Task 9 Blog Post

What I Already Know:

• Science education in the US is remarkably poor. See: the fact that there's even a debate over whether Intelligent Design or Creationism ought be taught in science class. (Hint: neither Intelligent Design nor Creationism have proposed any type of testable hypothesis, and thus are not science. They don't belong in science class any more than they belong in algebra class.)
• non-scientific "medical" remedies are an incredibly lucrative industry
• "alternative" medicines, including homeopathic remedies and others are not overseen by the FDA, hence an unknown danger factor
• Homeopathy is not, as most people assume, "natural" medicine. Homeopathy is a specific doctrine of pseudoscience that relies on magic-like phenomenon that belies all scientific knowledge
• previously eradicated diseases such as polio and measles are making a dramatic comeback due to parents not vaccinating their children properly.
• People distrust the pharmaceutical industry (yet they trust the un-regulated "alternative" medicine industry??)
• People distrust the government, and are suspicious of their recommendations, including vaccines
• Many people who otherwise could still be alive today have died because of medical remedies and advice that were not based on science, whether it be alternative medicine or simply religious faith that prevents vaccinations.

Possible Questions about My Topic

• Why don't people trust the pharmaceutical industry?
• Why don't people trust scientific research?
• How much role does religious faith play in the anti-vaccine movement?
• How many people die in the US every year as a result of non-science-based medical care?
• When did the anti-vaccination movement start?
• How has the relationship between anti-vaccine movement and the "vaccines cause autism" movement combined to stoke fear?
• Are any vaccine fears justified?
• Why do we vaccinate anyway?
• What is the relationship between vaccines and autism?
• How much of the popularity of alternative medicine is on account of the profits made by alternative medicine providers?
• How much of the popularity of pseudoscience can be put at the feet of irresponsible media personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, Jenny McCarthy and Kevin Trudeau
• Can a few bad apples in a particular alternative medicine field "ruin the whole bunch?"
• If a non-science remedy has no directly harmful effects, can a practitioner who recommends it over one that's been proven to work be held responsible?

Personal Experience

• interaction with family chiropractor led me to question things
• chiropractor "diagnosed" my faulty gallbladder based on reflexology test
• (I don't have a faulty gallbladder. And why is someone whom I saw because of back pain diagnosing organ problems? What the heck is reflexology?)
• I recently found another chiropractor who actively encourages people to avoid the flu shot and other vaccines, in favor of paying him for what he calls a "flu adjustment."
• Other local chiropractor who cures pain by moving his hands through your "aura" to manipulate your chi field. Upward motion helps cure pain, downward motion causes it. "You need uplifting energy."