Skeptimedia Archive - The Skeptic's Dictionary

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head><title>Skeptimedia Archive - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta content='Microsoft FrontPage 5.0' name='generator'> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_style/style.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_style/printstyle.css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="../s1.ico"> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.0"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=ra-5487a05a7e027f30" 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<li><a href="http://skepdic.com/refuge/getinvolved.html">Get involved</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/future.html">Future Topics?</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/permissions.html">Permission to print</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/report/">Site Statistics</a></li><li></li> </ul> </div> <div class="content"> <div class="it"> <h2 style="text-align: center">From Abracadabra to Zombies </h2> <ul class="alphabet"> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#A">a</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#B">b</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#C">c</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#D">d</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#E">e</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#F">f</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#G">g</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#H">h</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#I">i</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#J">j</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#K">k</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#L">l</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#M">m</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#N">n</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#O">o</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#P">p</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Q">q</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#R">r</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#S">s</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#T">t</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#U">u</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#V">v</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#W">w</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#X">x</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Y">y</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Z">z</a></li> </ul> <h1 style="text-align: center"> Skeptimedia Archive </h1> Skeptimedia is a commentary on mass media treatment of issues concerning science, the paranormal, and the supernatural. Skeptimedia replaces  Mass Media Funk and Mass Media Bunk. Those blogs are now archived. 2015 <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia150.html">Cancer Risk</a> 2014 <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia149.html">Science Channel Catering to Irrationality and Superstition</a> <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia148.html">Acupuncture & What They Don't Teach in Medical School</a> 2013 <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia147.html">Chiropractor Busts "Medical Monopoly"</a> <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia146.html">Bill O'Reilly Plays the Religious Persecution by the Liberal Media Card....again (SU)</a> 2012 <a href="skeptimedia145.html">Jamy Ian Swiss, TAM 2012, and Cognitive Incompetence</a> (CT) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia144.html">god, i miss Hitchens</a> (SU) 2011 <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia143.html">Deception on the Burzynski Clinic website?</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia142.html">She nearly died and my life passed before my eyes</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia141.html">A Slow Day</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia140.html">The good, the bad, and the ugly in ABC's Nighttline show on psychics</a> (JS)(P) <a href="skeptimedia139.html">Mabus Arrested</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia138.html">Facilitating a Dangerous Delusion at MIT </a>(JS) <a href="skeptimedia137.html">Facilitated Communication Infiltrates MIT's Media Lab</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia136.html">WHO Says Cell Phones May Not Cause Cancer</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia135.html">Storm: caught in the behaviorist trap</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia134.html">Why the world didn't end yesterday</a> <a href="skeptimedia133.html">(SU)(JS)</a> <a href="skeptimedia133.html">I may be a fool, but I have my reasons</a> (SU)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia132.html">ACCC drops the ball in faith healing case</a> (SU)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia131.html">Templeton Prize Rekindles the Science/Religion Debate</a> (SU) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia130.html">Anti-vaccine propaganda from CBS</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia129.html">The Skeptically-prone Personality</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia128.html">Some questions for a mega lottery winner</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia127.html">How did he know that? Actually, he didn't.