May 2011
Take Action: Tell Congress to Close the Quack Medicine Loophole for Homeopathic Remedies
In
response to the quack medicine industry’s “World Homeopathy Awareness
Week,” the JREF called on Congress to close the loophole that exempts
homeopathic remedies from certain FDA regulations that apply to drugs
and nutritional supplements.
Click here to send a message to the Senate committee that oversees the FDA. Then share this action with your friends!
Message from the President
It has been a
busy month at the JREF. As you see from the announcements included in
this newsletter, we are excited to welcome Dr. Steven Novella to our
team to head up JREF’s science-based medicine project. In this regard,
we hope you will take action with us and ask Congress to make
manufacturers of homeopathic remedies play by the same rules as everyone
else. Below you’ll also read about our partnership with the Women
Thinking Free Foundation to conduct opinion research on misinformation
about immunization.
I am happy
to report that The Amaz!ng Meeting 2011, to be held July 14-17 in Las
Vegas, has been met with a lot of enthusiasm: when the Early
Registration period ended last Saturday, more than 1,000 skeptics had
registered for the event. Regular registration rates are now in effect,
and if you would like to join us this summer, please register online at www.amazingmeeting.com today.
A highlight
for me this month was attending Randi’s performance of magic at the
Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles a few days ago, at an event for
the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. One of his
assistants was Congressman Patrick Kennedy. To hear Randi talk in front of
this distinguished audience of about 600 about his life's work as the
world's leading skeptic, and about the important activities of the James
Randi Educational Foundation, was inspiring. If you are new to the
JREF, get inspired yourself by reading one of Randi’s celebrated books
on skepticism, such as The Faith Healers or Flim Flam!. They’re both now available for the iPad and Kindle, as you will see below.
On behalf of
Randi and the rest of the JREF staff, thank you for helping us advance
skepticism and critical thinking. As Randi puts it, the work of the
Foundation is like the old Whac-A-Mole arcade game because a new
purveyor of nonsense always pops up just as we successfully challenge
the last one. It is important work, and we could not do it without
your involvement and support.
Randi performs in a program on Magic and the Brain for the Friends
of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.
Congressman Patrick Kennedy and another gentleman assist.
Dr. Steven Novella Appointed Senior Fellow, Appears on Dr. Oz Show
 Science
educator and skeptic Steven Novella, M.D. is the JREF’s new Senior
Fellow and Director of our new Science-Based Medicine project. Novella
is an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of
Medicine, and a critical figure in a number of skeptical endeavors,
including the New England Skeptical Society and The Skeptics’ Guide to
the Universe. He’ll now work with the JREF to provide the media and the
public with trustworthy information about unproven alternative medical
practices.
Last week, Dr. Novella appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, a syndicated program
that promotes ‘energy medicine,’ homeopathy, and other quackery. Novella
has challenged Oz to play fair, and be a guest on The Skeptics’ Guide
to defend his belief in useless alt-med practices.
JREF/WTFF Opinion Research on Childhood Immunization
During
National Infant Immunization Week, the Women Thinking Free Foundation
(WTFF) and the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) announced we’re
joining together to conduct an opinion survey aimed at understanding
the spread of the unfounded “vaccine panic” that prevents some parents
from getting important immunizations for their children. The JREF will
make the results freely available to public health advocates to help
inform their efforts to support childhood immunity. Read more about this effort here.
Faith Healers Released on iBooks, Flim-Flam! on Kindle
 The Faith Healers,
James Randi’s damning indictment of the faith-healing practices of
leading televangelists and others who claim divine healing powers, has
been released for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch through Apple’s iBooks store for just
$6.99. His skeptical classic Flim-Flam!, already
available through iBooks, has now been released for the Kindle. These
releases are part of the JREF’s ongoing effort to make both classic and
modern works of skepticism and critical thinking available to wider
audiences through new digital publishing technologies.
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