Abstract:
:Although the classical ideal is that scientific theories are evaluated by a careful teasing-out of their internal logic and external implications, and checking whether these deductions and predictions are in-line-with old and new observations; the fact that so many vague, dumb or incoherent scientific theories are apparently believed by so many scientists for so many years is suggestive that this ideal does not necessarily reflect real world practice. In the real world it looks more like most scientists are quite willing to pursue wrong ideas for so long as they are rewarded with a better chance of achieving more grants, publications and status. The classic account has it that bogus theories should readily be demolished by sceptical (or jealous) competitor scientists. However, in practice even the most conclusive 'hatchet jobs' may fail to kill, or even weaken, phoney hypotheses when they are backed-up with sufficient economic muscle in the form of lavish and sustained funding. And when a branch of science based on phoney theories serves a useful but non-scientific purpose, it may be kept-going indefinitely by continuous transfusions of cash from those whose interests it serves. If this happens, real science expires and a 'zombie science' evolves. Zombie science is science that is dead but will not lie down. It keeps twitching and lumbering around so that (from a distance, and with your eyes half-closed) zombie science looks much like the real thing. But in fact the zombie has no life of its own; it is animated and moved only by the incessant pumping of funds. If zombie science is not scientifically-useable--what is its function? In a nutshell, zombie science is supported because it is useful propaganda to be deployed in arenas such as political rhetoric, public administration, management, public relations, marketing and the mass media generally. It persuades, it constructs taboos, it buttresses some kind of rhetorical attempt to shape mass opinion. Indeed, zombie science often comes across in the mass media as being more plausible than real science; and it is precisely the superficial face-plausibility which is the sole and sufficient purpose of zombie science.
journal_name
Med Hypothesesjournal_title
Medical hypothesesauthors
Charlton BGdoi
10.1016/j.mehy.2008.05.018subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2008-09-01 00:00:00pages
327-9issue
3eissn
0306-9877issn
1532-2777pii
S0306-9877(08)00234-Xjournal_volume
71pub_type
社论abstract::The world is rapidly ageing. It is against this backdrop that there are increasing incidences of dementia reported worldwide, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most common form of dementia in the elderly. It is estimated that AD affects almost 4 million people in the US, and costs the US economy more than 65 mil...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(03)00072-0
更新日期:2003-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::The paradigm of an immune system presumes that a system arose specifically to combat infection -- hence its name. This paradigm gained credibility with the discovery of antibodies and anamnestic immunity, even though these are relatively late arrivals in evolution. Another presumption has been that thymus-dependent T ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.1997.0645
更新日期:1999-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::Except for a few diseases of molecular mimicry such as rheumatic fever, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in children, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, the cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown. Most autoimmune diseases are remitting-relapsing and the pathophysiology of either the initial attack or subsequent r...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.01.015
更新日期:2013-05-01 00:00:00
abstract::Down-regulation of hormonal effects is in the presented simulation related to the number of functional receptors and quantity of available hormonal stimulation. The former is in the model substituted with the quantity of stimulation able to produce a full down-regulation (Hs100) of target cells. The halftime (t1/2) of...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(96)90239-x
更新日期:1996-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::The non-invasive assessment of chronic tissue hypoxia is difficult. Pulse oximetry only allows the peripheral oxygen saturation to be measured, while the detection of hyperlactataemia needs to take into account the fact that the accumulation of lactic acid may result from several causes other than prolonged tissue hyp...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2018.01.014
更新日期:2018-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::One of the most commonly alleged contraindications to the use of (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) chelation therapy is possible renal damage. In this experiment, 13 subjects with chronic degenerative disorders and with renal damage were treated with infusions that included EDTA, vitamins, mineral and oral supplemen...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(84)90020-3
更新日期:1984-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::The major thesis of the proposed hypothesis is that in the absence of microbial material synovial macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis patients continue to release interleukin 1, which perpetuates the inflammation so characteristic of the disease. Its release is suggested to result from an altered synovial macrophage g...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(82)90084-6
更新日期:1982-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::The purpose of this paper is to present a model for removing antidromically activated afferent input from cervically elicited neurogenic motor evoked potentials (nMEPs). nMEPs have recently been used clinically, purportedly for monitoring spinal cord motor function, during spine surgery. However, the nMEP response may...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(98)90201-8
更新日期:1998-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that occurs predominantly in children <5 years of age. For the etiopathogenesis of KD, there is no agreement even as to whether KD is an infectious disease or an immune-mediated disease. The epidemiologic characteristics of KD, including...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.051
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Most of the evidence of formation of amblyopia is derived traditionally from electrophysiological studies. Recently, there have been many discoveries from genetics, histopathology, biochemistry, immunology and interventional studies. On the basis of evidence gathered in the last five years, the various types of amblyo...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(97)90275-9
更新日期:1997-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::Educational expansion in western countries has been achieved mainly by adding years to full-time education; however, this process has probably reduced efficiency. Sooner or later, efficiency must improve, with a greater educational attainment per year. Future societies will probably wish more people to study science t...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 社论
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.011
更新日期:2006-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with neuronal inclusions, comprised of protein aggregates. In Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Lewy Body Disease (LBD) such lesions are distributed in a hierarchical retrograde transynaptic spatial pattern. This implies a retrograde transynaptic temporal propagation as well. There...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2012.11.005
