionists, bogus credentialing programs, and biased scientific studies. He has also taken the media to task for its willingness to throw facts and proof out the window. But he's not here just to tell you what's wrong. Goldacre is here to teach you how to evaluate placebo effects, double-blind studies, and sample sizes, so that you can recognize bad science when you see it. You're about to feel a whole lot better. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Bad Pharma Ben Goldacre, 2014-04 Originally published in 2012, revised edition published in 2013, by Fourth Estate, Great Britain; Published in the United States in 2012, revised edition also, by Faber and Faber, Inc. |
| ben goldacre bad science: I Think You'll Find It's a Bit More Complicated Than that Ben Goldacre, 2014 The very best journalism from one of Britain's most admired and outspoken science writers, author of the bestselling Bad Science and Bad Pharma. In 'Bad Science', Ben Goldacre hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science. In 'Bad Pharma', he put the $600 billion global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. Now the pick of the journalism by one of our wittiiest, most indignant and most fearless commentators on the worlds of medicine and science is collected in one volume. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Bad Science Ben Goldacre, 2008-12-07 Ben Goldacre’s wise and witty bestseller, shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, lifts the lid on quack doctors, flaky statistics, scaremongering journalists and evil pharmaceutical corporations. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Testing Treatments Imogen Evans, Hazel Thornton, Iain Chalmers, Paul Glasziou, 2011 This work provides a thought-provoking account of how medical treatments can be tested with unbiased or 'fair' trials and explains how patients can work with doctors to achieve this vital goal. It spans the gamut of therapy from mastectomy to thalidomide and explores a vast range of case studies. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Bad Science Ben Goldacre, 2011-07-05 The informative and witty expose of the bad science we are all subjected to, called one of the essential reads of the year by New Scientist. We are obsessed with our health. And yet -- from the media's world-expert microbiologist with a mail-order Ph.D. in his garden shed laboratory, and via multiple health scares and miracle cures -- we are constantly bombarded with inaccurate, contradictory, and sometimes even misleading information. Until now. Ben Goldacre masterfully dismantles the questionable science behind some of the great drug trials, court cases, and missed opportunities of our time, but he also goes further: out of the bullshit, he shows us the fascinating story of how we know what we know, and gives us the tools to uncover bad science for ourselves. From the Hardcover edition. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Do Statins Work?: The Battle for Perfect Evidence-Based Medicine Ben Goldacre, 2019-03-07 A campaigning handbook, a thrilling work of popular science, and a call to arms for doctors, researchers and patients from Britain’s finest writer on the science behind medicine. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Lies, Damned Lies, and Science Sherry Seethaler, 2009-01-13 “Comprehensive, readable, and replete with current, useful examples, this book provides a much-needed explanation of how to be a critical consumer of the scientific claims we encounter in our everyday lives.” —April Cordero Maskiewicz, Department of Biology, Point Loma Nazarene University “Seethaler’s book helps the reader look inside the workings of science and gain a deeper understanding of the pathway that is followed by a scientific finding—from its beginnings in a research lab to its appearance on the nightly news.” —Jim Slotta, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto “How I wish science was taught this way! Seethaler builds skills for critical thinking and evaluation. The book is rich with examples that not only illustrate her points beautifully, they also make it very interesting and fun to read.” —Julia R. Brown, Director, Targacept, Inc. Don’t Get Hoodwinked! Make Sense of Health and Science News...and Make Smarter Decisions! Every day, there’s a new scientific or health controversy. And every day, it seems as if there’s a new study that contradicts what you heard yesterday. What’s really going on? Who’s telling the truth? Who’s faking it? What do scientists actually know–and what don’t they know? This book will help you cut through the confusion and make sense of it all–even if you’ve never taken a science class! Leading science educator and journalist Dr. Sherry Seethaler reveals how science and health research really work...how to put scientific claims in context and understand the real tradeoffs involved...tell quality research from junk science...discover when someone’s deliberately trying to fool you...and find more information you can trust! Nobody knows what new controversy will erupt tomorrow. But one thing’s for certain: With this book, you’ll know how to figure out the real deal–and make smarter decisions for yourself and your family! Watch the news, and you’ll be overwhelmed by snippets of badly presented science: information that’s incomplete, confusing, contradictory, out-of-context, wrong, or flat-out dishonest. Defend yourself! Dr. Sherry Seethaler gives you a powerful arsenal of tools for making sense of science. You’ll learn how to think more sensibly about everything from mad cow disease to global warming—and how to make better science-related decisions in both your personal life and as a citizen. You’ll begin by understanding how science really works and progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree. Seethaler helps you assess the possible biases of those who make scientific claims in the media, and place scientific issues in appropriate context, so you can intelligently assess tradeoffs. You’ll learn how to determine whether a new study is really meaningful; uncover the difference between cause and coincidence; figure out which statistics mean something, and which don’t. Seethaler reveals the tricks self-interested players use to mislead and confuse you, and points you to sources of information you can actually rely upon. Her many examples range from genetic engineering of crops to drug treatments for depression...but the techniques she teaches you will be invaluable in understanding any scientific controversy, in any area of science or health. ^ Potions, plots, and personalities: How science progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree ^ Is it “cause” or merely coincidence? How to tell compelling evidence from a “good story” ^ There are always tradeoffs: How to put science and health claims in context, and understand their real implications ^ All the tricks experts use to fool you, exposed! How to recognize lies, “truthiness,” or pseudo-expertise |