</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia126.html">Deepak, and the Emptiness of Spiritual Gibberish</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia125.html">Psychic Intuitive Profiling for Parents</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia124.html">Wakefield's Delusions</a> (JS) (FH) <a href="skeptimedia123.html">Our Soldiers Deserve Better</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia122.html">Wakefield's Warriors</a> (FH) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia121.html">Contrary-to-fact Conditionals & Media Vultures in my Crosshairs (O)</a> <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia120.html">The Miracle Detectives</a> (SU) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia119.html">Science is fine, but we're not</a> (CT) 2010 <a href="skeptimedia118.html">Another year, Another Thousand Scams</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia117.html">Sources: How the WWW allows one person to seem to be many sources--The Eileen Danneman Story</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia116.html">My Bible Park</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia115.html">PBS still pimping unhealthy programs</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia114.html">Racial Intelligence</a> (SC) (JS) <a href="skeptimedia113.html">Diets, Supplements, and Health:It's Complicated </a>(SC) <a href="skeptimedia112.html">Science Friday Cats, Apps, and Occult Stats </a>(SC) (JS) <a href="skeptimedia111.html"> Hereafter is a sleeper </a>(O) <a href="skeptimedia110.html">Sam Harris on Science and Morality  </a>(JS) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia109.html"> "God in America" --not really</a> (SU) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia108.html"> The Disconnect in Disconnect</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia107.html">The present is the only window to the past</a> (SC)(SU) <a href="skeptimedia106.html">Cure Cancer the Natural Way?</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia105.html">Amazing! Electrifying! Stories</a> (SC) <a href="skeptimedia104.html">It's not psychokinesis</a> (P) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia103.html"> Dying to tell the truth</a> (SU)(S) <a href="skeptimedia102.html">Shirley Sherrod: blogging the news</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia101.html">Clayton College Closed? No Problem</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia100.html">You Think Skeptics are Nasty?</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia99.html">TAM8: Something for Everybody</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia98.html">Manipulating the media to promote quackery</a> (CAM)(FH) <a href="skeptimedia97.html">Quackwatch Doc Sued for $10 million</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia96.html">Praying, miracles, and other disasters</a> (S) <a href="skeptimedia95.html">Creating Your Own Pseudoscience - part 2</a> (CT)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia94.html">Creating Your Own Pseudoscience - part 1</a> (CT)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia93.html">The Wakefield Propaganda Machine</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia92.html">Warning: Fruits and Vegetables May be Killing Your Children</a> (CT)(SC) <a href="skeptimedia91.html">Maine's Tea Party Republic</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia90.html">Dr. Sudhir Shah & Prahlad Jani</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia89.html">Robbie Thomas: the not-quite-dead-yet tour</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia88.html">Is hypnotherapy a con?</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia87.html">A review of "Something Unknown is Doing We Don't Know What"</a> (P)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia86.html">The phonies on the fringe</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia85.html">Protecting child rapists</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia84.html">Woo Even Oprah Couldn't Sell</a> (P)(JS) <a href="skeptimedia83.html">Spontaneous National Destruction</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia82.html">The Real Winner of the Templeton Prize</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia81.html">The 2009 (not prestigious) Templeton Prize Winner is....</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia80.html">Is Benedict XVI the Antichrist?</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia79.html">Lying for God</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia78.html">Hope is all you need - just ask Jenny McCarthy</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia77.html">Amaz!ng Meeting 8</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia76.html">Atheists in foxholes, gods on benches</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia75.html">Stupid politicians and cops</a> (JS)(CT) <a href="skeptimedia74.html">The deadliest animal on the planet (SC)</a> <a href="skeptimedia73.html">Warning: Your Magazine may Be Hazardous to Your Health</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia72.html">Should Governments Fund Faith-based Groups?</a> (SU)(O) <a href="skeptimedia71.html">Natural Law, Celibate Men who Wear Dresses, and Pastors who Preach Hate</a> (S)(CT)(SU) <a href="skeptimedia70.html">The New Atheism and Martin Gardner</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia69.html">Psychic cat or clever doctor?</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia68.html">How to quit smoking</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia67.html">Immune system quackery</a> (CAM)(SC) <a href="skeptimedia66.html">Cell phones, brain cancer, and other cheery thoughts</a> (CT)(JS) 2009 <a href="skeptimedia65.html">Autism rates are up or down</a> (SC) <a href="skeptimedia64.html">Honesty, the law, and the free market</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia63.html">Abusing children for fun and profit</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia62.html">Keeping a cool head about global warming</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia61.html">Woo-woo is alive and well</a> (SU) (S) <a href="skeptimedia60.html">Vaccinations & Swine Flu Update</a> (CT) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia59.html">Dribbling Loony Attacks Dawkins</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia58.html">Antivaxxer Plague</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia57.html">Capitalism?