For a man who places so much evidence on science, where is his evidence that detoxing doesn't work? Has he even tried some of these non specified programs. All i hear is personal opinion and prejudice, he embodies the very quackery that he criticizes. There is no doubt that we are subjected to millions of unnatural chemicals in our society that can and do accumulate in our bodies, how can you view trying to eliminate them as bad? Oh I forgot, because he says so. How arrogant and conceited !!
@lepervier66 Don't take this brief video as Goldacre's entire body of work. He cannot present all evidence in this format. Look to his other work to see where he's coming from.
"Has he even tried some of these non specified programs." - yes, in fact the Barbie test that you see on the desk there is illustrating the bogusness of the footbath detox.
Aside from that, the burden of proof is on those selling 'detox' plans.
Where does he say trying to eliminate them is bad?
What a fool! There was no food allergy chapter in the textbook once upon a time, no anesthetic chapter. If his understanding of bad science is only what fools have never grasped, we'd have gone nowhere in history. In this day and age, such "advice" is the ramblings of an ignoramus, not "science". Time was when "heavier than air flight" was just a meaningless phrase.
All of the related videos contain Ben Goldacre and/or pseudo-science topics. Except for some reason the first one is 'hot contestant on Wheel of Fortune'.
I think Ben is a fantastic journalist and has made great contributions to Newsnight, Newswipe and other programmes. However, he comes across quite badly here. Perhaps its his proximity to the camera and obvious frustration making him look slightly crazed. The Barbie doesn't help. Just a thought. Maybe there's a more viewer-friendly way to do this.
@AustinTassletine From Goldacres' Bad Science websight: "He’s appeared on the Today programme lots of times, Any Questions, Newsnight, Start The Week, The Now Show, Loose Ends, PM, Quote Unquote, Watchdog, and various other things. You can find plenty of it if you dig around on the site, along with lectures, podcast interviews....." Can't find any reference to an appearance in "Hello" magazine, which seems a pity as his particular brand of "science" would probably appeal to its' readers.
@WhelkDoctor1 Have you read his book? What he's trying to achieve is a bit of critical thinking regarding the kind of quackery that is purported to be "science" in the popular press. At the very least, it should spark some healthy debate which might make people think about the choices they make when it comes to health. I'm not really sure what the problem with that is to be honest.
@AustinTassletine A great shame that his pursuit of "quackery" doesn't extend to people like Simon Wessely, who must surely qualify as an "uberquack". Selective targeting does not constitute "healthy debate". If Goldacre want to be taken seriously then constantly appearing on comedy shows is not the best way to go about it.
It appears that he is using his homeopathic quark-field to move the picture behing his head. OK already, using the scientific method, I am prepared to accept that it might have been due to a bit too much back-combing on his anarchic hair-do, but spooky nonetheless. Anyway, I prefer him as a de-bunking doctor than an irriating stand-up. Cheers, and keep taking the tabllets. Dr Noah Zark, UCH London.
I had a white spot on my cheek below my right eye for about a year. I think it was a liver spot after being an alcoholic for 25 years. Last week I spent a day drinking squash and eating 2 bananas, 2 oranges, 2 kiwi's and an apple. The strange white spot (tiny lump of flesh... not a puss spot) was gone the next morning.
@McPrfctday Erm... this is an anecdote. It is meaningless. How is anyone (including you) supposed to know if the spot (or whatever) wouldn't have cleared up at exactly the time whether you'd changed your diet or not? What other factors might there have been in your lifestyle that may or may not have influenced the change? Just because something happens and then something else happens, doesn't mean the two are necessarily connected in any way.
@AustinTassletine There's nothing wrong with anecdotes if there's no way of doing an experiment. They can remind people if the same thing happened to them. Or give them a nudge if the same things happens in the future. Every little helps. Right now my liver is kicking like a baby and I've got a (darker) spot under my left eye. So, time to experiment. It feels more like a wart so it might just be normal ageing. But I'll try 48 hours of detox.
sorry, uhhm, i must have missed the point in time where you were given the right to insult people you dont even know, ie, a group of people who are well educated and actually understand this type of thing?? when, when did that happen?? how long was i asleep for?? when did the world suddenly become full of moronic cunts??
@jclewerlive Thanks, you responded so I didn't have to. I wish all the conspiracy nuts would just fuck off. How the fuck do you compare Ben Goldacre and George Bush?!
