British Chiropractic Association v Simon Singh

[Blue Wode]

The latest blogging...

The BCA's Worst Day
http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/06/bcas-worst-day-yet.html


British Chiropractic Association (BCA) demonstrate what evidence-based medicine isn’t
http://holfordwatch.info/2009/06/18/british-chiropractic-association-bca-demonstrate-what-evidence-based-medicine-isnt/


British Chiropractic Association and The Plethora of Evidence for Paediatric Asthma
http://evidencematters.org/2009/06/18/british-chiropractic-association-and-the-plethora-of-evidence-for-paediatric-asthma/


Careful, BCA, you might slip a disk!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/06/18/careful-bca-you-might-slip-a-disk/

[Trinoc]

Jack of Kent's analysis of the long-delayed BCA reply to Singh's defence ...

http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/06/bcas-reply.html

[Mark Fletcher]

Has anyone seen a copy of Mr Justice Eady's judgment? I have not been able to find a transcript on the web. It would be interesting to know exactly what his finding was.

[bindeweede]

Has anyone seen a copy of Mr Justice Eady's judgment? I have not been able to find a transcript on the web. It would be interesting to know exactly what his finding was.

A Forum member, Jack of Kent, has posted this, which might help.

http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/...al-ruling.html

[Blue Wode]

For anyone wishing to be brought up to date with all the new developments, see from page 13 onwards here:
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=121214&page=13

[Trinoc]

Looks like someone has attempted to do a Ralsky on Zeno, using information which could only have originated from the GCC ...

http://www.zenosblog.com/2009/06/pro...-and-more.html

[lost thought]

Ah such gentlemanly conduct as becoming of professional woo merchants allegedly.

[bindeweede]

The latest from Jack of Kent.

BMJ: The "Plethora" Has Been Completely Demolished

In what seems a potentially devastating blow to the British Chiropractic Association, an editorial in the current British Medical Journal says the following of the review by Edzard Ernst of the BCA's 'plethora' of evidence:

"His demolition of the 18 references is, to my mind, complete."

Read this aloud, slowly; and then imagine this sentence being read out in court.

This is surely devastating.

http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/

[Jack of Kent]

Thanks Bindeweede for the link.

The BCA case is coming apart under the pressure of the prolonged scrutiny, just as the chiropractic profession is taking a beating more generally because of the challenges being made to their misleading advertising and unfair commercial practices.

The BCA are now discredited. The "plethora" of evidence has been demolished completely, in the view of the BMJ editorial. And, in my view, when something has been demolished completely, not a jot remains.

The now discredited BCA, however, still (currently) have the protection of the court's preliminary ruling on meaning. But even that does not now look as solid as it did...

[JJM]

In the BMJ opinion-piece by the BCA, they have trimmed their plethora of evidence from 29 articles to 19. Still, seven of the articles are irrelevant. None of the rest is compelling, and they still omit the strong evidence against claims for chiro in visceral illnesses of children. Those must be willful omissions. Can we say bogus (without being sued)?

[JJM]

... The BCA case is coming apart under the pressure of the prolonged scrutiny, just as the chiropractic profession is taking a beating more generally because of the challenges being made to their misleading advertising and unfair commercial practices. [italics added, JJM]

Mr. Of Kent, I object to the use of the word "profession" referring to chiro- it is a cult (at best, a bogus "trade"). I realize that, today, we speak of professional garbage collectors; but "profession" dignifies chiropracty (and UK osteopathy) compared to true professionals, such as garbage collectors.

[Blue Wode]

Lifted from Simon Singh’s latest e-newsletter (not yet online at http://www.simonsingh.net):

Newsletter 35
Festival of Ideas
12 July, 2009

1. Application to Appeal
2. Heading Down Under

1. Application to Appeal

Unlike recent newsletters, I will try to avoid filling this one with lots of tedious legal details. However, I will mention that the Application to Appeal has been lodged and I am now waiting for the result. For more news and information about my libel case, you can visit the Sense About Science website or follow any of the insightful and entertaining bloggers who are covering the subject. The most recent media coverage was in the Daily Mail and there is also an interview I gave to the Nature podcast.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jun/19/chiropractic-bca-mca-singh
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1196696/Back-cures-brave-scientist-epic-court-battle-How-Britains-libel-laws-threatening-free-speech.html
http://nature.edgeboss.net/download/nature/nature/podcast/extras/singh-2009-06-29.mp3?ewk13=1

Most important of all (if you have not done it already), please sign and support the libel reform campaign and encourage others to join the list of 15,000 names.
http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/333/


2. Heading Down Under

I am currently in Adelaide, where I am taking part in the Festival of Ideas. I have already spoken at a couple of events, and have two more to come on Sunday. You can find out more details at the festival website or my website. I am also giving a talk on Tuesday in Adelaide about risk and probability, which is an event sponsored by the Royal Institution of Australia. I will also be speaking in Sydney on July 15.
http://www.simonsingh.com/Simon_Lectures.php
http://www.adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/
http://riskprobabilityandgambling.eventbrite.com/
http://skeptics.meetup.com/163/calendar/10746110/

[Blue Wode]

The latest from Jack of Kent:

Why BCA v Singh Matters To Me
http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2009/...ers-to-me.html

[lost thought]

This brings up the matter of future libel cases with the publicity of this case would an organisation based on suspect science have a qualm or two about following the BCA route in order to silence critics or will they be more inclined to wait it out.
The publicity fall out from this case means that other cam practises are being questioned as we have seen on comedy TV.
And would other science and medical reporters be more scathing hoping for a kneejerk or BCA reaction for the publicity.
Is it the time for the giant killers to come forward and send the bullies home to think again.

[Trinoc]

It must be clear from this incident that anyone seeking to use the law to stifle scientific criticism is going to get an almighty backlash. We just need to make sure they don't forget it.

I hope, though, that we will be just as zealous if anyone tries this sort of trick from the orthodox side of science. It's all too easy to get carried away about injustice when it is "one of us" being threatened, but will we be consistent when the shoe is on the other foot?