| ben goldacre bad science: On the Take Jerome P. Kassirer M.D., 2004-10-18 We all know that doctors accept gifts from drug companies, ranging from pens and coffee mugs to free vacations at luxurious resorts. But as the former Editor-in-Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine reveals in this shocking expose, these innocuous-seeming gifts are just the tip of an iceberg that is distorting the practice of medicine and jeopardizing the health of millions of Americans today. In On the Take, Dr. Jerome Kassirer offers an unsettling look at the pervasive payoffs that physicians take from big drug companies and other medical suppliers, arguing that the billion-dollar onslaught of industry money has deflected many physicians' moral compasses and directly impacted the everyday care we receive from the doctors and institutions we trust most. Underscored by countless chilling untold stories, the book illuminates the financial connections between the wealthy companies that make drugs and the doctors who prescribe them. Kassirer details the shocking extent of these financial enticements and explains how they encourage bias, promote dangerously misleading medical information, raise the cost of medical care, and breed distrust. Among the questionable practices he describes are: the disturbing number of senior academic physicians who have financial arrangements with drug companies; the unregulated front organizations that advocate certain drugs; the creation of biased medical education materials by the drug companies themselves; and the use of financially conflicted physicians to write clinical practice guidelines or to testify before the FDA in support of a particular drug. A brilliant diagnosis of an epidemic of greed, On the Take offers insight into how we can cure the medical profession and restore our trust in doctors and hospitals. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime Peter Gotzsche, 2019-08-21 PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AFTER HEART DISEASE AND CANCER. In his latest ground-breaking book, Peter C Gotzsche exposes the pharmaceutical industries and their charade of fraudulent behaviour, both in research and marketing where the morally repugnant disregard for human lives is the norm. He convincingly draws close co |
| ben goldacre bad science: The God Con Lee Moller, 2017-06-24 The crucifix is in! You can fool most of the people most of the time. In The God Con, Lee Moller, a life-long atheist and skeptic, looks at organized religion through the lens of the con. Organized religion has been selling an invisible product, that it never has to deliver, for thousands of years. It has given us bigotry, rampant pedophilia, terrorism, and bloodshed beyond imagining. And its acolytes have, in turn, given organized religion power over their bank accounts, their reproduction, and their very “souls”. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference Cordelia Fine, 2011-08-08 Sex discrimination is supposedly a distant memory. Yet popular books, magazines and even scientific articles defend inequalities by citing immutable biological differences between the male and female brain. Why are there so few women in science and engineering, so few men in the laundry room? Well, they say, it's our brains. |
| ben goldacre bad science: How to Read a Paper Trisha Greenhalgh, 2010-11-18 How to Read a Paper describes the different types of clinical research reporting, and explains how to critically appraise the publications. The book provides the tools to find and evaluate the literature, and implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centered way. Written for anyone in the health care professions who has little or no knowledge of evidence-based medicine, it provides a clear understanding of the concepts and how to put them into practice at the basic, clinical level. Changes for the 4th edition The fourth edition will include two new chapters on important developments in health care research and delivery, but otherwise retains its original style, size, and scope. New chapter on quality improvement – describing papers on quality improvement projects using ebm methods; this will extend the readership to non clinical health care professionals working in hospitals and family practice, and to nurse specialists and practice nurses working in this field New chapter on complex interventions - how to set up research projects involving both qualitative and quantitative methodology (known as mixed methods) Thorough revision and updating of existing chapters and references New illustrations – diagrammatic representations of ebm concepts |
| ben goldacre bad science: Trick or Treatment? Dr. Simon Singh, Professor Edzard Ernst, 2009-10-06 Welcome to the world of alternative medicine. Prince Charles is a staunch defender and millions of people swear by it; most UK doctors consider it to be little more than superstition and a waste of money. But how do you know which treatments really heal and which are potentially harmful? Now at last you can find out, thanks to the formidable partnership of Professor Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh. Edzard Ernst is the world's first professor of complementary medicine, based at Exeter University, where he has spent over a decade analysing meticulously the evidence for and against alternative therapies.He is supported in his findings by Simon Singh, the well-known and highly respected science writer of several international bestsellers. Together they have written the definitive book on the subject. It is honest, impartial but hard-hitting, and provides a thorough examination and judgement of more than thirty of the most popular treatments, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, chiropractic and herbal medicine.In Trick or Treatment? the ultimate verdict on alternative medicine is delivered for the first time with clarity, scientific rigour and absolute authority. |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Angry Chef Anthony Warner, 2017-06-15 Never before have we had so much information available to us about food and health. There’s GAPS, paleo, detox, gluten-free, alkaline, the sugar conspiracy, clean eating... Unfortunately, a lot of it is not only wrong but actually harmful. So why do so many of us believe this bad science? Assembling a crack team of psychiatrists, behavioural economists, food scientists and dietitians, the Angry Chef unravels the mystery of why sensible, intelligent people are so easily taken in by the latest food fads, making brief detours for an expletive-laden rant. At the end of it all you’ll have the tools to spot pseudoscience for yourself and the Angry Chef will be off for a nice cup of tea – and it will have two sugars in it, thank you very much. