Wesley J. Smith

“Science” is often really ideology these days, particularly in the attempt by some to convey onto animals characteristics that are distinctly human, in order to, in my view, destroy human exceptionalism.Here’s a small example.  LiveScience has an article up headlined . . . . Continue Reading »

Skeptics of global warming are often castigated as “anti science.”  But the true underminers of that powerful method of obtaining and applying information about the natural world are the politicized scientists and advocates who unilaterally proclaimed the “debate over” . . . . Continue Reading »

Anyone paying close attention to recent events must know that the assisted suicide movement’s ultimate destination is suicide as a general right. Now, in another step in the direction of death-on-demand, a notorious UK assisted suicide advocate is escorting an elderly woman to Switzerland to . . . . Continue Reading »

I don’t think the current growth in people without health insurance is directly attributable to Obamacare, but primarily to the lousy economy.  Much of the law hasn’t taken effect yet, and the more than 1000 waivers from existing Obamacare mandates have prevented many from losing . . . . Continue Reading »

In the old days, men at the top of some cultures would father scores of children from his many wives and harem concubines.  I thought of the harem nursery when I read the story of one sperm donor fathering siring more than 150 children.  From the NYT story:Cynthia Daily and her partner . . . . Continue Reading »

PETA claims that Bill Clinton’s newly found veganism saves 200 animals a year from slaughter.  That’s a dumb number, since even a man with the former president’s appetite couldn’t eat 200 animals a year—unless they were all chickens or shrimp.  So PolitiFact . . . . Continue Reading »

Only bureaucrats could think like this: Some NHS trusts are being charged with making patients wait longer for treatments than necessary to see if patients die to save money and lower expectations. From the Telegraph story:NHS managers are making patients wait longer than necessary for operations, . . . . Continue Reading »

So predictable: A journal editor publishes a peer reviewed article going against the “consensus” on global warming.  “The scientists” and media go ballistic. “Pressure”—to use a mild term—is brought to bear.  The sinning editor is . . . . Continue Reading »

Awful. Awful. Awful.  Bangladesh has busted a kidney trafficking gang.  From the Herald Sun story:Three people were arrested on Sunday in the remote Kalai area, 300 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, after reports surfaced that villagers were having their organs removed illegally. “We . . . . Continue Reading »

‘This is the 5000th entry published on Secondhand Smoke.I started this blog at the suggestion of a friend, who opined correctly that my then Website was too static.  “If you want people to come to your site,” he told me, “it has to change every day.”  And he . . . . Continue Reading »