Comments on: Note to Bill Maher: You Can’t Pick and Choose with Science

By: Allan Devreau

Allan Devreau — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:24:15 +0000

Maher for all his much lauded rationality is sometimes very irrational. I think that above all, we should loudly criticise such irrationality in anyone that claims to be a skeptic or atheist.

By: skeptologic

skeptologic — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:53:55 +0000

It’s not misleading at all. The main reason that child mortality was reduced was because of childhood vaccinations. Good nutrition and better sanitation did play a major role, but no matter how good you eat, no matter how healthy you are and how strong your immune system is, you can still get infected with a communicable disease unless your body has been primed against it. And my point is that Bill Maher’s claim that western medicine “only treats symptoms” is totally wrong. Killing bacteria with an antibiotic or giving your body the antibodies it needs to ward off disease is not “only treating a symptom.”

By: Correction

Correction — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:10:44 +0000

“Life expectancy has doubled since medicine became science based and we discovered what actually causes disease.”

The causal connection you suggest here is misleading. Life expectancy has increased mainly because of reduced child mortality and mainly through improved nutrition and sanitation. Medicine, even antibiotics, hasn’t played the main role here, not even close.