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Irrationality Stuart Sutherland, 2013 New, 21st anniversary edition, with a new foreword by Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Science and Bad Pharma, and an afterword by James Ball, covering developments in our understanding of irrationality over the last two decades. Why do doctors, army generals, high-ranking government officials and other people in positions of power make bad decisions that cause harm to others? Why do prizes serve no useful function? Why are punishments so ineffective? Why is interviewing such an unsatisfactory method of selection? Irrationality is a challenging and thought-provoking book that draws on statistica. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Science Tales Darryl Cunningham, 2019-05-02 A graphic milestone of investigative reporting, Science Tales takes on controversies surrounding climate change, electro-convulsive therapy, the moon landing, the MMR vaccine, homeopathy, chiropractic, evolution and science denialism. Thouroughly researched and sourced, Cunningham's clear narrative, graphic lines and photographic illustration explain complicated and controversial issues with deceptive ease and wit. Science Tales decodes the myths and lies that have shaped some of the most fiercely-debated issues of the past fifty years. |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Upstarts Brad Stone, 2017-01-31 A look deep inside the new Silicon Valley, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Everything Store. Ten years ago, the idea of getting into a stranger's car, or a walking into a stranger's home, would have seemed bizarre and dangerous, but today it's as common as ordering a book online. Uber and Airbnb have ushered in a new era: redefining neighborhoods, challenging the way governments regulate business, and changing the way we travel. In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, another generation of entrepreneurs is using technology to upend convention and disrupt entire industries. These are the upstarts, idiosyncratic founders with limitless drive and an abundance of self-confidence. Led by such visionaries as Travis Kalanick of Uber and Brian Chesky of Airbnb, they are rewriting the rules of business and often sidestepping serious ethical and legal obstacles in the process. The Upstarts is the definitive story of two new titans of business and a dawning age of tenacity, conflict and wealth. In Brad Stone's riveting account of the most radical companies of the new Silicon Valley, we discover how it all happened and what it took to change the world. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Standard Deviations Gary Smith, 2014-07-31 How statistical data is used, misused, and abused every day to fool us: “A very entertaining book about a very serious problem.” —Robert J. Shiller, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Irrational Exuberance Did you know that baseball players whose names begin with “D” are more likely to die young? That Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? That drinking a full pot of coffee every morning adds years to your life, but one cup a day increases your pancreatic cancer risk? These “facts” have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize–winning economist Ronald Coase cynically observed, “If you torture data long enough, it will confess.” Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics and using clear examples, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around us. “An entertaining primer . . . packed with figures, tables, graphs and ludicrous examples from people who know better (academics, scientists) and those who don’t (political candidates, advertisers).” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) |
| ben goldacre bad science: Skin Deep Gavin Evans, 2019-08-29 The dark heart of race science… and why it’s nonsense. Racial differences are rooted in biological reality, right? That’s certainly what a small group of anthropologists, psychologists and pundits would have you believe. Portraying themselves as brave defenders of the inconvenient truth, this group took the revival of ‘race science’ from alt-right online message boards into mainstream academic journals. They seek to justify raging social inequalities from poverty to incarceration rates with a simple message: some people are just born to be poor. There’s just one problem… race science isn’t real. The first Europeans had dark skin and black curly hair. Culture was born in Africa, not Western Europe. Gavin Evans examines the latest research on how intelligence develops and laying out new discoveries in genetics, palaeontology, archaeology and anthropology to unearth the truth about our shared past. Skin Deep stands up to the pseudo-science deployed to justify colonial rule, the apartheid regime and the vast inequalities that persist today. As race dominates the political agenda, it’s time to put the hateful myths about it to bed. