We are constantly fed doom and gloom stories in health. There is a crisis of this or a tsunami of that. This is despite life expectancy continuously increasing for over 100 years. The claims of crisis are inevitably accompanied by a plea for government funding for...
Regular readers know my view on hectoring health “experts” who are detached from the real world. This excellent extract from “Skin in the game” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains the phenomenon, we see in many areas of life. – Dr Joe What we have been seeing worldwide,...
The Times newspaper in Britain, has apologized to five scientists over articles that suggesting research they did into e-cigarettes was funded by tobacco companies. According to the Guardian the five had intended to sue the paper. It quoted one of the five, David Nutt...
One of the things doctors worry about the most is missing a diagnosis. Treatment starts with diagnosis and to miss a cancer or other serious illness risks exposing people to considerable harm. This driving force has led to the concept of screening for illness in an...
Today is Halloween. Despite the common view that it is an American custom (and certainly it has been observed there for many years) it is in fact originally a Celtic festival. In ancient times villagers would light bonfires and wear costumes to deter ghosts. In the...
