scepticism – The Quackometer Blog

The Illusion of Proof: Confirmation bias and the Lucy Letby Case

10th September, 2024 17

Conspiracy theorists fall victim to a fundamental misunderstanding of how to evaluate and synthesise evidence. It’s not that they believe despite a lack of evidence, but rather that they fail to recognise how the evidence they possess is insufficient to support their improbable claims about the world. While conspiracy theorists actively seek out evidence, their first error is confirmation bias – the tendency to search for information that supports their [read more…]

The Decline and Fall of Science-based Medicine

7th July, 2021 19

The philosophy of science-based medicine (SBM) is a response to perceived shortcomings in the practice of evidence-based medicine. EBM is the movement that strives to make medical treatments less dependent on the authority and experience of doctors, and instead put authority in the best available clinical evidence for that treatment. “EBM is the conscientious, explicit, judicious and reasonable use of modern, best evidence in making decisions about the care of [read more…]

Scepticism and The Social Ubiquity of Magical Thinking

24th February, 2021 2

An essential read for any sceptic is the early 19th Century classic, The Golden Bough by Cambridge Scholar Sir James Fraser. Fraser set out to catalogue, describe and categorise the various forms of magic and religion around the world. It is a dense and rich book full of all sorts of traditions, beliefs, rituals and rites. The book sets out the principles of Sympathetic Magic early on. Sympathetic Magic is [read more…]