Ben Goldacre

Infobox journalist
name = Ben Goldacre


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birth_date = c. 1974
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occupation = Medical doctor and journalist
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credits = "The Guardian"
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URL = http://badscience.net

Ben 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 a junior doctor for the National Health Servicecite 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 registered psychiatrist. 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 at University College London, he was a visiting researcher in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Milan, working on fMRI brain scans of language and executive function. He received a masters degree in philosophy (funded by the British Academy) from King's College London. He is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and is a research fellow at the Institute 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 and quackery, it focuses especially on examples from the mass media, consumer product marketing 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 of Andrew Wakefield such as Melanie 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 in tabloids, [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 product Penta 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 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. [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 the Advertising 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] Published January 20, 2007. Accessed September 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. Published January 27, 2007. Accessed September 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. Published February 17, 2007. Accessed September 3, 2008.] in which Goldacre criticised Rath's promotion of vitamin pills to AIDS sufferers in South African 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 the Royal 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]
*the HealthWatch 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] in PubMed
* [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 on Resonance 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 on Resonance FM