Thursday, 6 June 2013

Web review: Skeptical Medicine

Skeptical Medicine is a website, not a blog, and I highly recommend it. It contains material from a single author, covering topics related to the scientific basis of medicine: reason, logic, argument, bias, and the philosophy of science. It is extremely well written and referenced but most importantly, it is reasoned, logical and, well, very scientific. For anyone wondering what it is to be skeptical – to take a scientific view of any subject (not just medicine) – then this is the site to read.

All of the basics are covered, such as defining a claim, an argument, a fact and a theory. It basically defines science, and instructs the reader on what this means and how it can be used. It even tells you how to have an argument.

This site can be used to learn about what science is and why we use it, as it is laid out in such a way that each section builds on the one before – just like your own private course: Reason 101. It can also be used as an occasional reference source, or for browsing, as the titles of each page are displayed on the left, allowing you to choose whatever interests you at the time. I have kept this website on my browser for about a year and still read the odd page occasionally.

My favourite pages are listed below:

The bottom line

This website is a must-read for anybody who wants to make a point or to properly understand one. If you want to know anything, science gives you a path to reliable knowledge. This website explains how it all works.

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