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Mind Change Susan Greenfield, 2015-02-10 We live in a world unimaginable only decades ago: a domain of backlit screens, instant information, and vibrant experiences that can outcompete dreary reality. Our brave new technologies offer incredible opportunities for work and play. But at what price? Now renowned neuroscientist Susan Greenfield—known in the United Kingdom for challenging entrenched conventional views—brings together a range of scientific studies, news events, and cultural criticism to create an incisive snapshot of “the global now.” Disputing the assumption that our technologies are harmless tools, Greenfield explores whether incessant exposure to social media sites, search engines, and videogames is capable of rewiring our brains, and whether the minds of people born before and after the advent of the Internet differ. Stressing the impact on Digital Natives—those who’ve never known a world without the Internet—Greenfield exposes how neuronal networking may be affected by unprecedented bombardments of audiovisual stimuli, how gaming can shape a chemical landscape in the brain similar to that in gambling addicts, how surfing the Net risks placing a premium on information rather than on deep knowledge and understanding, and how excessive use of social networking sites limits the maturation of empathy and identity. But Mind Change also delves into the potential benefits of our digital lifestyle. Sifting through the cocktail of not only threat but opportunity these technologies afford, Greenfield explores how gaming enhances vision and motor control, how touch tablets aid students with developmental disabilities, and how political “clicktivism” foments positive change. In a world where adults spend ten hours a day online, and where tablets are the common means by which children learn and play, Mind Change reveals as never before the complex physiological, social, and cultural ramifications of living in the digital age. A book that will be to the Internet what An Inconvenient Truth was to global warming, Mind Change is provocative, alarming, and a call to action to ensure a future in which technology fosters—not frustrates—deep thinking, creativity, and true fulfillment. Praise for Mind Change “Greenfield’s application of the mismatch between human and machine to the brain introduces an important variation on this pervasive view of technology. . . . She has a rare talent for explaining science in accessible prose.”—The Washington Post “Greenfield’s focus is on bringing to light the implications of Internet-induced ‘mind change’—as comparably multifaceted as the issue of climate change, she argues, and just as important.”—Chicago Tribune “Mind Change is exceedingly well organized and hits the right balance between academic and provocative.”—Booklist “[A] challenging, stimulating perspective from an informed neuroscientist on a complex, fast-moving, hugely consequential field.”—Kirkus Reviews “[Greenfield] is not just an engaging communicator but a thoughtful, responsible scientist, and the arguments she makes are well-supported and persuasive.”—Mail on Sunday “Greenfield’s admirable goal to prove an empirical basis for discussion is . . . an important one.”—Financial Times “An important presentation of an uncomfortable minority position.”—Jaron Lanier, Nature |
| ben goldacre bad science: Culinary Reactions Simon Quellen Field, 2011-11-01 When you're cooking, you're a chemist! Every time you follow or modify a recipe, you are experimenting with acids and bases, emulsions and suspensions, gels and foams. In your kitchen you denature proteins, crystallize compounds, react enzymes with substrates, and nurture desired microbial life while suppressing harmful bacteria and fungi. And unlike in a laboratory, you can eat your experiments to verify your hypotheses. In Culinary Reactions, author Simon Quellen Field turns measuring cups, stovetop burners, and mixing bowls into graduated cylinders, Bunsen burners, and beakers. How does altering the ratio of flour, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, and water affect how high bread rises? Why is whipped cream made with nitrous oxide rather than the more common carbon dioxide? And why does Hollandaise sauce call for “clarified” butter? This easy-to-follow primer even includes recipes to demonstrate the concepts being discussed, including: &· Whipped Creamsicle Topping—a foam &· Cherry Dream Cheese—a protein gel &· Lemonade with Chameleon Eggs—an acid indicator |
| ben goldacre bad science: What Science Is and How It Really Works James C. Zimring, 2019-07-18 A timely and accessible synthesis of the strengths, weaknesses and reality of science through the eyes of a practicing scientist. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Unscientific America Chris Mooney, Sheril Kirshenbaum, 2009-07-14 In his famous 1959 Rede lecture at Cambridge University, the scientifically-trained novelist C.P. Snow described science and the humanities as two cultures, separated by a gulf of mutual incomprehension. And the humanists had all the cultural power -- the low prestige of science, Snow argued, left Western leaders too little educated in scientific subjects that were increasingly central to world problems: the elementary physics behind nuclear weapons, for instance, or the basics of plant science needed to feed the world's growing population. Now, Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, a journalist-scientist team, offer an updated two cultures polemic for America in the 21st century. Just as in Snow's time, some of our gravest challenges -- climate change, the energy crisis, national economic competitiveness -- and gravest threats -- global pandemics, nuclear proliferation -- have fundamentally scientific underpinnings. Yet we still live in a culture that rarely takes science seriously or has it on the radar. For every five hours of cable news, less than a minute is devoted to science; 46 percent of Americans reject evolution and think the Earth is less than 10,000 years old; the number of newspapers with weekly science sections has shrunken by two-thirds over the past several decades. The public is polarized over climate change -- an issue where political party affiliation determines one's view of reality -- and in dangerous retreat from childhood vaccinations. Meanwhile, only 18 percent of Americans have even met a scientist to begin with; more than half can't name a living scientist role model. For this dismaying situation, Mooney and Kirshenbaum don't let anyone off the hook. They highlight the anti-intellectual tendencies of the American public (and particularly the politicians and journalists who are supposed to serve it), but also challenge the scientists themselves, who despite the best of intentions have often failed to communicate about their work effectively to a broad public -- and so have ceded their critical place in the public sphere to religious and commercial propagandists. A plea for enhanced scientific literacy, Unscientific America urges those who care about the place of science in our society to take unprecedented action. We must begin to train a small army of ambassadors who can translate science's message and make it relevant to the media, to politicians, and to the public in the broadest sense. An impassioned call to arms worthy of Snow's original manifesto, this book lays the groundwork for reintegrating science into the public discourse -- before it's too late. |
