So apparently some low carb diet-promoting lifestyle doc is challenging me to come on his podcast this Friday to "debate" a certain local holistic vegan cardiologist whom I took to task the other day for his fear mongering about #CovidVaccine. 1/
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The answer has always been the same. I'll do a written exchange on blogs or other social media. I won't do a live debate that allows the antivaxxer or quack to Gish gallop, etc., particularly not with a biased moderator and audience. 7/
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A written exchange would actually permit a deep dive into the issue at hand, complete with time to look up relevant references from the peer-reviewed biomedical literature. 8/
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Strangely enough, not one of the people inviting me to a "live public debate" about vaccines, alternative medicine, etc., has ever said yes to this counterproposal. I wonder why... 9/
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Actually, I know why. These invitations are intended to generate heat, not light. Most importantly, they are designed to put the advocate of quackery/pseudoscience side by side with a real expert, this giving the false impression that there is a genuine scientific controversy.10/
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That's why cranks, quacks, and conspiracy theorists LOVE these sorts of "debates" and "forums." That's why I generally politely decline. 11/11
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Forgot to add: It bothers me not one whit if a quack thinks I'm a "coward" or calls me such on Twitter. 12/12
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End of conversation
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