MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'criticism,'. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:59:09 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865701&cid=t_270706_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2009%2F10%2F06%2Fnanotech-health-and-longevity-who-makes-the-predictions%2F Last week, Computerworld carried an interview with futurist Ray Kurzweil, who predicts that in 30 or 40 years from now nanomachines will travel through our bodies, repairing damaged cells and organs, effectively wiping out diseases: The full realization of nanobots will basically eliminate biological disease and aging. I think we’ll see widespread use in 20 years of [nanotech] devices that perform certain functions for us. In 30 or 40 years, we will overcome disease and aging. The nanobots will scout out organs and cells that need repairs and simply fix them. It will lead to profound extensions of our health and longevity What’s interesting is not whether the prognosis is right or wrong, naïve or realistic. Like all med-tech forecasts it probably reflects our own time better�... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865701 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:51 +0100 2865701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858619&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FV_H28xZdTMg%2F When Samuel Johnson said that ”patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” he overlooked the value of the word “reform.” (I didn’t say this first, but I can’t discover who did.) Webster’s says that “reform” means “to put or change into an improved form or condition [or] to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses.” So in political terms, a reform is a change for the better. But whether a particular policy change would actually improve things is often controversial. Unfortunately, the mainstream media typically use the word “reform” to mean “change in a liberal direction.” It’s bad enough that they constantly use the phrase “campaign finance reform” to re... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858619 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:51:42 +0100 2858619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793116&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34469&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medrants.com%2Farchives%2F4847 Almost home after 4 days of glorious golf at Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast. Vacations often induce great expectations. The higher the expectations, the less likely that they are met. But this golfing experience exceeded my incredibly high expectations. Currently the resort has 3 courses and 10 holes open on the 4th (opening completely in March). We did not play the partial course, but played 5 rounds on the 3 courses. I liked Pacific Dunes the best (played it first and last). What made this so special is that the only reason to go to the resort is to play golf! The resort is designed for golfers. We had 4 bedroom suites so each person had their own bed and bath. Transportation at the resort was easy to order and prompt. These are walking courses. We played with caddies the entire time.... DB's Medical Rants blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793116 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:14:03 +0100 2793116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761818&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34469&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medrants.com%2Farchives%2F4824 This post has nothing to do with medicine. Tonight I am writing about music. One of my greatest pleasures is finding a new artist who infects me. I remember the week I discovered Nick Drake, and could not listen to anything else. Few CDs have that infectious quality. Mayer Hawthorne’s “A Strange Arrangement” has me obsessed. Mayer (not his real name) channels 60s and 70s soul, and makes it his own. You hear the influences, yet you hear something brand new. My son, he of the great musical taste, clued me in on Monday. He provided these YouTube links: Just ain’t gonna work out Maybe so Maybe no I wish it would rain If you do not love this music, then we have different musical taste. I read a couple of reviews that criticized the voice and tried to map each song to pa... DB's Medical Rants blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761818 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:10:17 +0100 2761818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691802&cid=t_270706_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2F1b5GiveQK4c%2F I received from a phone call from a client about 6 months ago, that started like this: “You whiny little prick, who the f. do you think you are?” I listened fascinated by the stream of vitriol that then spewed forth from the guys mouth for the next couple of minutes. It was worth it though because I learned some juicy new colloquialisms that I can no doubt use myself when a suitable time arises. I’ll not go into all the gory the details of why the person concerned was so upset, other than to say he hired me because he had accountability issues. He then failed to show for our second session and when I e-mailed him to say he wouldn’t get another opportunity, he took exception. A minute or so into the conversation the guy paused. I’m not sure if it was to check his Profanisaurus... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691802 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:50:20 +0100 2691802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405419&cid=t_270706_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F11%2Fvideo-learning-to-blow-bubbles%2F Sticks and stones may break my bones, but bubbles can never hurt me. So I put all the meannies — or at least their words — in bubbles, where they can’t bother me. Of course, I’m so sensitive that I went out and got myself a gazillion bubbles. You’ll see. Click through to view the video… (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405419 Mon, 11 May 2009 23:00:46 +0100 2405419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2312712&cid=t_270706_107_f&fid=34860&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corporeality.net%2Fmuseion%2F2009%2F03%2F29%2Fdo-social-scientists-dream-about-biomedical-futures-or-do-they-have-nightmares-only%2F In an interview for the Danish daily Information about his new book The Politics of Climate Change — which is scheduled for publication in May, with laudatory pre-blurbs by Martin Rees, Ulrich Bech and Bill Clinton on Amazon.com — British sociologist Anthony Giddens reminds us that Martin Luther King famously said ‘I have a dream’, not ‘I have a nightmare’. In other words: dystopian thinking is not a good basis for political action. I guess he’s basically right. There is much that supports the idea that climate policy changes will be served better by what Giddens (1990) called ‘realistic utopianism’ than by fear scenarios (even though