Just figured out the swinging painting thing. They're on a boat! If you look in the upper right corner near the end, I reckon that's the light coming in through the main hatch.
@Pulsationz "You're an idiot. " ,"You might aswell ask the owners of McDonalds if they think you should be eating burgers and fries." peer review has to be independant.! I should have said independant peer review. So i have proved myself an idiot. ! :-)))
we need more people liek ben, to redress the balance where pill pedlers abuse out gulibility button.
Omega 3, antioxidents have never had a peer reviewes clinical study to prove the benefit us. But the folk that sell it, lie about it and bring science into disrepute by saying they have 'scienticic' evidence.
Caring for patients... not wishy washy. No caring for people as they need to be cared for is not wishy washy, its basic care. And yes he learned this from Homeopathy.
But he cant even admit that thats where he learned it.
@nevajism Haha, yes, Ben doesn't really pause for breath which makes it very hard to edit out repeated bits.
Removal of heavy metals is a good point, it's an example of how medicine would use detox in a very specific way - a certain substance, in a certain metabolic pathway, reduced by a certain amount. Sham detox never identifies what exactly it's trying to remove.
The rituals mentioned are things like the footbath detox, which we did shoot and explain in detail but the footage is lost. :-(
@frankcswain He needs editing because he is not speaking the truth. He is on a propaganda rant and is lying through his teeth. He must repeat the same thing over and over because there is no substance to his rant. No real investigation at all. No logic and no science to be seen.
Just simple prejudice.
Poor guy I feel sorry for him, he is trying to be so genuine but is so transparent, it is embarrassing to listen to.
Scientific method - it's not perfect - but it's better than anything else we've created - consistently and demonstrably by a fundamentally vast margin.
And therein lies the rub - if you have come to an opinion which in which you place significant value through non-scientific means, and it falls within the domain of science to evaluate, you're quite like to act butthurt as demonstrated here when that scientific evaluation contradicts you. Grow up.
Goldacre is not speaking scientifically. He is expressing his opinion.
Science is the best method we have but to then throw that all away and not apply the same standard to your logic or reason is a sham. That is what he is doing here.
Sure to say such and such method is not shown to do anything is fine, but to then say there is no such thing a Detox BASED on that is ridiculous.
@Kingfillins I guess I missed the point where Goldacre as a qualified practicing medical professional and self confessed advocate of highlighting issues framed in the domain of science but which are not reasonably supported by available science shifted to offering scientifically unsupported opinion to critique bad science, rather than good science. This changes everything!
@GraeHall That is an excellently worded comment!!! Oh written communication is so dependent on being able to translate thought into words succinctly. Thank you.
If he seriously wants to critique. as a professional he wouldn't need to get hysterical and thus cross the line into taring everything in his sights with the same brush. That's just plain dishonest and draws his whole agenda into question.
He is suggesting that anything that is good for the body when combined to increase the efficiency of the body cannot be called "Detox". That this is a silly ritual. What? Every single method? I would like to see the scientific studies that back up his assertion. He sites none
The most basic form of detox is getting ones stomach pumped Is this a silly ritual?
Science supports my view. His evaluation is nonsense
@nevajism You can remove metals - called chelation - but will that have any impact? For the few people who actually have some form of metal poisoning, sure. Those people usually have extremely obvious signs that they have heavy metal poisoning though, not just some mild "I don't feel good" symptom. For everyone else, they just have less money in their pocket and maybe a little placebo effect.
@nevajism It's in his book. Here he has six minutes to explain on the spot. He's written tons of articles in depth about this. If you cared that much, you'd do a bit more research.
That point at the end that he mentions about "making London as bicycle friendly as Milton Keynes" is a bigger part of public health than most people think. When I lived in DC, I was much healthier than I am now. Just because everything was within walking distance. I didn't even have to try to get exercise, it just happened! But living in the suburbs, you can't hardly get anywhere without a car, and it's mostly just because of ridiculous zoning. It would be so easy to fix, but they don't.
