Pseudomedicine in Estonian media

Martin Vällikwww.skeptik.ee

Tallinn 2012

skeptik.ee

• Health, astrology, dowsing, equality, religion; Umbluu award, 8000 € challenge

pH Miracle

Myth #1: must be slim

Myth #2: ancient, exotic is good

Myth #3:environment and food is out

to kill you• Food is toxic, must go organic or veg• Water is toxic, must purify• Air is not good, must ionize• Radiation – mobile phones, power lines,

sterilisation plants, the Sun, Earth

Myth #4:your body and mind is in to

kill you• Detox scams: footbath, liver massage,

coffee enemas, letting „bad blood“; toxins everywhere

• „Think right“ and happy thoughts, skeptics die early, believer live longer

Shruggie

Shruggie  (noun): a person who doesn’t care about the science

versus pseudoscience debate. When presented with descriptions

of exaggerated or fraudulent health claims or practices, their

response is to shrug. Shruggies are fairly inert, they will not

argue the merits (or lack thereof) of complementary and

alternative medicine (CAM) or pseudoscience in general. They

simply aren’t all that interested in the discussion, and are

somewhat puzzled by those who are. Val Jones, http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/a-shruggie-awakening/

Bad ScienceBen Goldacre

Päästevitsamees

The end

Thank you!