milk

Big Milk says that the moon is not made of cheese — using logical fallacies

I just spent several days telling you about logical fallacies, let’s take a look at the argument that the moon is made of cheese. It’s kind of simple, instead of arguing about the evidence, the science denier will try to tell me that I shill for Big Pharma when I discuss the settled science of vaccine safety and effectiveness. Or I shill for Big Agriculture when I say that GMOs are safe or that glyphosate does not cause cancer.

So here is an imaginary (or is it?) conversation between myself and a member of the Moon Denier Society who claims that the moon landings were a hoax and that the moon is made of cheese. Apparently, I am a shill for Big Milk. I’m sure if I wrote that almond milk is bad for the environment, I received significant compensation from Big Milk. Fair disclosure, nope.

Almond milk – examining the science behind this food fad

Food fads are plain annoying, but I just tend to ignore them, unless I’m feeling in a mood. Yesterday, I had purchased my favorite drink at the Big Coffee drive through, which is just a large bold coffee, black. Well, something got mixed up and I ended up with a latte, which I generally don’t mind. Except this latte was made of a foul tasting substance, almond milk. Really?

Food fad believers often intersect with anti-science activists in other areas, like vaccines, GMOs and quack cancer cures. Sure, there may be a subset of individuals who think that almond milk tastes great – which would lead me to question the quality of their taste buds – but they aren’t the majority. Most people just believe that almond milk is healthier.

Well, does almond milk have any health benefits beyond regular every day milk? And is there some unintended consequences to buying almond milk?

Let’s look at almond milk. No taste tests are required.

Cancer rates are increasing in the USA–another myth debunked

by Michael Simpson
2015-05-06
51 Comments
Cancer, Epidemiology, GMO, Joe Mercola, Vaccines

One of the enduring zombie tropes of the junk science world is that cancer rates are increasing in the USA (and across the world), and that deaths from cancers are higher today than it was in the past. Depending on the one screaming this myth, this rate of cancer increase is a result of A) vaccines, B) GMO crops, C) pasteurized milk, D) non-organic foods, or E) everything.

To be certain, there are a few things that do cause cancer, like smoking, UV radiation, human papillomavirus, and obesity. There are no 100% guaranteed environmental risks that cause cancer (lots of smokers do not get lung cancer, and there are very rare cases of non smokers getting the same cancer).

But are cancer rates increasing?

Here and there, you might run across a study that mentions one thing or another may or may not increase or reduce the risk of cancer. But most of those studies are one-off primary research, usually using small groups, providing little clinical evidence that you may or may not be able to increase or decrease the risk of cancer. Wait until we can find these studies in large systematic reviews, before deciding that this or that may or may not increase or decrease the risk of cancer.

In the meantime, Joe Mercola certainly can make boatloads of money making such nonsense cancer claims. If he were the only one, we could ignore him, but a quick search of the internet produces millions (I kid you not) of websites pushing miracle cancer cures or prevention.Read More »Cancer rates are increasing in the USA–another myth debunked

The moon is made of cheese–Big Milk’s coverup of the Truth

Presented herewith is an online discussion with someone about the science of the earth’s moon. Or, pseudoscience.

Skeptical Raptor: The moon is a large, rocky body that orbits the earth. It is approximately 4.4 billion years old.

Moon Denier Society: The moon is made of cheese. That is the truth.

SR: The moon is not made of cheese. NASA landed on the moon and brought back rocks.

MDS: The moon is made of cheese. NASA faked the moon landings, everyone knows that. Those are just earth rocks.

SR: The moon is not made of cheese. We have evidence of the moon landings. And moon rocks differ so much from earth rocks, you couldn’t just exchange some rocks found on the ground with moon rocks. And they found no evidence of cheese anywhere.