“It is long past time to close the door on homeopathy. After thousands of studies, homeopaths are still unable to produce convincing evidence that homeopathy works for any indication.” Read more -> Steven Novella on March 11, 2015
Hydraulic fracturing is highly controversial; whereas its proponents advocate the economic benefits of more extensively accessible hydrocarbons, opponents argue that the environmental impactsof fracking include the risks of contaminating ground water, depleting fresh water, degrading air quality, potentially triggering earthquakes, noise pollution, surface pollution, and the consequential hazards to public health and the environment. The benefits of reducing green house gas by replacing coal with natural gas and addressing the very real problem of climate change far outweigh the risks of hypothetical problems that alarmists have raised. (more…)
The level of support for evolution is extremely high within the scientific community and in academia, with 95% of scientists supporting evolution. An overwhelming majority of the scientific community accepts evolution as the dominant scientific theory of biological diversity.
“The top of the list of energy challenges is climate change” said Kerry to the Atlantic Council today. Kerry showed he was definitely In Touch with the Science on the major environmental issue facing us today.
“For decades the science has been screaming at us, trying to compel us to act..” Kerry added that “Science is and has long been crystal clear when it comes to climate change.”
He gave an impassioned plea to look at the science explaining that climate change is “Fact based, evidence supported, peer reviewed science, and yet if you listen to some people in Washington or elsewhere, you would think there is a question whether climate change really is a problem or if we really need to respond to it. (more…)
In recent years the antivaccine movement has focused on the claim that vaccines are linked to neurological injury, and specifically to the neurological disorder autism, now referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However all scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows no correlation between vaccines in general, the MMR vaccine specifically, or thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative) in vaccines with ASD or other neurodevelopmental disorders. See the following science facts about autism and vaccines – (more…)
Climate change is real, caused almost entirely by humans, and presents a potentially existential threat to human civilisation. Solving climate change does not mean rolling back capitalism, suspending the free market or stopping economic growth. Read more -> The Guardian
“Until the public can see eye-to-eye with the majority of scientists, extra labeling isn’t worth the stress, ” Read more -> Katherine Ellen Foley, scienceline.org. March 11, 2015
Richard “Rick” Lynn Scott receives an Out of Touch with Reality post for his policy of not allowing Florida Officials to use the terms ‘climate change’. We do give him credit for his December 2012 plan to encourage students to pursue majors in engineering and science by reducing tuition for some majors. We hope this will end up compensating for his ignorance of science.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul gets an Out of Touch post for his statement in an interview he gave last month to CNBC:
“I’ve heard many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.”
Really, he’s heard of many tragic cases? We cannot excuse this big of a distortion of the facts. He is also standing by his statement that most vaccinations should be “voluntary,” telling CNBC that it is a parent’s choice. Being a doctor he knows better about vaccines.
The general public is out of touch on several important issues. Only 37% believe it is safe to eat genetically modified food even though there has never been any evidence to support a risk, and we have been eating GMO foods for years. One third do not think vaccines should be required even though they are proven to be safe, and have saved the lives of many children. Only half believe climate change is due to human activity compare to 90% of scientist and experts. When it comes to evolution, one of the pillars of modern science supported by almost 95% of scientists and 100% of major science institutions, 4 in 10 believe God created humans 10,000 years ago.
Dr. Christopher Shaw is Out of Touch with Science for continuing to support his discredited research showing a causal relationship between life saving vaccines and autism, even though his research puts children at risk.
He is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia and holds cross appointments with the Department of Experimental Medicine and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. He is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles as well as numerous book chapters and special reviews. He is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of CMSRI. (more…)
At a Dec. 17 press conference, acting New York health commissioner Howard Zucker holds up a research paper used to support the state’s ban on shale gas development. The paper was written and peer-reviewed by opponents of shale gas development who concealed their bias from the scientific community and the general public. Read more -> Breaking Energy
“Evolution is a myth… Why aren’t monkeys still evolving into humans?”
Christine O’Donnell gets an Out of Touch with Reality post for her remarkable statements about aids, evolution, witchcraft, cross-breeding, masturbation.. some of which is listed here. She is listed her because she persuaded enough voters with her alternative reality to win a primary. Which is a little disturbing. O’Donnell graduated from Moorestown High School in 1987. She attended Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) beginning in 1987, initially majoring in theater, but later changing to English literature with a concentration in communications. O’Donnell later told The New York Times she had had three senior years of college. (more…)
Michele Marie Bachmann receives an Out of Touch with Reality posting for her statements on intelleigent design. Michele is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, who represented Minnesota’s 6th congressional district. Michele Bachmann is skeptical of evolution and said students should be taught the theory of intelligent design.
“I support intelligent design,” Bachmann told reporters in New Orleans following her speech to the Republican Leadership Conference. “What I support is putting all science on the table and then letting students decide. I don’t think it’s a good idea for government to come down on one side of scientific issue or another, when there is reasonable doubt on both sides.”
About global warming at the Republican Convention:
“The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. It’s all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax,”
State public health officials in Colorado have publicly disavowed the latest paper from a team of researchers whose work is routinely cited by political activist groups that want to ban hydraulic fracturing. Read more -> energyindepth.org