Is he on a boat?
davidfgranger 3 weeks ago
@davidfgranger -- Nothing escapes you!
boomtao 2 weeks ago
For a man who places so much evidence on science, where is his evidence that detoxing doesn't work? Has he even tried some of these non specified programs. All i hear is personal opinion and prejudice, he embodies the very quackery that he criticizes. There is no doubt that we are subjected to millions of unnatural chemicals in our society that can and do accumulate in our bodies, how can you view trying to eliminate them as bad? Oh I forgot, because he says so. How arrogant and conceited !!
lepervier66 1 month ago
@lepervier66 how about not consuming bad stuff? how many of the detox programs you get have been scientifically tested to achieve something specific?
nosadloss 1 month ago
@lepervier66 Don't take this brief video as Goldacre's entire body of work. He cannot present all evidence in this format. Look to his other work to see where he's coming from.
"Has he even tried some of these non specified programs." - yes, in fact the Barbie test that you see on the desk there is illustrating the bogusness of the footbath detox.
Aside from that, the burden of proof is on those selling 'detox' plans.
Where does he say trying to eliminate them is bad?
pattOnTheHead 1 month ago
This guy is much better read than heard. How obnoxious.
KokotTheMonkey 2 months ago
Was this filmed on a boat?
Teghead 2 months ago
Ben Goldacre is brilliant.
uriituw 2 months ago
Why the five dislikes? Perhaps they were selling alternative medicine...
cappsie1 3 months ago
What a fool! There was no food allergy chapter in the textbook once upon a time, no anesthetic chapter. If his understanding of bad science is only what fools have never grasped, we'd have gone nowhere in history. In this day and age, such "advice" is the ramblings of an ignoramus, not "science". Time was when "heavier than air flight" was just a meaningless phrase.
scottmumby 4 months ago
@scottmumby wow you have really been taken in by this whole 'detox' fad.
tootoo1upper 2 months ago
Passion!
ElMufro 4 months ago
All of the related videos contain Ben Goldacre and/or pseudo-science topics. Except for some reason the first one is 'hot contestant on Wheel of Fortune'.
GummoNZ 4 months ago
Eat Healthy and Exercise. everything out their is advertised for people to lazy to do that
zombierepublican 4 months ago
He's on a boat.
davidstroe 5 months ago
was this filmed on a boat?.. that picture on the wall behind him is swinging quite a bit!
antle26 5 months ago
the closest I have ever come to a detox is a tactical chunder!
ay2dee 6 months ago
I think Ben is a fantastic journalist and has made great contributions to Newsnight, Newswipe and other programmes. However, he comes across quite badly here. Perhaps its his proximity to the camera and obvious frustration making him look slightly crazed. The Barbie doesn't help. Just a thought. Maybe there's a more viewer-friendly way to do this.
rachelmdw 6 months ago
I didn't realise obsessive self-promotion and a need to gain celebrity status were classed as scientific qualifications.
WhelkDoctor1 7 months ago
@WhelkDoctor1 He writes a colmun in the Guardian. He occasionally appears on the TV but very infrequently. He did that tour with Sharma et al.
Not exactly Lady Gaga.
AustinTassletine 6 months ago
@AustinTassletine From Goldacres' Bad Science websight: "He’s appeared on the Today programme lots of times, Any Questions, Newsnight, Start The Week, The Now Show, Loose Ends, PM, Quote Unquote, Watchdog, and various other things. You can find plenty of it if you dig around on the site, along with lectures, podcast interviews....." Can't find any reference to an appearance in "Hello" magazine, which seems a pity as his particular brand of "science" would probably appeal to its' readers.
WhelkDoctor1 4 months ago
@WhelkDoctor1 Have you read his book? What he's trying to achieve is a bit of critical thinking regarding the kind of quackery that is purported to be "science" in the popular press. At the very least, it should spark some healthy debate which might make people think about the choices they make when it comes to health. I'm not really sure what the problem with that is to be honest.
AustinTassletine 3 months ago
@AustinTassletine A great shame that his pursuit of "quackery" doesn't extend to people like Simon Wessely, who must surely qualify as an "uberquack". Selective targeting does not constitute "healthy debate". If Goldacre want to be taken seriously then constantly appearing on comedy shows is not the best way to go about it.
