Jump to content

Ben Goldacre: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
ZéroBot (talk | contribs)
704,777 edits
m r2.7.1) (Robot: Adding fr:Ben Goldacre
mNo edit summary
Line 53: Line 53:
*Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2005<ref>{{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}}{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref> for his article "Don't dumb me down"<ref name="dont_dumb"/>
*Association of British Science Writers award for Best Feature 2005<ref>{{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}}{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref> for his article "Don't dumb me down"<ref name="dont_dumb"/>
*Freelance of 2006 at the Medical Journalism Awards<ref>{{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}}</ref>
*Freelance of 2006 at the Medical Journalism Awards<ref>{{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}}</ref>
*The inaugural Statistical Excellence In Journalism Award of the [[Royal Statistical Society]]<ref>{{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}}{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref> for his article "When the facts get in the way of a story"<ref>{{cite news |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 | location=London}}</ref>
*The inaugural Statistical Excellence In Journalism Award of the [[Royal Statistical Society]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rss.org.uk/journalismaward |title=2007 Award for statistical excellence in journalism |publisher=Royal Statistical Society |accessdate=2008-08-14}}{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref> for his article "When the facts get in the way of a story"<ref>{{cite news |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 | location=London}}</ref>
*the [[HealthWatch]] Award for "significant steps in improving the public's understanding of health issues"<ref>{{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}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
*the [[HealthWatch]] Award for "significant steps in improving the public's understanding of health issues"<ref>{{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}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
*Honorary [[Doctor of Science]] at [[Heriot Watt University]] (June 2009) "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to scientific journalism and in the promotion of public engagement with and greater understanding of science."<ref>[http://www.news.hw.ac.uk/news/4586-Heriot_Watt_University_Graduations_Honorary_Graduates Heriot Watt University Graduations: Honorary Graduates]</ref>
*Honorary [[Doctor of Science]] at [[Heriot Watt University]] (June 2009) "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to scientific journalism and in the promotion of public engagement with and greater understanding of science."<ref>[http://www.news.hw.ac.uk/news/4586-Heriot_Watt_University_Graduations_Honorary_Graduates Heriot Watt University Graduations: Honorary Graduates]</ref>

Revision as of 10:42, 2 April 2012

Ben Goldacre MRCPsych
Speaking at TAM London, October 2009
Born1974
Alma materMagdalen College, Oxford (BA), UCL Medical School (MB, BS), King's College London (MA)
Occupation(s)Psychiatrist and science writer
Known forBad Science
Parent(s)Michael Goldacre
Noosha Fox

Ben Michael Goldacre[1] born 1974[2] is a British science writer, doctor and psychiatrist.[3] He is the author of The Guardian newspaper's Bad Science column[4] and a book of the same title, published by Fourth Estate in September 2008.[5]

Goldacre is the son of Australians Michael Goldacre, professor of public health at the University of Oxford,[6] and the pop singer Susan Traynor, aka Noosha Fox,[7] the nephew of science journalist Robyn Williams, and the great-great-grandson of Sir Henry Parkes.[8]

Academic career

Goldacre was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford[9] then studied medicine at Magdalen College, Oxford where he obtained a first class degree in his preclinical studies in 1995.[3] While at Oxford he also edited the student magazine Isis.[10] He was a visiting researcher in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Milan, working on fMRI brain scans of language and executive function, and then he went on to study clinical medicine at UCL Medical School and qualified as a medical doctor in 2000.[1] He received a master's degree in philosophy (funded by the British Academy) from King's College London.[3][11] He passed the MRCPsych Part II examinations in December 2005 and became a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.[12] In 2008 he was a research fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.[13] As of November 2009, Goldacre is a psychiatric registrar and Guardian research fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.[14]

Bad Science column

Until a hiatus in November 2011, Goldacre wrote a weekly column, Bad Science, in the Saturday edition of The Guardian newspaper,[4] and published expanded versions of the columns with reader comments on his website badscience.net.[15] Devoted to criticism of scientific inaccuracy, health scares, pseudoscience and quackery, the column focuses especially on examples from the mass media, consumer product marketing, problems with the pharmaceutical industry[16] and its relationship to medical journals,[17] and complementary and alternative medicine in Britain.[18]

He has been a particular critic of the claims of television nutritionist Gillian McKeith,[19] anti-immunisation campaigners (particularly followers of Andrew Wakefield such as Melanie Phillips and Jeni Barnett),[20] Brain Gym,[21] bogus positive MRSA swab stories in tabloids,[22] SSRI antidepressants,[23] publication bias,[24] and the makers of the product Penta Water.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]

In 2008, vitamin entrepreneur Matthias Rath sued Goldacre and The Guardian over three articles[28][29][30] in which Goldacre criticised Rath's promotion of vitamin pills to AIDS sufferers in South African townships.[31] Rath dropped his action in September 2008 and was ordered to pay initial costs of £220,000 to the Guardian.[31] 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.[32] The chapter was reinstated in a later edition of the book, and also published online.[33]

In his spare time, Goldacre frequently delivers free talks about bad science — he describes himself as a "nerd evangelist".[34]

Books

Goldacre's book Bad Science was published by Fourth Estate in September 2008.[5] The book contains extended and revised versions of many of his Guardian columns. It has been positively reviewed by the BMJ[35] and Daily Telegraph[36] and has reached the Top 10 bestseller list for Amazon Books. In an interview in 2008, Goldacre stated that "one of the central themes of my book [Bad Science] is that there are no real differences between the $600 billion pharmaceutical industry and the $50 billion food supplement pill industry".[37]

