Brian Cox: It's not acceptable to promote bad science

P.S. He's good to look at too!
Interesting to note that he was once the member of a pop group, who recorded 'Things can only get better' used in a Labour Party conference some time ago.

Thankyou Bags.
I particularly liked Brian Cox, quoting Humphrey Davey(sp?), in his summing up:
'... Nothing is more fatal to the progress of the human mind than to presume that our views of science are ultimate, that our triumphs are complete, that there are no mysteries in nature and that there are no new worlds to conquer.'
(I think I wrote it down correctly, speed writing is NOT one of my strengths!)

No DR McCartney was , if I recall, from Scotland.
This is her blog with lots more info about why the stories in the mag were wrong:

www.margaretmccartney.com/blog/

I think the American woman must have been Lynne McTaggart

www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/oct/03/health-magazine-sue-simon-singh-twitter

Although Ms McCartney might be, too!

Well MP did refer to Top Sante I think - which is a familiar title. I had never heard of WDDTY.
Take care. Pity you can't come to Brum.

Wll now I completely confused Jess because the woman sounds the same as you describe but I heard her introduced as editor of Top Sante and she was explaining that she wrote several of the criticised articles herself. I can't be more precise as I was driving and had just turned over from Radio 3 to 4, so didn't note the programme. Definitely an American with a horrid accent, though, talking with a male doctor, not female. I was driving between 9 and 9.20 am, then between 3.30 and 4 pm yesterday. Puzzling!

The homeopathy establishment tried to stifle evidence and debate by threatening legal action - this is a ploy being used more and more often.

Well what I listened to was:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01n11xb/Inside_Health_What_Doctors_Dont_Tell_You_hepatitis_E_vertigo/

Which also had an American woman with a horrid accent talking over a doctor. Here is the summary from the website:

The latest addition to the burgeoning ranks of health magazines on the newsagent's shelves is called What Doctors Don't Tell You. The headlines on the front of this month's edition promise to help you sunbathe your diabetes away, end your child's wheezing without drugs, reverse bone loss for good, and avoid hysterectomy by changing your diet. Lynne McTaggart who edits the magazine with her husband responds to the views of Inside Health's resident GP, Dr Margaret McCartney.

I'm sure all our DM readers will be very pleased, when!

Ahhh! You got me there Ana. I don't know so I retract that particular insult comment!

But....does Ellie Hughes write for the DM?

Ooops! My mistake Ana. I didn't hear the name, just looked up editor of Top Sante and saw that Sharon Parsons had been editor before and then returned. but whether it's her or Ellie Hughes, she is one annoying woman!

Ella Shhhh....I thought I had sneaked that one in

Sharon Parsons isn't the editor of Top Santé any more, when, it's Ellie Hughes.

You just couldn't resist it could you when ?
Did you think that DM readers wouldn't be watching?

Read it.

Yes, we need more investment in teaching physics at our universities.

Yes, physics is very important. And will be in the future.

I liked the comparison of homeopathic medicine with an aeroplane flying on the memory of fuel. Very good.

Nobody really believes all the stuff the Daily Mail puts out. Just like no ordinary person really knows what the Large Hadron Collider is all about. Well, if we do get our heads round it for fifteen seconds, it seems to go out of our minds very quickly!

Riveting stuff.

Yes, that's the one gracesmum. She talked absolute twaddle and kept speaking over the doctor, who came across as knowledgeable and aware of scientific evidence for contesting her ridiculous claims.

Oh I heard part of that programme on the radio in the car, but I'm afraid I lost patience when she started to accuse doctors of a conspiracy of silence.

We may have listened to different items Jess. It was definitely Top Sante. The editor is Sharon Parsons, who has an annoying North American twangy accent. I've just looked her up - she also writes for the DM! Says it all

Well the Monkees were teenager idols in the 60s so can't be bad, Dr Cox. Bit of a pop idol himself as well - multi talented chap from Oldham.
Won't listen to this now as waiting for my car to be repaired and they have at last started work on it... But thank you bags
Still, there is free tea and wifi even if they are proceeding at glacial pace.
But YES it is terribly irresponsible to keep publcising Bad Science and Pseudoscience. Most of it is about health. To me bad science is when you leap from one little experiment on a dish of cells, or 6 mice, to the headline "Curry cures cancer" or something like that.
Pseudoscience is things like "quantum healing" "energy pendants" and potions of various kinds, including homeopathy - complete and utter rubbish using scientific language to gull people. Ironic as they are busily rejecting science at the same time as stealing scientific words for marketing purposes.
The magazine on the R4 prog was not Top Sante by the way when , it was a mag/website called What Doctors Don't Tell You. Bad science. Very very bad science which all the time asserts that their articles are 'evidence based'. The editor had written an article about the cervical cancer vaccine that was full of mistakes. (For example saying that the vaccine had caused lots of deaths - wrong - and that it would only save 40 lives a year - wrong, the figure should have been 400)
Look up Mark Porter on the BBC website if you want to listen again. And Dr MP surprisingly handsome wouldn't you say?
The editor in question has this week started a legal case against the anti-bad-science-writer Simon Singh for criticising her mag. I wonder if, after the drubbing she received from Dr Margaret Mccartney on that programme, she is thinking of suing the BBC too! It is interesting stragegy for those who are claiming to be evidence based and trying to pretend they have scientific credibility to start suing those who disagree with them. If they were really of a scientific persuasion they would accept challenge and debate as part of the territory.

His appearance is a bonus! Now why did I not meet a man like that when I was younger?

I don't know anything about the Sciences really - my brain copes more with the Arts; however, I could develop an interest in biology if Brian Cox is involved . He is old enough to go out without his mother (44). He is so keen and I love his voice - he isn't bad looking either - oh to be 30 years younger (heart emoticon)

Thanks Bags that was very interesting.
Brian Cox has a way of getting very serious points over that is both charming and easy to understand.
I love the medicine or pot pourri quote from Dara O'Brien, who is also a very interesting man, well versed in physics and maths. I watched his programmes on maths v comedy. they were also very good.
As for Brian Cox, I don't know if this is physics or chemistry, but I find him very easy to listen too and very easy on the eye.

Some of this was beyond my understanding, but what I really enjoyed was how he used humour to promote his belief in the necessity of (society) understanding Scientific Method. I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of his speech. I liked his clear delivery, too. Had a giggle over Homeopathic Petrol - - and also the faith based aviation comment.

He's not ugly!

Laters Bags (lunch at garden centre coming up)

I love watching and listening to him. His enthusiasm is contagious and he makes me want to find out more.