"Religion is a hypothesis about the world: the hypothesis that things are the way they are, at least in part, because of supernatural entities or forces acting on the natural world. And there's no good reason to treat it any differently from any other hypothesis. Which includes pointing out its flaws and inconsistencies, asking its adherents to back it up with solid evidence, making jokes about it when it's just being silly, offering arguments and evidence for our own competing hypotheses...and trying to persuade people out of it if we think it's mistaken. It's persuasion. It's the marketplace of ideas. Why should religion get a free ride"

Greta Christina

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Stop the NHS paying quacks

A rare outbreak of scientific rationality has occurred in parliament where a committee of MPs has recommended that the N.H.S no longer fund Homeopathic therapies

Good old royal wingnut Prince Charles, famous for his lack of sceptical thinking has stuck in his two pennies worth and it appears he has even had secret talks with ministers to try and safeguard access to homeopathy.

Let’s be clear about this. Homeopathy is pure quackery, revealed in several tests to be no better than a placebo; which is hardly surprising as there is no effective active ingredient in homeopathic “remedies”.

I’m sure there will be a plethora of how homeopathy cured my cancer anecdotes coming out of the woodwork shortly, but as the saying goes the plural of anecdote is not data, and the real data we do have proves it is useless as medicine.

At a time when we need to regulate our spending on vital N.H.S services, saving the 4 million pounds currently going to homeopathy is a fine idea.
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