| ben goldacre bad science: What If? Randall Munroe, 2014 From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans' strangest questions. The queries he receives range from merely odd to downright diabolical: - What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool? - Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns? - What if a Richter 15 earthquake hit New York City? - Are fire tornadoes possible? His responses are masterpieces of clarity and wit, gleefully and accurately explaining everything from the relativistic effects of a baseball pitched at near the speed of light to the many horrible ways you could die while building a periodic table out of all the actual elements. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? is an informative feast for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Life Ascending Nick Lane, 2010-10-01 Winner of the 2010 Royal Society Prize for science books Powerful new research methods are providing fresh and vivid insights into the makeup of life. Comparing gene sequences, examining the atomic structure of proteins and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have all helped to explain creation and evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick Lane uses the full extent of this new knowledge to describe the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, role in living organisms today and relevance to current controversies. DNA, sex, sight and consciousnesses are just four examples. Lane also explains how these findings have come about, and the extent to which they can be relied upon. The result is a gripping and lucid account of the ingenuity of nature, and a book which is essential reading for anyone who has ever questioned the science behind the glories of everyday life. |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Science of Everyday Life Marty Jopson, 2015-09-17 A fascinating and accessible guide to chemistry and physics using the everyday objects around us. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Funny You Should Ask . . . The QI Elves, 2020-10-13 ***PRE-ORDER FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK . . . AGAIN: MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE QI ELVES NOW*** The perfect gift for all those big and little kids in your life who ask 'why...?'. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ZOE BALLPre-order the next book in this series, 222 QI Answers to Your Quite Ingenious Questions, published in paperback on 3rd November.'QI have outdone themselves!' ALAN DAVIES 'Fabulous . . . A cracker of a book!' SUE PERKINS'The QI Elves are barnstormingly brilliant.' ZOE BALL'Genuinely useful and endlessly fascinating.' THE SPECTATOR'Hilarious.' DAILY MAILThe QI Elves are the brains behind the enduringly popular BBC TV panel show QI.Every Wednesday the Elves appear on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show where they answer the ponderings and wonderings of BBC Radio 2's most inquisitive listeners.Dive into this splendid collection of listeners' unusual questions and some unexpected answers that are sure to make your head spin on topics ranging from goosebumps to grapefruit, pizza to pirates and everything in-between. Generously sprinkled with extra facts and questions from the Elves, Funny You Should Ask . . . is essential reading for the incurably curious. How much water would you need to put out the Sun?If spiders can walk on the ceiling, why can't they get out of the bath?Why do dads make such bad jokes?Why does red mean 'stop' and green mean 'go'?Can I dig a tunnel to the other side of the Earth?How do plant seeds know which way is up?Can you fill up a black hole?Who popularised the recorder, and where can I get hold of them?For more from the team behind QI, visit qi.com. You can also follow QI's fact-filled Twitter account @qikipedia and listen to their weekly podcast at nosuchthingasafish.comFor more mind-boggling nuggets of wisdom check out the QI FACTS SERIES |
| ben goldacre bad science: 21 Pounds in 21 Days Roni DeLuz, James Hester, 2009-12-29 Detox diets are making news as the quickest, easiest way to shed pounds, boost your energy, and get yourself on a wellness track. Popular in the 1970s, cleansing fasts are again all the rage among celebrities like Gisele Bundchen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney, and Madonna. One of the key advocates of the health benefits of cleansing detoxes is Roni DeLuz, ND, a licensed naturopathic and health practitioner at Martha′s Vineyard Holistic Retreat, part of the renowned Martha′s Vineyard Inn. The idea behind DeLuz′s new detox plan is the belief that the foods we eat (along with the coffee, tea, and alcohol we drink and the air we breathe) contain harmful and toxic substances that accumulate in our bodies and need to be removed in some way. In 21 Pounds in 21 Days, DeLuz offers three different detox programs, including the original and most effective 21-day MasterFast, which promises a 21-pound weight loss in just three weeks and focuses on detoxification through antioxidants, fasting, stress reduction, and lifestyle changes. Also included in the book are: ∗maintenance plans ∗dozens of easy, delicious recipes ∗real-life tips ∗an extensive glossary of terms ∗a guide to supplements Meals consist of supplement-laden drinks, herbal teas, thick, delicious vegetable purees, and live juices, along with nutritional supplements, vitamins, and enzymes designed to keep the body′s systems stable and its cells nourished while harmful toxins are flushed out. 21 Pounds in 21 Days isn′t just for those looking to lose weight; everyone can benefit from this revolutionary detox diet that results in a clean, refreshed system that functions at its best. |
