A new study estimates the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines — In the never-ending saga that is the Covid-19 pandemic, no subject is more contentious than vaccines. Partly that’s because vaccines have always been a contentious topic — the idea of making yourself a little bit sick now to stop you from getting a lot sick later has been debated since…

Another well-conducted, large trial has failed to find a benefit for ivermectin in treating coronavirus infections — Note: I have never been funded or paid by a pharmaceutical company, and all of my funding comes from the Australian state and federal governments. On a personal level, I truly hope ivermectin does work for Covid-19, because it’s a cheap, low-risk, easily available medication, but we have to base…

The problematic science behind a commonly-quoted statistic — There’s an incredibly common claim splashed around whenever we talk about the mistakes that get made in medicine — that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is so ubiquitous that you can find it quoted in TV dramas, thrown around in news…

A new study suggests the answer is more complicated than you might think — It’s no secret — plant-based foods have exploded in recent years. In the 80s and 90s, eating meat replacements was a moderately off-putting experience, where you usually were either given some form of mushroom or something that vaguely represented meat if you closed your eyes and used your imagination. Not…

It often feels like the United States is the only place that does — I’m going to tell you a terrible story, that for most people living in the United States is probably all too familiar. A young man, less than 30 years old, felt unwelcome and unrewarded by society. Up until that day, he’d tried and failed at a number of pursuits, and…

Debunking the “12% efficacy” viral myth — This piece is based on a fantastic investigation by Dr. Jeffery Morris that is worth reading and linked here. Recently, the internet has been abuzz with a new and shocking claim. Apparently, the Pfizer vaccine was not as effective as the 95% we were sold on — in fact, people…

Dispelling myths and looking to science — Abortion is in the news again, because in the United States a leaked Supreme Court document appears to show that the landmark Roe v Wade decision will be overturned shortly. …

What we know about Covid-19 death rates in elderly people — This article is based on an excellent review my colleague Prof. Andrew Levin and team published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, looking at the impact of aged care facilities and the pandemic. One of the biggest findings throughout the pandemic has centred around the age-related risk of Covid-19. In…

Why you probably don’t need to shine a light on your genitals — In the long list of things that you are never quite ready to write about, the practice of testicular red light therapy, or “ball tanning” as some have called it, is definitely up there near the top. It’s not necessarily that it’s the most bizarre subject I’ve ever come across…