Recently I had the pleasure of presenting at the Friedman 17 conference on the creep of the nanny state into our lives. Regular readers will know my view on the importance of the individual being responsible for their health. And how much of the advice we get from...
The original concept of public health was to deal with outbreaks of and prevent spread of infectious diseases. This included advice on quarantine, and treatment. Useful advice included sanitation of water and other basic (as would be regarded today) hygiene. The...
It is an interesting contrast that bad news sells in the media but not in medical research. Doom and gloom is more likely to sell papers or get clicks in the media. Yet when it comes to medical stories we are only interested in breakthroughs and miracle cures. Not...
Here is a shocking statistic: skin cancer rates have increased by almost 80% over the last 25 years. This fact is despite public education by the Cancer Council and others such as the “Slip Slop Slap” campaign, encouraging the use of sunscreens. So something is not...
In the movie Jerry Maguire there is famous line from the main character who yells “show me the money”. Following the money will usually explain much of what may on the surface appear to be nonsense. It also works in reverse. Looking where the money is going to can be...
Humans like being scared. The popularity of horror films and “ghost train” rides are testament to that. In times gone by scary stories would be told around campfires. Many fairy tales are full of ghost goblins, wolves and other “critters” seeking to harm or kill...
