Do You Believe in Magic?

What Hacker News says

1. HelloMcFlySep 2023
   Recommended reading on this includes "Do You Believe in Magic" by Dr. Paul Offit, the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (certainly one of the best children's hospitals in the world).
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2. thenerdheadSep 2023
   Might be a quack, but I would not put it past the idea that fungi can act in different ways within our bodies, especially if our immune system is weak where it might be more opportunistic rather than non harmful for healthy immune systems.

   Paul Offit also has a great book on the other topic of what to look out for when it comes to quackery called "Do You Believe in Magic?" where he talks about Jenny McCarthy and various doctors who tried to support that movement.

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3. myth_drannonSep 2023
   I'm now reading a book called "Do you believe in magic"/ Paul Offit, it's on topic of alternative medicine. In 70's there was a very popular (and bogus) cancer cure called Laetrile (Hygrogen Cyanide) that was pushed by some doctors and organizations. Horrible stuff that caused more damage than helped but too many people were trying to sell it as a magic cancer cure. Also there were coffee enemas...

   My point is, if it's sold like a magic cure it potentially might be a bogus one? How many times humanity won the lottery prize and discovered something revolutionary like penecillin?

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4. thenerdheadSep 2023
   Paul Offit writes about the FDA history in his book "Do you believe in Magic?". His argument is that the FDA tends to try to do what is "right" but the public opinion gets swayed to the point where it becomes political and we "do this to ourselves".
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