| ben goldacre bad science: A Grain of Salt Joe Schwarcz, 2019-10-08 “This enlightening collection offers every reader something new to learn and marvel over.” — Booklist Bestselling popular science author Dr. Joe Schwarcz debunks the baloney and serves up the raw facts in this appetizing collection about the things we eat Eating has become a confusing experience. Should we follow a keto diet? Is sugar the next tobacco? Does fermented cabbage juice cure disease? Are lectins toxic? Is drinking poppy seed tea risky? What’s with probiotics? Can packaging contaminate food? Should our nuts be activated? What is cockroach milk? We all have questions, and Dr. Joe Schwarcz has the answers, some of which will astonish you. This collection is guaranteed to satisfy your hunger for palatable and relevant scientific information as Dr. Joe separates fact from fiction with an assortment of new and updated articles about what to eat, what not to eat, and how to recognize the scientific basis of food chemistry. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Voodoo Science Robert L. Park, 2002 Occasionally in the world of science, unexpected results that appear to violate accepted laws of nature can herald revolutionary advances in human knowledge. Many of these 'revolutionary' discoveries do, however, turn out to be wrong, and eminent scientists must carry the burden of a tarnished reputation for mistakenly thinking they have made a great discovery. In this entertaining text, Robert Park examines the social, economic, and political forces that elicit or support flawed or fake science and then go on to sustain it in the face of often overwhelming contrary evidence. Readers are made aware of the fine line that exists between foolishness and fraud and are warned against irrational beliefs dressed up as scientific garb. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Being Mortal Atul Gawande, 2014-10-07 #1 New York Times Bestseller In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified. Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Quantum Manjit Kumar, 2008-10-02 'This is about gob-smacking science at the far end of reason ... Take it nice and easy and savour the experience of your mind being blown without recourse to hallucinogens' Nicholas Lezard, Guardian For most people, quantum theory is a byword for mysterious, impenetrable science. And yet for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves. In this magisterial book, Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly-written history of this fundamental scientific revolution, and the divisive debate at its core. Quantum theory looks at the very building blocks of our world, the particles and processes without which it could not exist. Yet for 60 years most physicists believed that quantum theory denied the very existence of reality itself. In this tour de force of science history, Manjit Kumar shows how the golden age of physics ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the twentieth century. Quantum theory is weird. In 1905, Albert Einstein suggested that light was a particle, not a wave, defying a century of experiments. Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and Erwin Schrodinger's famous dead-and-alive cat are similarly strange. As Niels Bohr said, if you weren't shocked by quantum theory, you didn't really understand it. While Quantum sets the science in the context of the great upheavals of the modern age, Kumar's centrepiece is the conflict between Einstein and Bohr over the nature of reality and the soul of science. 'Bohr brainwashed a whole generation of physicists into believing that the problem had been solved', lamented the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Murray Gell-Mann. But in Quantum, Kumar brings Einstein back to the centre of the quantum debate. Quantum is the essential read for anyone fascinated by this complex and thrilling story and by the band of brilliant men at its heart. |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore Benjamin Hale, 2010-11-01 Bruno Littlemore is quite unlike any chimpanzee in the world. Precocious, self-conscious and preternaturally gifted, young Bruno, born and raised in a habitat at the local zoo, falls under the care of a university primatologist named Lydia Littlemore. Learning of Bruno's ability to speak, Lydia takes Bruno into her home to oversee his education and nurture his passion for painting. But for all of his gifts, the chimpanzee has a rough time caging his more primal urges. His untimely outbursts ultimately cost Lydia her job, and send the unlikely pair on the road in what proves to be one of the most unforgettable journeys -- and most affecting love stories -- in recent literature. Like its protagonist, this novel is big, loud, abrasive, witty, perverse, earnest and amazingly accomplished. The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore goes beyond satire by showing us not what it means, but what it feels like be human -- to love and lose, learn, aspire, grasp, and, in the end, to fail. |
| ben goldacre bad science: You Are What You Eat Gillian McKeith, 2006-03-28 A clear, no-nonsense nutritional guide to a healthier life, from the author of Gillian McKeith’s Food Bible and Slim for Life. With over 2 million copies sold worldwide, Gillian McKeith’s You Are What You Eat is a national bestseller that has changed the way people think about food and nutrition. You Are What You Eat features real-life diet makeovers and case studies, easy to use lists and charts, and beautiful full color photographs. By encouraging you to eat more nutrient-dense, flavorful whole foods, You Are What You Eat will teach you how to stay healthy and satisfied. This healthy guide also includes: • Gillian McKeith’s “Diet of Abundance” • A 7-Day jumpstart plan • The Food IQ Test • Complete shopping guide and meal plan • Healthy and delicious Mediterranean-inspired recipes |