Goldacre has also contributed to The Atheist's Guide to Christmas, a charity book featuring essays and anecdotes from 42 well-known atheists, on the subject of "the power of ideas."[38] He also wrote the foreword to the reprint edition of Testing Treatments: Better Research for Better Healthcare by Imogen Evans, Hazel Thornton, Iain Chalmers and Paul Glasziou, published by Pinter & Martin in March 2010. He has had several articles published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on the MMR vaccine,[39] science journalism[40][41] and related topics.[42][43]

He is writing The Drug Pushers, a book about "the misuse of evidence by the pharmaceutical industry", due for publication in 2012.[44]

Awards

Goldacre has won several awards for his journalism, including:

References

  1. ^ a b "List of Registered Medical Practitioners (The online Register)". General Medical Council. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  2. ^ http://twitter.com/bengoldacre/status/139081428423028737
  3. ^ a b c "Ben Goldacre". PFD Group. Archived from the original on 2008-08-14. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2007-02-08 suggested (help)
  4. ^ a b Goldacre, Ben (2007-07-27). "Bad Science (weekly column)". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Goldacre, Ben (2008). Bad Science. London: Fourth Estate. ISBN 978-0-00-724019-7. OCLC 259713114. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1080/13623690902943552, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1080/13623690902943552 instead.
  7. ^ Petridis, Alexis (May 29, 2011). "Was 1976 pop's worst year? Yes – and this singer was one of the culprits". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  8. ^ "The Science Show". ABC Radio National. Retrieved 2008-11-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "Famous Old Waynfletes". Magdalen College School Ltd. 2009. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  10. ^ Goldacre, Ben. "About Dr Ben Goldacre". Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  11. ^ Baggini, Julian (May 19, 2010). "My philosophy: Ben Goldacre". TPM: The Philosophers’ Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  12. ^ "MRCPsych part II examination - Autumn 2005". The Royal College of Psychiatrists. 15 December 2005. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Staff list". Institute of Psychiatry. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  14. ^ Nuffield College Annual Report: Academic Report 2008-2009 (PDF) (Report). Nuffield College, Oxford. 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-18. {{cite report}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ Goldacre, Ben. "badscience.net". Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  16. ^ Goldacre B. (2008). A quick fix would stop drug firms bending the truth. The Guardian.
  17. ^ Goldacre B. (2008). The danger of drugs … and data. The Guardian.
  18. ^ a b Goldacre, Ben (2005-09-08). "Don't dumb me down". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  19. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2007-02-07). "Brought to book: the poo lady's PhD". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  20. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2009-02-03). "Bad Science Bingo, with Jeni Barnett". Bad Science. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2006-03-25). "Exercise the brain without this transparent nonsense". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  22. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2005-11-19). "How many microbiologists does it take to change a tabloid story?". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  23. ^ Goldacre B. (2008). Depression - the facts and the fables. The Guardian.
  24. ^ Goldacre B. (2008). Missing in action: the trials that did not make the news. The Guardian.
  25. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2005-02-10). "Troubled water". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  26. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2004-09-30). "Dr Gillian McKeith (PhD) continued". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  27. ^ Gibson, Owen (2007-02-12). "TV dietician to stop using title Dr in adverts". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  28. ^ No way to treat an Aids hero Published January 20, 2007. Accessed September 3, 2008
  29. ^ 'Gambia's president may be weird, but Aids superstitions strike closer to home’ The Guardian. Published January 27, 2007. Accessed September 3, 2008.
  30. ^ 'How money is not the only barrier to Aids patients getting hold of drugs’ The Guardian. Published February 17, 2007. Accessed September 3, 2008.
  31. ^ a b Boseley, Sarah (13 September 2008). "Fall of the doctor who said his vitamins would cure Aids". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  32. ^ Goldacre, Ben (12 September 2008). "Matthias Rath drops his million pound legal case against me and the Guardian". badscience.net. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  33. ^ Ben Goldacre, badscience.net, 9 April 2009, Matthias Rath - steal this chapter
  34. ^ About Dr Ben Goldacre – Bad Science
  35. ^ Smith, Richard (2008-10-01). "Becoming Ben". BMJ. 337 (337). London: British Medical Association: a1856. doi:10.1136/bmj.a1856. ISSN 0959-8138. OCLC 19024268. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  36. ^ Lake, Ed (2008-09-26). "Review: Bad Science by Ben Goldacre". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  37. ^ Ben Goldacre interviewed on the Australian Broadcasting Company's The Science Show, Part 2.
  38. ^ Atheist Bus – Official Website » The Atheist’s Guide To Christmas (AKA The Atheist Book Campaign)
  39. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 17634177, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=17634177 instead.
  40. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 17379907, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=17379907 instead.
  41. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 17823189, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=17823189 instead.
  42. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 18048537, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=18048537 instead.
  43. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 17947783, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=17947783 instead.
  44. ^ badscience.net: The Drug Pushers
  45. ^ "Science Writers Awards - Winners 2003". Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards. Retrieved 2008-08-14.[dead link]
  46. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2003-12-11). "Never mind the facts". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  47. ^ "ABSW Science Writers' Awards - Winners 2005". Syngenta ABSW Science Writers' Awards. Retrieved 2008-08-14.[dead link]
  48. ^ "MJA News October/November 2006" (PDF). Medical Journalists Association. 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  49. ^ "2007 Award for statistical excellence in journalism". Royal Statistical Society. Retrieved 2008-08-14.[dead link]
  50. ^ Goldacre, Ben (2006-04-01). "When the facts get in the way of a story". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  51. ^ "Highlights from Newsletter no 62, July 2006". HealthWatch. July 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-14. [dead link]
  52. ^ Heriot Watt University Graduations: Honorary Graduates
  53. ^ Loughborough University News and Events: Honorary Graduates

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Goldacre&oldid=485139527"