- Ben Goldacre
Infobox journalist
name = Ben Goldacre
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birth_date = c. 1974
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occupation = Medical doctor andjournalist
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credits = "The Guardian "
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URL = http://badscience.netBen Goldacre is a British doctor and
journalist , and the author of the "The Guardian " newspaper's weekly "Bad Science" column.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/|author=Goldacre, Ben|title=Bad Science (weekly column)|publisher="The Guardian "|accessdate=2008-08-14] He works full-time as ajunior doctor for theNational Health Service cite web |url=http://www.pfd.co.uk/clients/goldben/a-pre.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070208152026/http://www.pfd.co.uk/clients/goldben/a-pre.html |archivedate=2008-08-14 |title=Ben Goldacre |publisher=PFD Group] and is a registeredpsychiatrist . His first book, also called "Bad Science", was published by Fourth Estate in September 2008.Academic career
He studied
medicine at Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained a first class degree in his preclinical studies in 1995. While at Oxford he also edited the student magazine "Isis".cite web |url=http://www.badscience.net/?page_id=4 |last=Goldacre |first=Ben|title=About Dr Ben Goldacre |accessdate=2008-08-14] Before going on to clinical medicine atUniversity College London , he was a visiting researcher in cognitive neuroscience at theUniversity of Milan , working onfMRI brain scans of language and executive function. He received amasters degree in philosophy (funded by theBritish Academy ) fromKing's College London . He is a member of theRoyal College of Psychiatrists , and is a research fellow at theInstitute of Psychiatry ,King's College London . [cite web |url=http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/staff/profile/default.aspx?go=11920 |title=Staff list |accessdate=2008-08-14 |publisher=Institute of Psychiatry ]"Bad Science" column
Goldacre writes a weekly column, "Bad Science", in the Saturday edition of "
The Guardian " newspaper, and publishes expanded versions of the columns with reader comments on his website "badscience.net". [cite web |url=http://www.badscience.net |title=badscience.net |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |accessdate=2008-08-14] Devoted to satirical criticism of scientific inaccuracy, health scares,pseudoscience andquackery , it focuses especially on examples from themass media , consumer productmarketing and complementary and alternative medicine in Britain.cite web |url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1564615,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Don't dumb me down |publisher=The Guardian |date=2005-09-08 |accessdate=2008-08-14]Goldacre's book "Bad Science" was published by Fourth Estate in September 2008.cite book |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title= Bad Science |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |volume= |date= |year=2008 |month=September |publisher=Fourth Estate |location=London |language= |isbn=978-0-00-724019-7 |oclc= ]
He has been a particular critic of the claims of television
nutritionist Gillian McKeith , [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,,2004999,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Brought to book: the poo lady's PhD |publisher=The Guardian |date=2007-02-07 |accessdate=2008-08-14] anti-immunisation campaigners (particularly followers ofAndrew Wakefield such asMelanie Phillips ),Brain Gym , [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,,1739365,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Exercise the brain without this transparent nonsense |publisher=The Guardian |date=2006-03-25 |accessdate=2008-08-14] bogus positive MRSA swab stories intabloids , [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,,1646323,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=How many microbiologists does it take to change a tabloid story? |publisher=The Guardian |date=2005-11-19 |accessdate=2008-08-14] and the makers of the productPenta Water . [cite web |url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1409131,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Troubled water |publisher=The Guardian |date=2005-02-10 |accessdate=2008-08-14] While investigating McKeith's membership of theAmerican Association of Nutritional Consultants , Goldacre purchased a "certified professional membership" on behalf of his late cat, Henrietta, from the same institution for $60. [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/sep/30/badscience.research |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Dr Gillian McKeith (PhD) continued |publisher=The Guardian |date=2004-09-30 |accessdate=2008-08-14] In February 2007, McKeith agreed to stop using the title "Dr" in her advertising following a complaint to theAdvertising Standards Authority by a "Bad Science" reader. [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,,2011151,00.html |last=Gibson |first=Owen |title=TV dietician to stop using title Dr in adverts |publisher=The Guardian |date=2007-02-12 |accessdate=2008-08-14]In 2008, vitamin entrepreneur