</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia56.html">Abusing children to raise TV ratings</a> (P)(CT) <a href="skeptimedia55.html">Incivility in America</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia54.html">Teachable Moment or Media Manipulation</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia53.html">Deadly Delusions</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia52.html">An answer to your prayers? (SU)</a> <a href="skeptimedia51.html">Doing God's Work</a> (a day in the life of the Lord)(SU) <a href="skeptimedia50.html">The World According to Oprah</a> (JS) (CAM) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia49.html"> A Hard Time to Be a Republican</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia48.html">A Hard Time to Be a Roman Catholic</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia47.html">Mr. Obama goes to Notre Dame</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia46.html">Cardinal Speaks ex asinum</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia45.html">A Blot on America's Record</a> (O) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia44.html"> Why Oprah loves Jenny McCarthy</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia43.html">Familiarity Breeds Indifference</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia42.html">The Liars at "60 Minutes"</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia41.html">Mass Media Massacres</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia40.html">Is Gordon Smith Psychic?</a> (P) <a href="skeptimedia39.html">Mass Media Mediocrity</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia38.html">Suicide</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia37.html">Is Atheism a Religion?</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia36.html">The 2009 (not prestigious) Templeton Prize Winner is....</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia35.html">Fraud and Bias in Medical Research</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia34.html">Child's Play: Pretending to be Psychic</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia33.html">Evolution Continues</a> (SC) <a href="skeptimedia32.html">Belief Armor</a> (CT) (JS) (P) <a href="skeptimedia31.html">Evaluating Evidence</a> (CT) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia30.html">PBS Infomercial for Daniel Amen's Clinics</a> (JS) 2008 <a href="skeptimedia29.html">2009</a> (S) <a href="skeptimedia28.html">Framing the Medicine Wars</a> (JS) (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia27.html">Statistics and Medical Studies</a> (SC) <a href="skeptimedia26.html">Sharon Begley: Skeptics Think They're Intellectually Superior</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia25.html">Prescribing Placebos</a> (CT) (SC) <a href="skeptimedia24.html">Religious Fascism</a> (SU) <a href="http://skepdic.com/skeptimedia/Skeptics_Circle95/">The Skeptics' Circle</a> (CT) <a href="skeptimedia23.html">Honoring Carl Sagan</a> (FH) <a href="skeptimedia22.html">Ancient Wisdom</a> (CAM) (CT) <a href="skeptimedia21.html">The FBI on Trial</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia20.html">The Paralyzing Precautionary Principle</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia19.html">The Superiority of Organic Fog</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia18.html"> Freedom of Religion in the 12th century</a> (SU) <a href="skeptimedia17.html"> Crazy Therapies & Psychic Kids</a> (JS)(P) <a href="skeptimedia16.html"> Disasters</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia15.html">Evaluating Acupuncture Studies:Laughable vs. Dangerous Delusions</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia14.html">Free Speech and Free Trade: Regulating Psychics and Other Spiritual Services</a> (P) (SU) <a href="skeptimedia13.html">Bill Maher tries to one-up Ben Stein (O)</a> <a href="skeptimedia12.html">How safe are "alternative" therapies?</a> (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia11.html">The Ben Stein Conspiracy: Who is this idiot anyway?</a> (SU) (JS) <a href="skeptimedia10.html#abuse">Why isn't this child abuse? Creationists lie to children while touring a science museum</a> (SU) (JS) <a href="skeptimedia9.html">CNN.com posts racist column by Linda Saether</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia8.html"> Government rules in favor of child whose parents claim vaccines caused her autism</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia7.html">Some stories are too cold to touch</a> (O) <a href="skeptimedia6.html">Using ghost stories to teach critical thinking</a> (CT) (JS) <a href="skeptimedia5.html">Oprah and Oz spreading superstition at the speed of night</a> (JS) (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia4.html">Why woo-woo wins</a> (FH) (JS) (CT) (CAM) <a href="skeptimedia3.html#allergy">Food allergy fanatic </a>(JS) <a href="skeptimedia3.html#scares">Top ten false health scares of 2007</a> (JS) <a href="skeptimedia3.html#mercury">California Study Finds No Link Between Vaccines and Autism</a> (SC) 2007 <a href="skeptimedia2.html">M</a><a href="skeptimedia2.html">esmerized by hypnotherapy - how does  hypnosis differ from the placebo effect?</a> (CAM) (CT) <a href="skeptimedia1.html">Miraculous Deception - miracles, faith healing, self-deception</a> (SU) </div> </div> <div class="right"> <div class="right_it"> <div class="search"> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="skepdic.com" /> <input type="text" name="q" maxlength="255" value="" size="20" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> <div class="search_2"> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="" /> Web     <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="skepdic.com" checked="checked" /> Skepdic.com <img src="../_images/logo_google.gif" alt="Google" width="48" height="19" /> </div> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-3542920166946725" /> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;" /> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" /> </form> </div> <div class="center"> <div align="right"> <a href="http://skepdic.com/authorpage.html">Books by R. 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Skeptimedia Archive - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com