Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 3: The Need for Altnews Science in India

In the final part of my interview with Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, we discuss her work as a science communicator. She founded Altnews Science to challenge pseudoscience in India.

Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 2: This is your brain on violence

Here’s the second edition of my interview with the fantabulous Dr Sumaiya Shaikh. In this episode, we discuss the dark yet fascinating world of violent behaviour and the science behind it.

Interview, ScienceAbhijit ChandaJuly 28, 2020causes of violence, causes of aggression and violence, how to control aggressive behaviour, violence in human behavior, neurobiology of aggression, biology of violence, the stanford prison experiment results, philip zimbardo, stanley milgram, milgram obedience experiment, milgram experiment unethical, communal violence, gujrat riotsComment

Interview: Dr Sumaiya Shaikh – Part 1: The Fascinating science of pain

Dr Sumaiya Shaikh and I had a fantastic interview where we talked about a variety of topics including pseudoscience, alternative medicine, religion, extremism and the neurological tendency of us human beings to be violent. The interview went on for quite a while so it has been split into three parts so that you can take it in one bite at a time.

In the first part, we open the conversation with her work in the study of the neurophysiology of pain. There’s a lot more to pain than you may think, and we get a fascinating glimpse of that today.

Medicine, Science, InterviewAbhijit ChandaJuly 20, 2020dr sumaiya shaikh, dr sumaiya shaikh instagram, dr sumaiya shaikh biography, sumaiya shaikh sweden, what is pain, what is pain psychology, what is pain medical definition, what is pain definition, types of pain, causes of pain, classification of pain, symptoms of painComment

Interview: Dr Abhyankar & Dr Khare – Mental health, Patanjali, and evidence based medicine

To celebrate Doctor's Day India 2020, I speak to Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, MD, MBBS, Gynaecology, and Dr Anand Khare, MD Psychiatry.

Medicine, skepticism, Science, InterviewAbhijit ChandaJuly 4, 2020How do i boost my immunity, Immune system boosters, coronavirus india, coronakit, sushant singh rajput, ayurveda test, ayurveda products, depression, mental health awareness, mental health awareness in indiaComment

Corona kit or con: Examining Patanjali's coronavirus treatment

Is Patanjali’s Coronakit a real cure for COVID-19 or is it a scam? TL;DR, probably the latter. Here’s why.

Abhijit ChandaJune 27, 2020patanjali coronavirus, coronakit, coronavirus, coronavirus misinformation, covid-19, patanjali coronakit, coronavirus india, baba ramdev in coronavirusComment

Can you boost your immune system?

In a way, you can boost your immunity, but not in the way the promoters of alternative medicine want you to think. However, there are ways to keep your immune system healthy and functioning optimally.

Medicine, Health and Nutrition, Alternative MedicineAbhijit ChandaMay 25, 2020How to boost my immune system, What can I take to boost my immune system?, How do i boost my immunity naturally?, Foods to boost immune system, Supplements to boost immune system, Immunity booster food, Immune system boosters, Weak immune system, How do i boost my immunity Comments

Interview: Dr Shantanu Abhyankar – From homeopathy to modern medicine

Our first edition of Rationable Interviews features Dr Shantanu Abhyankar, a gynaecologist and a sceptic activist. We speak about his journey from homoeopathy to mainstream medicine, the relationship between Ayurveda and homoeopathy, and his work as an activist.

Alternative Medicine, Medicine, skepticism, InterviewAbhijit ChandaApril 25, 2020dr shantanu abhyankar, homeopathy vs allopathy, how does homeopathy work, homeopathic medicine, dangers of homeopathic medicine, indian homeopathy medicine, what is homeopathy and how does it work, andhashraddha nirmulan movement, black magic bill, career in homeopathy in indiaComment

5 more Coronavirus Misinformation Messages Debunked

These messages claim that vitamin C, homeopathy and blowing hot air up your nose with a hairdryer can prevent getting infected by the coronavirus. Oh, and apparently raw onions can cure COVID-19 100%! How I wish these were true.

Is it better to eat smaller meals more often to lose weight?

Many people have told me that the benefits of eating small frequent meals include boosting your metabolism to help you lose body fat quickly. Unfortunately, this technique of weight loss doesn’t necessarily work unless your total caloric intake is less than you’re burning on a daily basis.

Health and NutritionAbhijit ChandaMarch 9, 2020frequent meals, how many meals, 5 meals a day, meal frequency and insulin sensitivity, food timing for good health, meal frequency, 6 meals a day, benefits of eating small frequent meals, eat more to lose weight metabolism, small frequent meals vs large mealsComment

Drinking Water and Garlic don't provide coronavirus protection

A forward has been appearing on WhatsApp and Facebook claiming drinking water and keeping garlic in your mouth can offer coronavirus protection.

Of course, all this information is completely false. No evidence has been found to confirm any of these claims. Let’s fact-check each claim one by one and see why these claims are wrong.

Alternative Medicine, FWD Fact-check, Medicine, Human RightsAbhijit ChandaMarch 7, 2020coronavirus protection, protection from coronavirus, covid-19, coronavirus, protection from coronavirus in india, stuffiness or tightness etc it proves there is no fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicating no infection., Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat is moist, Even if the virus gets into your mouth...drinking water or other liquids will WASH them down through your oesophagus and into the stomach, Please put a clove of raw garlic in your mouth and let it remain in your mouth till it dissolves completely, garlic benefits Comments

Why an anti-vax mom changed her mind

Meet Doh Driver. She grew up believing in a whole slew of pseudoscience, including the idea that vaccines weren’t necessary and may even be harmful. Through her journey, she began to think more critically of her beliefs until she finally shed them. This is her story.