Review papers do not include new, peer-reviewed data. The only published paper he has itself states that it is inconclusive without a larger study to confirm the results.… Read the rest
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Jen McCreight looks at the Burzynski clinic’s publications
Nov 30th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAbstracts presented at conferences; no peer review. The one peer-reviewed article is in an alt med journal.… Read the rest
Burzynski clinic issues press release
Nov 29th, 2011 5:40 pm | By Ophelia BensonYes that’s right, a press release. They’ll be doing the Colbert Report next.
Marc Stephens no longer has “a professional relationship” with the clinic. The clinic thinks it was inappropriate – yes that’s right, inappropriate – to send “a blogger,” meaning Rhys Morgan, a picture of his own house. The clinic apologizes.
But apology or no apology, the wheels of justice grind exceeding fine: attorneys will be contacting UK bloggers about what the press release says is “inaccurate information.” UK bloggers…why UK bloggers? Could this be another case of libel tourism?
This, as the saying goes, ain’t over.
Update 11/30 morning: Jen dug into the clinic’s list of publications and found it wanting. A must-read.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
That’s the way to silence bloggers
Nov 29th, 2011 4:45 pm | By Ophelia BensonJosephine Jones now has 103 blog posts on Burzynski v Andy Lewis and Rhys Morgan in her list. She’s stopped counting. Another epic win for threatening bullies.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
UK: Muslim students boycott lectures on evolution
Nov 29th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSteve Jones says increasing numbers of his undergraduates refuse to attend his lectures on evolution and say the subject should not be taught on their course.… Read the rest
The schoolboy blogger who took on a US clinic
Nov 29th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe Burszynski clinic has since suggested Marc Stephens is a web marketing contractor and that no one approved sending Rhys Morgan the picture of his house.… Read the rest
Residual respect for an enduring institution
Nov 29th, 2011 1:05 pm | By Ophelia BensonI did an interview with Geoff Whelan of QED which is now posted.
One of the questions was
Are you dismayed when those who you would think naturally would support a strong atheist position turn their criticism against those who directly challenge religion? Is there something about free thinkers that encourages dissent? Or are we talking about Dennett’s belief in belief, in the sense that someone may realise on an intellectual level that religious belief is false but that they still have residual respect for an enduring institution?
Funny, PZ has a post about yet another example of that kind of thing, just today. The yet another example is yet another by Joseph Hoffmann, yet again in the … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Why Burzynski matters
Nov 29th, 2011 12:16 pm | By Ophelia BensonCraig Malisow doesn’t mince words in his blog post for Houston Press about his neighbors at the Burzynski Clinic. Maybe he’s hoping Marc Stephens will offer to threaten him too.
… Read the restHere’s a warning for anyone out there considering blogging or tweeting anything questioning the greatness of cancer-curing Houston doc Stanislaw Burzynski: You will probably be threatened by the head of marketing for the Burzynski Patient Support Group.
We first heard about loose cannon Marc Stephens’s weird diatribes Monday, when a guy in England informed us that Stephens had earlier this month threatened 17-year-old Welsh blogger Rhys Morgan with a libel suit if Morgan didn’t remove any of his comments questioning the validity of Burzynski’s claims. Morgan is one
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Sense About Science on libel threats
Nov 29th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“It is appalling that threats of libel action are being used to try to intimidate people into silence. We have to be free to ask questions and raise concerns.”… Read the rest
QED’s Geoff Whelan interviews OB
Nov 29th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOn: B&W, being strident, are atheists mean scrooges, are we a movement, where are we going, what is new about new/gnu atheists, and more.… Read the rest
Houston Press blogger on Burzynski and Stephens
Nov 29th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“Giving the false impression he was an attorney representing the Burzynski Clinic, Stephens demanded Morgan ‘immediately cease and desist in your actions’.”… Read the rest
Don’t Streisand that blog, my friend
Nov 28th, 2011 5:52 pm | By Ophelia BensonAnd more #Burzynski.
Richard Wilson at Don’t Get Fooled Again.
While the UK media has been characteristically slow in picking this up – presumably the Murdoch press are too preoccupied with their own problems and the Guardian Media Group still frozen in the headlights after the Observer got sucked into the controversy – bloggers all over the world have been ensuring that this story continues to grow.
Josephine Jones has a list of posts on the subject. There are a lot. More not-going-well for the intimidation thing.
… Read the restThe likelihood of Stephens contacting me now seems to be getting ever smaller. Critical Burzynski posts are popping up all over the internet almost faster than I can read
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Carl Zimmer profiles Steven Pinker
Nov 28th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPinker argues that evolutionary psychology offers the best explanation for why things have gotten better, and how to make them even better.… Read the rest
That’s THE BURZYNSKI CLINIC
Nov 28th, 2011 4:25 pm | By Ophelia BensonMore on the Burzynski Clinic – yes Google I said THE BURZYNSKI CLINIC – and Marc Stephens and Rhys Morgan.
From Phil Plait.
… Read the restIn Houston, Texas, is a man named Stanislaw Burzynski. He claims he has a method for treating cancer. He calls it antineoplaston therapy. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, “No randomized, controlled trials showing the effectiveness of antineoplastons have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.” That’s a bad sign. Furthermore, the FDA has not approved of antineoplaston therapy for use. Also telling is that “… other investigators have not been able to obtain the same results reported by Dr. Burzynski and his team”. Yet, despite this, Burzynski charges hundreds of thousands of dollars
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Streisand that clinic
Nov 28th, 2011 11:55 am | By Ophelia BensonA 17-year-old schoolboy has been in receipt of blustering threats from Marc Stephens, who “represents” (as he says) the Burzynski Clinic. That’s a funny word, “represents.” In this context it suggests “as a lawyer” – but in fact Marc Stephens doesn’t actually say he’s a lawyer, even when urgently invited to do so (instead he says “you should stop asking me if I’m a lawyer,” which is no help). It’s hard not to think he would say he’s a lawyer if in fact he were a lawyer, so his consistent failure to do so seems to point to the likelihood that he isn’t one.
But lawyer or PR hack, whichever, Marc Stephens has been sending blustering threats to Rhys … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
School bullies student who dissed Sam Brownback
Nov 28th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonShe wrote a disparaging tweet, he complained to her school. Srsly?!… Read the rest
The archbish live and in person
Nov 28th, 2011 10:49 am | By Ophelia BensonI say I say – you can watch and listen to the archbishop of Canterbury telling the House of Lords why bishops should go on being there, live, right now. Andrew Copson of the BHA is also there and I think either going to talk or finished talking – or maybe both.
One gem from the ABC so far -
Nobody is looking for theocracy, nobody wants to turn the UK into Iran – but – the role of faith in asking questions is a very significant one.
And the difference is…?
Ah – and now he’s admitting that women aren’t in the picture much.
… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Orac on new threats from Burzynski Clinic
Nov 28th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSending legal threats to a teenager for having criticized the pseudoscience of antineoplastons is not the act of someone who has the evidence to back him up.… Read the rest
David Gorski on Stanislaw Burzynski and bad medicine
Nov 28th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe short version of the story behind antineoplastons is that there is no good clinical evidence to suggest that they have any significant activity against cancer.… Read the rest
Burzynski Clinic threatens a school boy
Nov 28th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonComplete with sending him a screenshot of his house.… Read the rest