| ben goldacre bad science: What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained Robert L. Wolke, 2010-06-21 Finalist for the James Beard Foundation Book Award and the IACP Cookbook Award [A]s good a read on the science of cooking as there is. —Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything “Wolke, longtime professor of chemistry and author of the Washington Post column Food 101, turns his hand to a Cecil Adams style compendium of questions and answers on food chemistry. Is there really a difference between supermarket and sea salt? How is sugar made? Should cooks avoid aluminum pans? Interspersed throughout Wolke’s accessible and humorous answers to these and other mysteries are recipes demonstrating scientific principles. There is gravy that avoids lumps and grease; Portuguese Poached Meringue that demonstrates cream of tartar at work; and juicy Salt-Seared Burgers…With its zest for the truth, this book will help cooks learn how to make more intelligent choices.” —Publishers Weekly |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Tiger That Isn't Andrew Dilnot, Michael Blastland, 2010-07-09 Mathematics scares and depresses most of us, but politicians, journalists and everyone in power use numbers all the time to bamboozle us. Most maths is really simple - as easy as 2+2 in fact. Better still it can be understood without any jargon, any formulas - and in fact not even many numbers. Most of it is commonsense, and by using a few really simple principles one can quickly see when maths, statistics and numbers are being abused to play tricks - or create policies - which can waste millions of pounds. It is liberating to understand when numbers are telling the truth or being used to lie, whether it is health scares, the costs of government policies, the supposed risks of certain activities or the real burden of taxes. |
| ben goldacre bad science: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe Dr. Steven Novella, 2018-10-02 An all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking from podcast host and academic neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine Steven Novella and his SGU co-hosts, which Richard Wiseman calls the perfect primer for anyone who wants to separate fact from fiction. It is intimidating to realize that we live in a world overflowing with misinformation, bias, myths, deception, and flawed knowledge. There really are no ultimate authority figures-no one has the secret, and there is no place to look up the definitive answers to our questions (not even Google). Luckily, The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe is your map through this maze of modern life. Here Dr. Steven Novella-along with Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein-will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths, fallacies, and conspiracy theories-from anti-vaccines to homeopathy, UFO sightings to N- rays. You'll learn the difference between science and pseudoscience, essential critical thinking skills, ways to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy co- worker of yours, and how to combat sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitious thinking. So are you ready to join them on an epic scientific quest, one that has taken us from huddling in dark caves to setting foot on the moon? (Yes, we really did that.) DON'T PANIC! With The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, we can do this together. Thorough, informative, and enlightening, The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe inoculates you against the frailties and shortcomings of human cognition. If this book does not become required reading for us all, we may well see modern civilization unravel before our eyes. -- Neil deGrasse Tyson In this age of real and fake information, your ability to reason, to think in scientifically skeptical fashion, is the most important skill you can have. Read The Skeptics' Guide Universe; get better at reasoning. And if this claim about the importance of reason is wrong, The Skeptics' Guide will help you figure that out, too. -- Bill Nye |
| ben goldacre bad science: Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds Charles Mackay, 1852 Excerpt from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions, Vol. 2 A forest huge of spears and thronging helms Appear'd, and serried shields, in thick array. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. |
| ben goldacre bad science: Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance (New Edition) Anthony Gottlieb, 2016-08-30 His book...supplant[s] all others, even the immensely successful History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.—A. C. Grayling Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. This landmark study of Western thought takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell's monumental History of Western Philosophy, but Gottlieb's book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001. |
2008 - Bad Science - Archive.org
Guardian columnist Dr Ben Goldacre takes us on a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the bad science we’re fed by the worst of the hacks and the quacks!
Bad Science, Ben Goldacre, Fourth Estate, London, 2008 - SSERC
Bad Science is relevant to the Higher Human Biology Unit Immunology and Public Health (clinical trials) and the Higher Biology Unit Sustainability and Interdependence (field trials). It is also …
Bad Science PDF - cdn.bookey.app
In "Bad Science," Ben Goldacre takes readers on a compelling journey through the murky waters of health and medicine, unraveling the questionable practices of both alternative therapists and …
The Doctor Will Sue You Now:The Doctor Will Sue You Now
by Ben Goldacre The shocking and previously unpublishable new chapter from his book Bad Science. This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No …
Bad Science
According to Goldacre, this “transparent, shame-ful and embarrassing nonsense” poses two problems, which apply to all pseudoscience. First, you can blind people with scientific-sounding …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
Bad Science Book (PDF) - Saturn
Bad Science Book: Bad Science Ben Goldacre,2010-10-12 Have you ever wondered how one day the media can assert that alcohol is bad for us and the next unashamedly run a story touting …
Bad Science - firstrand.co.za
So, when I picked up Ben Goldacre’s 2008 book, Bad Science, I was ready to have my personal faculties sharpened to the point where I no longer fell for the cons. It turns out Goldacre’s book …
Book Review: Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - api.rogue …
But the book is not really a collection of scary and sometimes hilarious bad science stories. Ben Goldacre takes these examples and tries to teach the reader evidence-based medicine.
Inspiring Doctors Episode 9: Ben Goldacre - British Medical …
But for many people, Ben will be best known for the column he wrote every week in The Guardian between 2003 and 2011, a column called Bad Science, and what is bad science? Well, to …
Ben Goldacre - ebookk.ir
Guardian columnist Dr Ben Goldacre takes us on a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the bad science we’re fed by the worst of the hacks and the quacks!