critical and negative scenarios sometimes are necessary stepping stones towards more po... Biomedicine on Display blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2312712 Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:00:42 +0100 2312712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256069&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fshould-i-have-mentioned-that-bush-dared.html I am applauded and criticized for my comments about President Obama's rescission of the Bush "alternative method" executive order over at Belief Net--from the version of the criticism I posted on the First Things blog, which contained slightly different language than I put here on the same topic. Thus, David Gibson wrote:Why didn't Obama say more about the promise of adult stem cells--and do something to promote that promise? He said that the administration will support "promising research of all kinds, including groundbreaking work to convert ordinary human cells into ones that resemble embryonic stem cells." And yet his executive order yesterday also revoked Executive Order 13435 of June 20, 2007, which provided federal backing for promising adult stem cell research. At First Things, Wes... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256069 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:45:00 +0100 2256069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2172866&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2009%2F02%2Flbc-mmr-jeni-barnett-an-early-day-motion-the-times-and-er-a-bit-of-stephen-fry%2F I thought since a few days have passed that I should let you know what’s happening with the slightly ridiculous LBC situation. If you skip to the bottom you will find a discussion on some mischievous activism which I think has great potential. Since LBC unwisely threw their legal weight around to prevent you from being [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2172866 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:48:37 +0100 2172866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167524&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2009%2F02%2Flegal-chill-from-lbc-973-over-jeni-barnetts-mmr-scaremongering%2F [Update: links to transcripts and audio hosted elsewhere at bottom of post] LBC have instructed their lawyers to contact me. Two days ago I posted about a 7th Jan 2009 broadcast in which their presenter Jeni Barnett exemplified some of the most irresponsible, ill-informed, and ignorant anti-vaccination campaigning that I have ever heard on the public airwaves. [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167524 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:32:42 +0100 2167524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060527&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34469&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medrants.com%2Findex.php%2Farchives%2F4009   I am slow updating my media recommendations.  This weekend I took some time to consider the music I am listening to, the books I have read (or listened to) and the movies I admired. Music Veneer - Jose Gonzalez In our nature - Jose Gonzalez Time without consequence - Alexi Murdoch Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie Dear Science - TV on the Radio I am entranced by Jose Gonzalez.  His music is lovely, his guitar work sublime, his voice enchanting. If you like Nick Drake, try out Alexi Murdoch. Movies Slumdog Millionaire Milk The Dark Knight Burn after Reading Munnabhai MBBS (a Bollywood movie from 2003) I saw Slumdog Millionaire this weekend.  The movies combines a disturbing view of Indian poverty with a tale of love and hope.  The movie is beautifu... DB's Medical Rants blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060527 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:24:02 +0100 2060527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692126&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F2008%2F08%2Fsilence-dissent%2F The CAM world meets a new all time low this week - even by their own standards - as the New Zealand Chiropractors Association threaten the New Zealand Medical Journal with legal action for criticising their ideas and practice. (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692126 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:55:11 +0100 1692126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1366959&cid=t_270706_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fstools-and-bottles%2F The booklet Stools and Bottles uses the concept of a barstool (the seat and three legs) and eight bottles to represent the importance of the first four steps (of the Twelve Steps) of Alcoholics Anonymous. The author began using this concept in a prior book called The Little Red Book and it got so popular that the concept was expanded into its own book. The Stool The author begins the book by talking about the “seat” of the stool. The seat, by itself, is “as useless, incomplete, and undependable as the shaky alcoholic it upholds”. For the seat to function, it needs three legs to uphold it, just like the alcoholic needs the first three steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) for support. The author says that the three legs represent the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of reco... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1366959 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:48:28 +0100 1366959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1240255&cid=t_270706_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F237288134%2Fstop_wait_toxins_at_work.html Over time you may have stopped noticing those things said or done that damage morale or pick away at productivity where you work. If toxins taint your organization … you are not alone. According to The Conference Board … more than 50 percent of workers are dissatisfied at their jobs. Even more of the 20-something-year-olds dislike where they work. A full eight out of ten workers don’t see themselves at the same workplace ten years from now.  Over 25 years of working with leaders … I’ve often observed far too many people who settle for toxins as fair exchange for a salary that pays the mortgage. It doesn’t have to be that way. Research by Cooper now allows people to rate their own job satisfaction by rating 22 items as honestly as you can …... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1240255 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:29:18 +0100 1240255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191604&cid=t_270706_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Feli-stone-abc-drama-premieres-misleading-program-linking-vaccines-and-autism%2F In a move that has already ignited a firestorm of criticism from doctors’ groups, ABC still plans to premiere its new legal drama “Eli Stone” tonight (January 31, 2008) in which a mother, whose child allegedly developed autism after receiving a mercury-containing vaccine, wins a $5.2 million dollar lawsuit against a fictional drug company. The show’s premise is based on a long-standing belief held by childhood immunization critics that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, formerly used in vaccines, is a primary cause of autism in children. There are just two basic problems with this. First, countless medical studies have failed to show any link between vaccination and autism. But let’s say you don’t care about scientific studies or just don’t believe them. Well, the ... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191604 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:39:32 +0100 1191604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1088788&cid=t_270706_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Foddments.html A multi-post. I had several good ideas on the way home, again; once again, I appear to have left them on the motorway.Last night was an odd one. Most Docs and Nurses were living it up at the ED Xmas do. Not me, obviously. The gremlins seemed determined to make the most of our discomfort, and so, for reasons I still do not understand, the temperature in the Dept fell steadily to a nice round 16 degrees (Celsius); or maybe it was 14. The corridors were lovely, toasty warm. But the treatment areas? Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.(Bonus points for any of my dear readers who can suggest the origin of this expression...)I also began to suspect someone was playing silly buggers with the nitrous, as everyone spent more time than usual giggling. Or maybe I just had something on ... The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1088788 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:56:00 +0100 1088788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979080&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34469&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medrants.com%2Findex.php%2Farchives%2F3374 Today I am departing from my usual blogging and focusing solely on criticism. I will address music, movies and books and hopefully stimulate some modest discussion. Music Despite my age, I still listen to new rock music. Today I will comment on two bands that current have captured my focus - Radiohead and Spoon. The new [...] (Source: DB's Medical Rants) DB's Medical Rants blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979080 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:07:53 +0100 979080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=966706&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D554 To my mind this is one of the most important parts of the story about the Society of Homeopaths bullying its critics: it’s the incredibly polite and courteous email that Dr Andy Lewis sent to the SoH after his hosting company received the first threatening letter from their solicitors. (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=966706 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:10:54 +0100 966706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965187&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D553 Ben Goldacre The Guardian Saturday October 20 2007 Ben Goldacre The Guardian Saturday October 20 2007 Let’s imagine that we live in an exotic parallel universe where I am able to use an amusing but trivial news event to illustrate a wider cultural and intellectual issue. Dr Andy Lewis runs a website called Quackometer: he criticised the Society of Homeopaths (Europe [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965187 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:22:33 +0100 965187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=762965&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D475 One for the small print maybe, but I think this is culturally quite interesting, because to me it tells a small part of the story on how you can maintain a belief system by avoiding appraisal of your ideas. As you will remember, Craig Sams, a confectionery millionaire, recently wrote an article which I suppose I’d [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=762965 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:50:41 +0100 762965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674850&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D437 Ben Goldacre Saturday June 16, 2007 The Guardian I like short stories with happy endings. Last week we saw how the mightily eminent pharmacologist Professor David Colquhoun (FRS) was having his witty and informative “Improbable Science” quackbusting blog quietly banished from the UCL servers. He had questioned claims made by a herbal medicine practitioner called Dr Ann [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674850 Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:37:49 +0100 674850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674854&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D431 [Update: Letter from Provost below] Ben Goldacre Saturday June 9, 2007 The Guardian I’ve always said you’d get a lot more kids interested in science if you told them it involves fighting - which of course it does. This week, for example, Professor David Colquhoun FRS - one of the most eminent scientists in the UK - has been [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674854 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:13:31 +0100 674854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674855&cid=t_270706_87_f&fid=34591&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.badscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D430 This post is only if you’re not bored of the rather trying electrosensitivity lobby. Here is a letter which has popped up all over the interweb, I assume it is genuinely from Dr Carlo, who is hawked about as a rather eminent figure, and not a fake created in an effort to smear him. [...] (Source: badscience) badscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674855 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:46:41 +0100 674855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=624483&cid=t_270706_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Ffear.html Dropping the BallWhen something doesn't go according to plan, it's usually a system failure. There are rare occasions when someone pulls off an act of sheer banditry that couldn't be anticipated or mitigated by anyone else. But mostly, everyone fucks up a bit. I'm guessing most people feel the same way I do about this - everyone makes mistakes, but we rarely like to admit / talk about it. Mistakes in medicine are always a little bit higher stakes than in other jobs. --------------------------Personally, I've made my share of errors; I've learned from all of them, but the rude fact of life is that shit still goes wrong. Generally, I've got tickets on myself. I reckon I'm good at what I do, so when it turns out I haven't done it to my best ability, I feel shit about myself for days. ---I gue... The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=624483 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:12:00 +0100 624483