Richard Dawkins on alternative medicine and the nature of science

From "The Enemies of Reason" part 2, "The Irrational Health Service", Richard Dawkins speaks on the power of the scientific method, and the weaknesses of "alternative medicine".


http://richarddawkins.net/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092058/
http://richarddawkins.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• richard
• dawkins
• skeptic
• science
• pseudoscience
• scientific
• method
• new
• age
• alternative
• medicine
• debunk
• paranormal
• magic
• reason
• faith
• religion
• atheism
• creationism
• intelligent
• design
• deepak
• chopra
• remedies
• homeopathy
• oprah
• winfrey
• herbal
• supplements

[sighance1]

Alternative medicine gives those who have been failed by mainstream medicine a way out of the maze. Most people find alternative practitioners because they no longer have answers. People are not stupid as Dawkins would like to portray. Most people just want to get better, feel better, and be treated fairly and with dignity and respect as an autonomous thinking individual.

[diekontrolleure]

@gezznz its true objectivity doesnt exist! i heard some guy claim that paris is the capital of france to other day to which i correctly responded: in your world maybe, but i think that london is the capital of france since objectivity doesnt exist

[Task5003]

@jtking2504 What do you mean? What "industry" what he be a "vehicle" for? What industry is against so-called 'alternative medicine'?

[jtking2504]

This is where Dawkins & I part ways :)  Is he just another vehicle for Industry propaganda?

[JustinHampel]

@gezznz The only assumption science makes is that the universe can be understood by humans. How is this "deluded?"

Besides, science is the very reason you have a computer to make stupid comments like that on, or a house with windows and paint and locks on your doors. It's what gives you your car, your convenient food, your clothes, and just about everything else you have. This stuff is true whether or not you believe it; its existence is not contingent upon your opinion.

[skywize]

You know you can cure cancer with broccoli right? Cauliflower cures the really big cancers.... Damn I wish Carlin was still alive.

[spenc193]

Dawkins, Dawkins, Dawkins. That theory of science works if the reviewing and regulatory parties don't have conflicts of interest with the parties being reviewed. Anytime money is allowed to flow through the process, you'll find bad science and skewed data close behind. Take a look at all of the "peer reviewed" data concerning fluoride in drinking water. Sure, I bet its great for my teeth too. What a joke.

[shoutatthesky]

@2Halifaxion2 Obviously pharmaceutical have to be tested but with alternative medicines there is a whole range of different regulations depending on where you are. The thing is that many alternative practitioners have refused to test their products even though doing so would massively increase their sales. Scientists don't "choose" what to study often times, it depends on what funding is available, and that is provided by the people pushing the different products. Its all about the money

[shoutatthesky]

@CoolGuy23423 Anti-depressants are a classic example. Various, double-blind, placebo controlled, peer-reviewed studies have been used to "prove" to the relevant authorities that they work and received classification to be dispensed to the public. Later on it turned out that many of those studies were not replicable, or were found to have serious flaws, and now side effect of increased suicidal behaviors. But they're still out there being given out like candy and often doing more harm than good!

[gezznz]

Mr Dawkins is deluding himself - and worse, deluding others. His "science" is based on unproven assumptions that mind and body are separate; and that objectivity actually exists.