Dec 21 2010
Medical Myths – Now Available
About a year ago I asked my readers and SGU listeners to send me suggestions about medical myths they would like to hear debunked. Now I get to reveal what project that was for – I was asked to record a course series for The Teaching Company. The final result is now available:
Medical Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths: What We Think We Know May Be Hurting Us
This is a series of 24 lectures, each 30 minutes long, on a variety of medical topics. It is available in audio (CD or download) and video (DVD) format. This was a year-long project, and contains a great deal of new material I have never written or lectured about before.
I had known about the Teaching Company before and listened to a few of their audio lectures. But of course I really got to know the company well through this process. They produce an excellent series of college-type courses meant for adult learners. Their production process is impressive – I feel they helped me bring my best content to the lectures. I do most of my work without a net, so it was fun to work with someone to help edit my content.
I am already discussing future projects with the company. Hopefully I can get them to do a hardcore skeptical/critical thinking course. If you do purchase my course please take the time to leave a review. They really matter. Also, feel free to suggest course topics or specific content you would like to see me cover in a future project.
35 Responses to “Medical Myths – Now Available”
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Wow Steve, congratulations!
And a total YES on convincing them to do hardcore skepticism and critical thinking courses.
Cool stuff, man. Cool stuff.
This is a whole bucketful of awesome. A copy for me, and for a friend or two who could definitely benefit from a dose of Dr Novella’s truth serum.
Congrats Steve!
Awesome! I’ll definitely be getting this.
Will download. Thanks for posting this.
Wow, this is fantastic! Congrats, Steve! Both you and the Teaching Company doing amazing work, so this is a match made in (proverbial) heaven.
Hey, I work in a Sony plant where we pack Teaching Company products sometimes. (In the interest of full disclosure, I get the same pay no matter what product or how much of it goes out — I am a grunt at the very bottom level of a separate company that does work for them — so I have nothing to gain by inflating their image.)
They put out some pretty good lessons, from what I’ve seen, and I’ll look forward to seeing this one come through so I can point you out and tell my coworkers I listen to this guy every week. I actually only discovered The Teaching Company when I packed some of their products, and I’ve been thinking about which ones I might like to get since then.
Officially asked my library to order it.
I look forward to buying and watching it, especially as it relates to sCAM.
TTC has you up right now on that page as a PhD.
I didn’t know you were so Piled High and Deep.
-r.c.
Fantastic! I am going to go download this right away. Dr. Novella, I hope you will be commissioned to do a full critical thinking course as well. I am sure you have been asked this question, but I want to know if you have any plans for writing a critical thinking book.
Good stuff Steve! As soon as it’s available on the torrent sites, I’ll be sure to give it a watch! Just kidding…
$70 for 12 hours of footage is pretty good value, so I’ll have to crack open the piggy-bank and put in an order sooner rather than later.
I don’t think I have ever impulse bought something that fast…
Although that $130 tag price is totally an anchoring plot…
http://www.daylightatheism.org/2010/12/how-to-think-critically-xii.html
YAY! I Love the Teaching Company. I’ve churned through many of their audio lecture series. And for any topic, they always select a high-quality teacher. You’re in great company, and will be gracing library shelves for years to come.
Thanks. Good stuff!
Now if only the information in these lectures could be repeated as frequently as the myths themselves. Its easy to believe myths when you only use 10% of your brain. ;o)
Some christmas presents sorted out there… I knew it was a good idea to wait until the last moment to do my Christmas shopping!
Its an uphill battle when repeating a myth takes seconds, but the truth about a topic requires a lecture.
Oh good they fixed it.
-r.c.
Are there any samples anywhere?
“I look forward to buying and watching it, especially as it relates to sCAM.”
This comment brings to mind a question I’ve had for a while: can someone give me a definition of CAM?
@Elmer: here you go.
Erm… or better yet: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Complementary+and+alternative+medicine
Ho ho. That’s not a definition.
OK, I read the first definition, which doesn’t really clarify much, for example this: “The boundaries between CAM and conventional medicine are not absolute, and specific CAM practices may, over time, become widely accepted.”