Matthias Rath sued Goldacre and "The Guardian" over three articles [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jan/20/southafrica.aids No way to treat an Aids hero] PublishedJanuary 20 ,2007 . AccessedSeptember 3 ,2008 ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jan/27/aids.badscience 'Gambia's president may be weird, but Aids superstitions strike closer to home’] The Guardian. PublishedJanuary 27 ,2007 . AccessedSeptember 3 ,2008 .] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/feb/17/badscience.uknews 'How money is not the only barrier to Aids patients getting hold of drugs’] The Guardian. PublishedFebruary 17 ,2007 . AccessedSeptember 3 ,2008 .] in which Goldacre criticised Rath's promotion ofvitamin pills toAIDS sufferers inSouth Africa n townships. Rath dropped his action in September 2008 and was ordered to pay initial costs of £220,000 to the "Guardian".cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/12/matthiasrath.aids2 |title=Fall of the doctor who said his vitamins would cure Aids |first=Sarah |last=Boseley |publisher=The Guardian |date=13 September 2008 |accessdate=2008-09-13] The paper is seeking full costs of £500,000, and Goldacre has expressed an interest in writing a book about Rath and South Africa, as a chapter on the subject had to be cut from his book while the litigation proceeded. [cite web|url=http://www.badscience.net/2008/09/matthias-rath-pulls-out-forced-to-pay-the-guardians-costs-i-think-this-means-i-win/ |title=Matthias Rath drops his million pound legal case against me and the Guardian |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |date=12 September 2008 |publisher=badscience.net |accessdate=2008-09-13]Awards
Goldacre has won several awards for his journalism, including:
*Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2003 [cite web |url=http://www.sciencewritersawards.co.uk/science/past/2003/index.htm |title=Science Writers Awards - Winners 2003 |publisher=Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards |accessdate=2008-08-14] for his article "Never mind the facts". [cite web |url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1104096,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=Never mind the facts |publisher=The Guardian |date=2003-12-11 |accessdate=2008-08-14]
*Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2005 [cite web |url=http://www.sciencewritersawards.co.uk/science/past/2005/index.htm |title=ABSW Science Writers' Awards - Winners 2005 |publisher=Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards |accessdate=2008-08-14] for his article "Don't dumb me down"
*Freelance of 2006 at the Medical Journalism Awards [cite web |url=http://www.mja-uk.org/admin/upload/pdf/MJA%20News%20Oct-Nov%202006.pdf |title=MJA News October/November 2006 |publisher=Medical Journalists Association |format=PDF |year=2006 |accessdate=2008-08-14]
*the inaugural Statistical Excellence In Journalism Award of theRoyal Statistical Society [cite web |url=http://www.rss.org.uk/main.asp?page=2721 |title=2007 Award for statistical excellence in journalism |publisher=Royal Statistical Society |accessdate=2008-08-14] for his article "When the facts get in the way of a story" [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,,1744541,00.html |last=Goldacre |first=Ben |title=When the facts get in the way of a story |publisher=The Guardian |date=2006-04-01 |accessdate = 2008-08-14]
*theHealthWatch Award for "significant steps in improving the public's understanding of health issues" [cite web |url=http://www.healthwatch-uk.org/newsletterarchive/hw62.htm#Badsci |title=Highlights from Newsletter no 62, July 2006 |publisher=HealthWatch |date=July 2006 |accessdate=2008-08-14]References
External links
* [http://www.badscience.net Bad Science] - Goldacre's website
* [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=search&term=Goldacre+B Articles by Ben Goldacre] inPubMed
* [http://www.journalisted.com/ben-goldacre Articles by Ben Goldacre] at Journa"listed".com
* [http://skeptic.org.uk/joomla/index.php/podcasts/little-atoms/40-little-atoms/89-ben-goldacre.html Radio interview with Ben Goldacre] , broadcast 23 December 2005, from [http://www.littleatoms.com/ Little Atoms] , a show onResonance FM
* [http://skeptic.org.uk/joomla/index.php/podcasts/little-atoms/293-ben-goldacre.html Radio interview with Ben Goldacre] , broadcast 3 October 2008, from [http://www.littleatoms.com/ Little Atoms] , a show onResonance FM
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