SciBuff.com » alternative medicine http://www.scibuff.com Science Blog Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:21:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 My First SITP – Trick or Treatment – Alternative Medicine on Trial http://www.scibuff.com/2009/05/21/my-first-sitp-trick-or-treatment-alternative-medicine-on-trial/ http://www.scibuff.com/2009/05/21/my-first-sitp-trick-or-treatment-alternative-medicine-on-trial/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 00:21:40 +0000 scibuff http://www.scibuff.com/?p=340 Today, I finally managed to go to the Skeptics In The Pub over at The Penderel’s Oak (between Holborn and Chancery Lane stations) and it was truly fascinating. Even despite the unusual time (SITP meets usually on Mondays), the bar downstairs was totally overcrowded up to the point when Simon encouraged everyone to look for a bigger venue (or a sponsor for one).

SIPT @ Penderel's Oak

SIPT @ Penderel's Oak

SIPT @ Penderel's Oak

SIPT @ Penderel's Oak

The title of the talk was Trick or Treatment? : Alternative Medicine on Trial. The speaker, Edzard Ernst, offered, besides a good amount of jokes, four topics. The “most intriguing research trial” won the contest by a overwhelming majority of votes even before the other topics were presented.

I talked to a few people who were quite disappointed and angry. The disappointment was caused by missing the opportunity to buy a ticket for TAM London in fall. The anger 100% directed at themselves was for the assumption that tickets would be available for a few days despite no evidence to suggest it; something that shouldn’t never happen to a true skeptic, but well … we’re just human, aren’t we.

I can’t help myself but to conclude this post by two quotes from Professor Ernst:

Nobody ever dies in homeopathic hospitals because no one is really sick!

… I’ll put my homeopathic hat on but you can’t see  it because it’s too diluted …

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