Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The history of lawyers' letters used to remove material from the internet never go in favour of the lawyers' clients. This is called the Streisand effect.

The Society of Homepaths are one group who have utterly failed to learn this lesson. David Colquhuon (himself no stranger to receiving legal ( Read more... )

On Professor David Colquhuon’s blog, there was a discussion about the closing of the Tunbridge Wells Homeopathy Hospital (I use that last word advisedly). This comment from Le Canard Noir struck some bells:

The real menace comes not from medical homeopaths, but from lay ( Read more... )

I urge everyone to have a look at Mark Chu-Carroll’s discussion of the perceived differences between physical and mental illness. Read the comments too, because there’s some interesting discussion there.

When you’ve got your fill have a look at John Searle’s Chinese room argument, which I find to be a most satisfying discussion of mental processes ( Read more... )

Bookdrunk mentions homeopathy in that inimitable but blunt style, to hilarious effect:

Doctors and scientists have warned holidaymakers not to use homeopathic remedies for malaria and other serious tropical diseases or their lives could be put at risk.

Because homeopathy doesn’t work.

However, sometimes no amount of arguing can ( Read more... )

My friends think I’m ugly
I’ve got a masculine face

- Tom Waits, Goin’ Out West

I have, in the past, suffered quite extensively from acne. It’s not an exciting or sexy subject, and I feel it gets further trivialised by Clearasil adverts which perpetuate the feeling (especially among teenagers) that spots are a result of inadequate ( Read more... )