Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine.
California Bill AB 2109: The Antivaccine Movement Attacks School Vaccine Mandates Again (David Gorski) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/antivaccine-activists-attack-vaccine-mandates/ In response to a rising rate of personal belief exemptions for mandated vaccines, a proposed law in California would require proof that parents had been counseled on the risks and benefits by doctors and could give truly informed consent. Anti-vaccine advocates are protesting: they prefer mis-informed consent.
There is no question that the rates of autism diagnosis have been increasing in the US and the Western world. The latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates indicate that 1 in 88 children have been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum (1/54 boys and 1/252 girls). This is up from just two years ago when the estimate was 1/100 children, and much higher that the 1990s when estimates were around 1/250.
It certainly looks like we are in the middle of an autism epidemic, but experts are not so sure, and for good reason.
Last Saturday an estimated 20,000 people packed into Washington, D.C.'s National Mall for the Reason Rally, and we're proud to say the JREF was there in full force. JREF founder, James Randi himself, was one of the event's keynote speakers, sharing the stage with other well-known academics, activists, and entertainers who worked to spotlight the growing secularist movement devoted to fostering a more reasonable world. Many of our Amazing Meeting regulars were on the bill, including Richard Dawkins, Adam Savage, R. Elisabeth Cornwell, Michael Shermer, Paul Provenza, and Sean Faircloth, and other friends of the JREF also appeared, including the the inimitable comedian Tim Minchin. Close friend of Randi's, Penn Jillette, appeared via video, as did comedian Bill Maher.
James Randi speaks to the crowd. (photo courtesy Ingrid Laas)
Flim-Flam!, An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, The Faith Healers, and The Truth About Uri Geller are now available digitally for Kindle, Nook, and iBooks (iPad and iPhone) e-readers. Download these classic James Randi titles for your favorite mobile device for the special price of just $6.99. Find download links here.
