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Ben Goldacre

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Ben Goldacre is a British doctor and journalist, and the author of the The Guardian newspaper's weekly Bad Science column.[1] He describes himself as "a junior doctor in London and a shameless geek".[2]

Academic career

He studied medicine at Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained a first class degree in his preclinical studies in 1995.[2] While at Oxford he also edited the student magazine Isis.[3] Before going on to clinical medicine at University College London, he was a visiting researcher in cognitive neurosciences at the University of Milan, working on fMRI brain scans of language and executive function. He received a masters degree in philosophy (funded by the British Academy) from King's College London.[2]

Bad Science column

Goldacre writes a weekly column, Bad Science, in the Saturday edition of The Guardian newspaper,[1] and publishes expanded versions of the columns with reader comments on his website badscience.net.[4] Devoted to satirical criticism of scientific inaccuracy, health scares, pseudoscience and quackery, it focuses especially on examples from the mass media, consumer product marketing and complementary and alternative medicine in Britain.[5]

Goldacre's criticisms are detailed examinations of claims made and the evidence (or lack of evidence) for them; they do not rely upon trusting his expertise but expound the underlying facts.

Goldacre has published a hypothesis of "why bad science reporting occurs", and [6] his book Bad Science will be published by 4th Estate in 2008.[7]

He has been a particular critic of the claims of television nutritionist Gillian McKeith,[8] anti-immunisation campaigners (particularly followers of Andrew Wakefield such as Melanie Phillips), Brain Gym,[9] bogus positive MRSA swab stories in tabloids,[10] and the makers of the product Penta Water.[11] While investigating McKeith's membership of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants, Goldacre purchased a "certified professional membership" on behalf of his late cat, Henrietta, from the same institution for $60.[12] In February 2007, McKeith agreed to stop using the title "Dr" in her advertising following a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority by a Bad Science reader.[13]

In 2008, Goldacre was sued for libel by [[Matthias Rath for the content of an article about Zackie Achmat[14]. An attempt by Rath to obtain summary judgment in his favour or to strike out parts of the Guardian's defences of justification and fair comment was rejected in a hearing in which it was estimated that a full hearing of the case would take 4 weeks[15][16].

Awards

Goldacre has won several awards for his journalism, including:

  • Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2003[17] for his article "Never mind the facts"[18]
  • Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2005[19] for his article "Don't dumb me down"[5]
  • Freelance of 2006 at the Medical Journalism Awards[20]
  • the inaugural Statistical Excellence In Journalism Award of the Royal Statistical Society[21] for his article "When the facts get in the way of a story"[22]
  • the Healthwatch Award for "significant steps in improving the public's understanding of health issues"[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Goldacre, Ben. "Bad Science (weekly column)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Ben Goldacre", PFD Group.
  3. ^ Goldacre, Ben. ""About Dr Ben Goldacre"". Retrieved 2007-02-16. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  4. ^ Goldacre, Ben. "badscience.net". Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  5. ^ a b Goldacre, Ben (2005-09-08). "Don't dumb me down". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ thecrimson.com, Shock and Awww, Research indicates that embellishing science could kill both you and your loved ones
  7. ^ guardian.co.uk, A quick fix would stop drug firms bending the truth
  8. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2007-02-07). "Brought to book: the poo lady's PhD". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2006-03-25). "Exercise the brain without this transparent nonsense". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2005-11-19). "How many microbiologists does it take to change a tabloid story?". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2005-02-10). "Troubled water". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2004-09-30). "Dr Gillian McKeith (PhD) continued". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ Gibson, Owen (2007-02-12). "TV dietician to stop using title Dr in adverts". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ No way to treat an Aids hero
  15. ^ Press Gazette - A judge has rejected an attempt by a multimillionaire to strike out parts of the Guardian's defences.
  16. ^ Rath v Guardian News and Media Ltd & Anor [2008 EWHC 398 (QB) (05 March 2008)]
  17. ^ "Science Writers Awards - Winners 2003". Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  18. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2003-12-11). "Never mind the facts". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "ABSW Science Writers' Awards - Winners 2005". Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
  20. ^ "MJA News October/November 2006" (PDF 3.5 Mb). Medical Journalists Association. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
  21. ^ "2007 Award for statistical excellence in journalism". Royal Statistical Society. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  22. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2006-04-01). "When the facts get in the way of a story". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-02-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Highlights from Newsletter no 62, July 2006 - Bad Science writer to be awarded at 18th AGM". HealthWatch. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
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