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
The term ‘Bad Science’ is borrowed from the title of the book …
Although his book relates to medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, the lessons regarding bad science are equally applicable to the wind power industry. This presentation identifies the ‘Bad …
Bad science is dangerous for your health - Sabinet African …
Goldacre is a 34-year-old British doctor and broadcaster who writes the regular ‘Bad Science’ column in The Guardian. His book is very wittily, forcefully and con-vincingly written. He is a …
Bad Science English Edition (book) - icnd2024.goldlearning.com
Bad Science, Ben Goldacre, Fourth Estate, London, 2008 Bad Science is relevant to the Higher Human Biology Unit Immunology and Public Health (clinical trials) and the Higher Biology Unit …
Book review: Bad Science - Taylor & Francis Online
Since 2003, Medical Doctor Ben Goldacre has written the Guardian Bad Science column in which he dismantles the sort of pseudoscience and sloppy science which is all too prevalent in media …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
Breaking bad science - AAAS
problems with how science is presented and discussed in the public forum. To Goldacre, “bad science” is a term that encompasses a variety of problems, from reporters who write stories …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
Understanding the "Bad Science" Landscape Ben Goldacre's work isn't about being cynical; it's about equipping us with the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate claims with an …
Ben Goldacre Battling Bad Science Ted Talk
In 'Bad Science', Ben Goldacre hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science. put the $600 billion global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope.
2008 - Bad Science - Archive.org
Guardian columnist Dr Ben Goldacre takes us on a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the bad science we’re fed by the worst of the hacks and the quacks!
Bad Science, Ben Goldacre, Fourth Estate, London, 2008
Bad Science is relevant to the Higher Human Biology Unit Immunology and Public Health (clinical trials) and the Higher Biology Unit Sustainability and Interdependence (field trials). It is also …
Bad Science PDF - cdn.bookey.app
In "Bad Science," Ben Goldacre takes readers on a compelling journey through the murky waters of health and medicine, unraveling the questionable practices of both alternative therapists …
The Doctor Will Sue You Now:The Doctor Will Sue You …
by Ben Goldacre The shocking and previously unpublishable new chapter from his book Bad Science. This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No …
Bad Science
According to Goldacre, this “transparent, shame-ful and embarrassing nonsense” poses two problems, which apply to all pseudoscience. First, you can blind people with scientific …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
Bad Science Book (PDF) - Saturn
Bad Science Book: Bad Science Ben Goldacre,2010-10-12 Have you ever wondered how one day the media can assert that alcohol is bad for us and the next unashamedly run a story …
Bad Science - firstrand.co.za
So, when I picked up Ben Goldacre’s 2008 book, Bad Science, I was ready to have my personal faculties sharpened to the point where I no longer fell for the cons. It turns out Goldacre’s book …
Book Review: Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - api.rogue …
But the book is not really a collection of scary and sometimes hilarious bad science stories. Ben Goldacre takes these examples and tries to teach the reader evidence-based medicine.
Inspiring Doctors Episode 9: Ben Goldacre - British Medical …
But for many people, Ben will be best known for the column he wrote every week in The Guardian between 2003 and 2011, a column called Bad Science, and what is bad science? Well, to …
Ben Goldacre - ebookk.ir
Guardian columnist Dr Ben Goldacre takes us on a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the bad science we’re fed by the worst of the hacks and the quacks!
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
The term ‘Bad Science’ is borrowed from the title of the book …
Although his book relates to medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, the lessons regarding bad science are equally applicable to the wind power industry. This presentation identifies the ‘Bad …
Bad science is dangerous for your health - Sabinet African …
Goldacre is a 34-year-old British doctor and broadcaster who writes the regular ‘Bad Science’ column in The Guardian. His book is very wittily, forcefully and con-vincingly written. He is a …
Bad Science English Edition (book) - icnd2024.goldlearning.com
Bad Science, Ben Goldacre, Fourth Estate, London, 2008 Bad Science is relevant to the Higher Human Biology Unit Immunology and Public Health (clinical trials) and the Higher Biology Unit …
Book review: Bad Science - Taylor & Francis Online
Since 2003, Medical Doctor Ben Goldacre has written the Guardian Bad Science column in which he dismantles the sort of pseudoscience and sloppy science which is all too prevalent in media …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
About Dr Ben Goldacre - Bad Science Ben Goldacre is a doctor, academic, campaigner and writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics by journalists, politicians, …
Breaking bad science - AAAS
problems with how science is presented and discussed in the public forum. To Goldacre, “bad science” is a term that encompasses a variety of problems, from reporters who write stories …
Bad Science Ben Goldacre - biko.up.edu.ph
Understanding the "Bad Science" Landscape Ben Goldacre's work isn't about being cynical; it's about equipping us with the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate claims with an …
Ben Goldacre Battling Bad Science Ted Talk
In 'Bad Science', Ben Goldacre hilariously exposed the tricks that quacks and journalists use to distort science. put the $600 billion global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope.