WhelkDoctor1 3 months ago
It appears that he is using his homeopathic quark-field to move the picture behing his head. OK already, using the scientific method, I am prepared to accept that it might have been due to a bit too much back-combing on his anarchic hair-do, but spooky nonetheless. Anyway, I prefer him as a de-bunking doctor than an irriating stand-up. Cheers, and keep taking the tabllets. Dr Noah Zark, UCH London.
neighbour666 7 months ago
Keep the good work up Ben from Adelaide Australia
fjpos 8 months ago
Ben rules.....end of.
joel8lyric 8 months ago
@joel8lyric This guy is a fraud. He must lay awake at night dreaming this stuff up and I bet somebody is paying him to put out these lies.
marvincooley 8 months ago
@marvincooley Who is a fraud? Not Ben! He actually exposes frauds
fjpos 8 months ago
I had a white spot on my cheek below my right eye for about a year. I think it was a liver spot after being an alcoholic for 25 years. Last week I spent a day drinking squash and eating 2 bananas, 2 oranges, 2 kiwi's and an apple. The strange white spot (tiny lump of flesh... not a puss spot) was gone the next morning.
McPrfctday 9 months ago
@McPrfctday Erm... this is an anecdote. It is meaningless. How is anyone (including you) supposed to know if the spot (or whatever) wouldn't have cleared up at exactly the time whether you'd changed your diet or not? What other factors might there have been in your lifestyle that may or may not have influenced the change? Just because something happens and then something else happens, doesn't mean the two are necessarily connected in any way.
AustinTassletine 6 months ago
@AustinTassletine There's nothing wrong with anecdotes if there's no way of doing an experiment. They can remind people if the same thing happened to them. Or give them a nudge if the same things happens in the future. Every little helps. Right now my liver is kicking like a baby and I've got a (darker) spot under my left eye. So, time to experiment. It feels more like a wart so it might just be normal ageing. But I'll try 48 hours of detox.
McPrfctday 6 months ago
@McPrfctday You're right. Anecdotes are lovely. But they're no substitute for actual evidence. Let's not confuse the two.
AustinTassletine 6 months ago
@Pulsationz
sorry, uhhm, i must have missed the point in time where you were given the right to insult people you dont even know, ie, a group of people who are well educated and actually understand this type of thing?? when, when did that happen?? how long was i asleep for?? when did the world suddenly become full of moronic cunts??
jclewerlive 11 months ago 2
@jclewerlive Thanks, you responded so I didn't have to. I wish all the conspiracy nuts would just fuck off. How the fuck do you compare Ben Goldacre and George Bush?!
Absolute madness.
geordietoddy 4 months ago
@Pulsationz I'll be preying for you. ;)
AverageJoe8686 1 year ago
Just figured out the swinging painting thing. They're on a boat! If you look in the upper right corner near the end, I reckon that's the light coming in through the main hatch.
Ocker3 1 year ago 2
Is this filmed in a boat ?
conceiteddcsb 1 year ago
@Pulsationz "You're an idiot. " ,"You might aswell ask the owners of McDonalds if they think you should be eating burgers and fries." peer review has to be independant.! I should have said independant peer review. So i have proved myself an idiot. ! :-)))
SOAS007 1 year ago
'That is good shit, isn't it.'
emilysadyke 1 year ago
we need more people liek ben, to redress the balance where pill pedlers abuse out gulibility button.
Omega 3, antioxidents have never had a peer reviewes clinical study to prove the benefit us. But the folk that sell it, lie about it and bring science into disrepute by saying they have 'scienticic' evidence.
SOAS007 1 year ago
This guy needs to go back to school.
Logic is not his strong point so that might not help.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
What effect does eating saturated fat have on the body?
A toxin is simply a substance that does not improve the function of the organism. A substance that draws from it, hinders its function etc.
Eating and following practices that helps the body eliminate such can only be a good thing and can be called "Detoxing".
Some herbs are excellent. Simple teas can have a laxative effect. Defecating is a form of "Detox".
Kingfillins 1 year ago
What a lair! This guy is TOXIC.
"Eat more fruit and veges"...OK why? Surely if you eat a pure natural diet will cause less toxins to accumulate in the body.
What happens when one has a SAUNA?
What happens when you have a path of EPSOM SALTS.
Everything he is suggesting to increase well being IS a form of detox IF YOU ARE LIVING A LIFE OF HAVING A BAD DIET LACK OF SLEEP ETC.
Surely following the processed modern diet is a childish ritual.
HIS HOLE ARGUMENT IS A CONTRADICTION.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
Caring for patients... not wishy washy. No caring for people as they need to be cared for is not wishy washy, its basic care. And yes he learned this from Homeopathy.
