As revealed in a previous post, we’ve recently implemented some fairly large additions to Lintbox and its direction.  Many may have noticed the newly-added Special Features section, wherein we will occasionally bring you a variety of special content.  Among these is the Panel Discussion, a biweekly compendium where the Lintbox staff and contributors alike may [...]

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Is it ethical to prescribe a placebo?
Glucosamine is a drug that is sometimes prescribed, and often recommended, to treat joint pain and arthritis. Extracted from the shells of shellfish, it isn’t toxic, and it’s relatively cheap to purchase. People who use it often notice a substantial decrease in their joint pain while they [...]

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I am a big fan of Consumer Reports magazine. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a consumer information and advocacy magazine. In each issue, it selects groups of products (e.g. computers, televisions, lawn mowers, refrigerators), and makes recommendations based on a battery of tests, surveys, and investigation of the product. It tests [...]

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Hearing Jenny McCarthy’s stance on vaccinations sickened me. This was no longer the innocent pseudo-science of UFO sightings and Free Energy, but rather a movement that has resulted in thousands of deaths world-wide, and outbreaks of previously-eradicated diseases in one of the most scientifically advanced countries in the world. Enraged, I decided to [...]

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Recently, I’ve been thinking as to the criteria that would cause me to accept the existence of an intelligent god that interacted with humans.
So here’s my challenge to God: start answering prayers. More specifically, start answering the prayers of sick people. If everybody1 with some sort of disease, who prays to God to [...]

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The BBC posted an article a while back, announcing, “Trust drug may cure social phobia.” Arguably, this article may be jumping the gun a little in terms of efficacy of the product, but the BBC does tend to be pretty good with this type of stuff, and the headline does include the important word may. [...]

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Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is sold as an alternative to conventional (i.e. science/evidence based) medicine. The rallying cry of CAM supporters is usually that of choice. They feel that the supporters of conventional medicine have backed them into a corner, and conspire alongside “Big Pharma” to ensure that their choices for treatment [...]

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There seems to be a rather large problem with Bill C-51 that has been overlooked by our policy makers and health officials alike: nobody seems to understand the bill. The premise is simple enough: treat all medications the same way. If you want to sell something that claims to cure cancer, then prove [...]

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Two weeks ago, I wrote about Bill C-51, Canada’s answer to the currently obsolete system of food and drug regulation. As is expected by the non-science crowd, they weren’t happy.
Clearly, a lot has happened since. Namely:
Our friends at Ottawa Skeptics have written several articles on the issue-

Bill C-51 – Jackboot Inspections, Big [...]

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One of the dangers of being a skeptic is receiving the ire of those lacking a sense of rationality. Make no mistake, by pointing the finger at unscientific shenanigans, you’re most likely going to hear about it. Not by those who’ve been fooled into believing the nonsense, but by those who’ve dedicated themselves [...]

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