Anyway, here’s the impression I’ve gotten: any practice commonly used by doctors, nurses, or PTs is not CAM, and any practice used by, say, chiropractors is. Assuming that’s a correct interpretation, it’s simply not true that everything in the first group is supported by scientific evidence (it looks like a majority of it is, but not an overwhelming one), nor that everything in the latter group is not.
It seems to me that if someone is interested in critiquing non-scientific practices, then he should not concern himself with the credentials of the person using them. But maybe my understanding of CAM is wrong.
I kind of went overboard with the word “not” in that comment. Sorry. But you can work it out.
Well,if it works it’s ‘medicine’,so if it hasn’t been proven to work,or has been proven not to work,then it is CAM.
I have listened to the first 2 lectures and it seems very good.
However, koalas aren’t bears.
In the second lecture on water I’d liked to mention diabetes mellitus as a cause of dehydration. And also the disease of the month, cholera, for which there is an oral rehydration treatment. I recently read David Clark’s “Germs, Genes and Civilisation”, which I strongly recommend. Has anyone else read it? He argues, like a lot of others, such as Jared Diamond, that infectious diseases have influenced human history more than any other factor.
Neil Shubin in his book “Your Inner Fish” noted that medial meniscus tears (from climbing over rocks to get at fossils) and non-obstructive sleep apnoea (from the loss of the snout and the hyper-mobile face and throat muscles to allow speech) are two features strongly suggesting NON-intelligent design (I suspect from his description that he must have both). Sleep apnoea, particularly since it’s so common, needs to be added to the list of conditions affecting water balance. Nocturia (frequently having to rise during the night) is a very common symptom with sleep apnoea, due to a diuretic hormone inappropriately released from the atria. Most physicians presented with a patient with nocturia will only think of diabetes, heart failure or prostate problems.
What is the thought about drinking water during foreign travel? When I visited China, I was told by the tour guide only to drink bottled water (because it was claimed that the water in the hotels wasn’t safe). I was told the same in Turkey. I followed the first, but not the second advice, and didn’t have any problems in either country. Also, what about the alleged Giardia in St Petersburg. Both times I visited there I boiled the water ‘just to be safe’, even for rinsing my mouth after teeth cleaning.
Steve as a huge fan of yours and an obsessive Teaching Company listener/viewer I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. Merry Christmas indeed and congratulations on the honor of being selected — The Teaching Company always finds the best teachers (Robert Sapolsky comes to mind). Extremely excited to watch and listen to this. My best wishes to you and your family this holiday season.
I’m excited to get this, however I would also be interested in getting a physical copy if you can get it transcribed into a book format. =) It’s always nice to have a mobile reference or a loaner.
Spicy – Transcripts can be ordered with new TTC courses — I’m not certain they allow purchase of the transcript only but it’s worth checking out.
Spicy, you will get a 132 page .pdf with the audio downloads.
Very cool. I’ve been a fan of Teaching Co lectures for years. For those of you interested in purchasing, use coupon code HNYR when ordering– it’s on the cover of their current print catalog, good until Dec 30, so I don’t think they’ll mind my posting it here.
BTW – as customer reviews come in, there is the predicted dichotomy between CAM advocates and skeptics. If you do buy the product, please take the time to leave a review. Thanks.
One of the reviewers said, “After exhorting us to consider the scientific basis for medical claims, the instructor engages in a litany of claims which he does not substantiate. He rarely actually refers to specific scientific studies. So far – and we are at lecture 10 – there has been only one clear indication of an actual study of what is being referred to as ‘scientific evidence’.”
Dr. Novella or anyone who bought the course, were citations provided in the transcript?
This reviewer must believe that all studies are created equal. Probably disappointed in the lack of Gish Gallop, huh?
@Draal – The course Guidebook has recommended readings for each lecture, but is indeed short on study references.
This is my review:
“It seems the we are getting further and further disconnected from the medical (and other) facts as science gets more and more answers. If you or your wife recently got pregnant or had a child then, the amount of dubious advice you will no doubt get showered upon is staggering.
Steven Novella’s separates the important concepts you need to know from the ones that are irrelevant, innocuous, or downright harmful. Highly recommended.
Regarding his knowledge and assessment of CAM modalities, I know from his other writings (such as http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/) that he does have a great knowledge of the subject, along with the skills necessary to evaluate what really works and what doesn’t.”