But he cant even admit that thats where he learned it.
WHY? Because he killed the messenger.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
he repeats himself almost word for word about 4 times-
arnt there standard methods for removing heavy metals which could be called detox?
what are these strange rituals? he could be more expicit on this point!
nevajism 1 year ago
@nevajism Haha, yes, Ben doesn't really pause for breath which makes it very hard to edit out repeated bits.
Removal of heavy metals is a good point, it's an example of how medicine would use detox in a very specific way - a certain substance, in a certain metabolic pathway, reduced by a certain amount. Sham detox never identifies what exactly it's trying to remove.
The rituals mentioned are things like the footbath detox, which we did shoot and explain in detail but the footage is lost. :-(
frankcswain 1 year ago 3
@frankcswain He needs editing because he is not speaking the truth. He is on a propaganda rant and is lying through his teeth. He must repeat the same thing over and over because there is no substance to his rant. No real investigation at all. No logic and no science to be seen.
Just simple prejudice.
Poor guy I feel sorry for him, he is trying to be so genuine but is so transparent, it is embarrassing to listen to.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
@Kingfillins obvious axe to grind is obvious.
Scientific method - it's not perfect - but it's better than anything else we've created - consistently and demonstrably by a fundamentally vast margin.
And therein lies the rub - if you have come to an opinion which in which you place significant value through non-scientific means, and it falls within the domain of science to evaluate, you're quite like to act butthurt as demonstrated here when that scientific evaluation contradicts you. Grow up.
GraeHall 1 year ago
@GraeHall You have mis understood my point.
Goldacre is not speaking scientifically. He is expressing his opinion.
Science is the best method we have but to then throw that all away and not apply the same standard to your logic or reason is a sham. That is what he is doing here.
Sure to say such and such method is not shown to do anything is fine, but to then say there is no such thing a Detox BASED on that is ridiculous.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
@Kingfillins I guess I missed the point where Goldacre as a qualified practicing medical professional and self confessed advocate of highlighting issues framed in the domain of science but which are not reasonably supported by available science shifted to offering scientifically unsupported opinion to critique bad science, rather than good science. This changes everything!
GraeHall 1 year ago
@GraeHall That is an excellently worded comment!!! Oh written communication is so dependent on being able to translate thought into words succinctly. Thank you.
If he seriously wants to critique. as a professional he wouldn't need to get hysterical and thus cross the line into taring everything in his sights with the same brush. That's just plain dishonest and draws his whole agenda into question.
He's a fake.
Kingfillins 1 year ago
@GraeHall Axe to grind? Yes Goldacre has one
He is suggesting that anything that is good for the body when combined to increase the efficiency of the body cannot be called "Detox". That this is a silly ritual. What? Every single method? I would like to see the scientific studies that back up his assertion. He sites none
The most basic form of detox is getting ones stomach pumped Is this a silly ritual?
Science supports my view. His evaluation is nonsense
And you agree with it. Three cheers!
Kingfillins 1 year ago
@nevajism You can remove metals - called chelation - but will that have any impact? For the few people who actually have some form of metal poisoning, sure. Those people usually have extremely obvious signs that they have heavy metal poisoning though, not just some mild "I don't feel good" symptom. For everyone else, they just have less money in their pocket and maybe a little placebo effect.
bagehi 1 year ago
@nevajism Sounds slightly pissed to me!
dominicdice 1 year ago
@nevajism It's in his book. Here he has six minutes to explain on the spot. He's written tons of articles in depth about this. If you cared that much, you'd do a bit more research.
FunkyMonkeyJunkie302 2 months ago
What is up with that picture behind him? Must be some kind of novelty picture, that or they are filming on a boat at see...
cc3814 1 year ago 8
@cc3814 Cory Doctorow was kind enough to let us film aboard his zeppelin
frankcswain 1 year ago 16
That point at the end that he mentions about "making London as bicycle friendly as Milton Keynes" is a bigger part of public health than most people think. When I lived in DC, I was much healthier than I am now. Just because everything was within walking distance. I didn't even have to try to get exercise, it just happened! But living in the suburbs, you can't hardly get anywhere without a car, and it's mostly just because of ridiculous zoning. It would be so easy to fix, but they don't.
paceetrate 1 year ago 11
Ben is a sensible chap. His book is well worth reading.
urbanimage 1 year ago 2