Archives
It Was Worth It Just to Learn Some Sleight of Hand
Posted on June 2, 2023
I reflect on my experiences with falling for scams and the importance of learning to resist them. I discuss how con artists prey on loneliness and biases to gain confidence, and emphasize the need to teach people how to discern and resist scams as they grow up.
The Fights You’ll Have With Unreasonable People
Posted on May 20, 2023
In this blog post, I talk about my experiences engaging in charged debates, particularly around topics like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun control. I tell you about my frustration with encountering falsehoods and half-truths, but emphasize the importance of maintaining composure and presenting evidence and accurate information. I believe in the power of education, context, and organized action to create meaningful discussions and advocate for change on a larger scale.
They’re Laughing at US
Posted on July 5, 2020 4 Comments
It has almost been 20 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania of September 11, 2001. Since then, numerous conspiracy theories have been floated in an attempt to explain the unimaginable tragedy that that day was for the families of the victims. These theories range from the insane to […]
When You Only Read the Abstract, You End Up Thinking That Vaccines Cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Posted on December 30, 2019 3 Comments
Anti-vaxxers are spreading a new rumor, and so, here I am, screaming in the wilderness to see if anyone is paying attention. The new rumor is — as you may have guessed from my clever title to this blog post — that vaccines cause autism SIDS. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a syndrome in […]
It Kind of Tickles, Does It Not?
Posted on December 11, 2019 2 Comments
There is a great podcast by economist Tim Harford about things that have gone terribly wrong and what we can learn from them. The podcast is called “Cautionary Tales,” and, believe me, they are. If you’re the kind of person who learns from their mistakes and the mistakes of others, you’ll like this podcast. Two […]
Your Views Will Evolve
Posted on November 27, 2019 2 Comments
Time flies, and you all of a sudden find yourself not thinking or acting the way that you used to. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Tell you all about it? Totally.
The Lies People Tell You About Me
Posted on June 10, 2019 1 Comment
It’s funny to me that people spend time in their days to make up stories about me, living rent-free in their heads because they can’t accept facts.
A Brief History of Measles
Posted on February 20, 2019 1 Comment
Measles has been plaguing humanity since around the 12th Century AD. It used to be that the lack of medical care and a vaccine were what caused the epidemics of measles. Today, the causes are mostly due to the human condition: to believing myths, spreading misinformation, inequalities in the delivery of healthcare and public health services, and the willingness of some people to make a buck off the fears of those who are not equipped to know better.
Religious Intellectual Dishonesty
Posted on March 12, 2017
The story goes that I got in trouble with the priest when I was a kid because I asked too many questions. My inquiring mind wanted to know the context of biblical sayings, not just the quotes themselves. That carried on into my teenage years, when I sat in the back of the church and […]
Thimerosal Is a Salt, and It’s Pretty Safe
Posted on October 18, 2016 3 Comments
I completely understand why chemicals are scary. From the time that we’re kids, we’re told that there are poisons out there, and that those poisons are chemicals. They usually have really complex-sounding names, names we don’t use everyday. So I also understand when people are skeptical of chemicals included or added in food. Remember the […]
EpidemioLogical 