更新日期:2013-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::Interleukin (IL)-17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine originally described in T lymphocytes. Increased production of IL-17 has been linked to the induction of cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules in various cell types, effects that likely contribute to a number of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthri...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2004.03.009
更新日期:2004-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::The prevalence of atopic diseases (atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis) has considerably increased for the last 40 years. This tendency has coincided with the beginning of the epoch of the use of the topical corticosteroids, which have a potent immunomodulation action. This fact itself as well as a ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2003.12.059
更新日期:2005-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::A large number of epileptic patients suffer from refractory epilepsy, despite optimal treatment; thus these patients require new therapeutic approaches. Focal seizure activity is typically initiated in a fixed and localized region, which subsequently spreads to neighboring regions or more distant areas. At the initial...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.07.046
更新日期:2013-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::An immune modulation complex is proposed which recognizes and is driven by an MHC presented epitope of the CD4 molecule present on the surface of up regulated CD4+ lymphocytes. Immune modulation is affected by both CD4 lymphocyte destruction and impairment of their potential for immune recognition. These two processes...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(93)90123-8
更新日期:1993-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Historically, cluster reports have been considered to be only marginally productive and generally discouraged as statistical artifacts. This report presents the results of a three year study involving in excess of 100 cancer cluster reports. The majority of these investigations represented statistical events; there we...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(83)90031-2
更新日期:1983-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::The artificial pancreas requires fast and reliable glucose measurements. The peritoneal space has shown promising results, and in one of our studies we detected glucose changes in the peritoneal space already at the same time as in the femoral artery. The peritoneal lining is highly vascularised, covered by a single l...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109318
更新日期:2019-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::The present paper hypothesizes that the top positions in academic medicine are generally occupied by less talented and skilled physicians who find more time to spare for administrative activities as compared to physicians who are successful in their research projects or enjoy their skills as practicing clinicians. A p...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.01.045
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::The symptom spectra of several 'popular press' diagnoses are examined and compared to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IIIR criteria for somatization disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. While there is much overlap, there are clear distinctions, and these psychiatric terms do no...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(96)90182-6
更新日期:1996-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::Styrene is one of the most important plastic monomers worldwide. Styrene-7,8-oxide (SO), the major in-vivo metabolite of styrene, is classified as probably carcinogenic to humans and carcinogenic in rodents. Biological monitoring of exposure to styrene is usually carried out by determination of mandelic acid and pheny...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.1999.0907
更新日期:2000-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::The presence of the tumour induces important metabolic changes in the cancer patient which are not merely due to the fact that the tumour acts as a parasite, thus depleting the host of nutrients, but that are mainly the result of both tumoral and humoral mediators. The new metabolic status of the cancer patient may le...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(98)90037-8
更新日期:1998-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::There are many observations regarding the behaviour of melanoma which points away from sunshine as the main cause of this tumour. Incidence data shows that the increase is mostly seen for thin melanomas which cannot be attributed to sun exposure but increasing screening over the last 20 years. Melanoma behaves in a si...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.05.031
更新日期:2013-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diets are emerging in popularity. Several athletics have adopted LCHF diets in an attempt to improve exercise performance and body composition by enhancing fat utilization. However, these diets impair maximal and supramaximal exercise performance due to limited glycogen stores as well ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110369
更新日期:2021-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::It has been previously proposed that conscious process involves the collapse of quantum, dynamical brain states through conscious observation. It has been further proposed that the brain process has an active role in selecting the status of uncertain stimuli. On the basis of these proposals it was predicted that event...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2003.10.002
更新日期:2004-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::About 1900, modern food selection and processing caused widespread epidemics of the B vitamin deficiency diseases of beriberi and pellagra which, for genetic reasons, often expressed as different diseases ranging from bowel and heart disease to dermatoses and psychoses. But the B vitamins merely help convert essential...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(82)90088-3
更新日期:1982-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition that causes great discomfort. Although this disease has been known for more than 1000years, there is still no consensus on its underlying mechanism or treatment. Many hypotheses have been reported to explain the cause and nature of trigeminal neuralgia. These include theorie...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2017.01.008
更新日期:2017-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::Preterm birth is an important perinatal health problem. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed but it may be important to have a testable mechanistic hypothesis that can explain the possible common mechanism for preterm births around the globe. Altered metabolism of micronutrients, like folic acid, vitamin B(1...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.08.001
更新日期:2011-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Cerebral ischemia is still one of the most confusing and enigmatic neurological disorders with least understood injuries. The EEG measures have been traditionally used to detect residual neural dysfunctions after cerebral ischemia although having several shortcomings, yielding controversial and inconsistent results. I...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2013.06.002
更新日期:2013-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::Ligaments are generally viewed as passive structural elements. Virtually all treatments for torn ligaments are based upon a structural paradigm. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that ligaments function as neural sensors to facilitate supportive reflex contractions of muscles. It is hypothesized that ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(89)90106-0
更新日期:1989-08-01 00:00:00