This year’s ‘Christmas issue’ of the BMJ comes with a remarkable editorial. Please allow me to quote a few passages from it:
We live in a world of lies, damned lies, and AI hallucinations. A US publication calculated that Donald Trump told 30 573 lies during his first term as president. Trump is neither alone nor atypical—except that his rate of lying and the thickness of his brass neck may be unprecedented…
We live in the era of the Big Lie. The more powerful you are, the bigger the lie you can tell. Nobody holds you to account. We no longer call lies “lies”: they are alternative facts, different versions of the truth, and—in perhaps the most sinister twist—hallucinations. Our old fashioned, and possibly unfashionable, view … is that words and facts do matter…
… the term “hallucination” deserves greater scrutiny. An AI hallucination is a fabrication, a lie, a bullshit. Why does it earn such a soft name, which seeks to hide the failure or error rate of an AI tool? The answer inevitably lies in money. Tech guru and science fiction writer Cory Doctorow argues that tech companies’ primary interest is to convince investors and markets of their relentless growth. Hype about AI’s capabilities sells. Hallucinations cover its failures…
As we end the year of the Big Lie, what’s clear is that the world isn’t ruled by citizens. It never was. It’s no longer ruled by the great religions, although they may delude themselves that it is. Nor is it primarily ruled, hubris aside, by politicians or dictators. Without a doubt—and more clearly than ever before—the world bows to the power of the corporation. Hail the multinational, the conglomerate. All hail the tech bros. We live in their age of surveillance capitalism. There are many words for this unspoken calamity, but “hallucination” is regrettably not one of them.
Inspriewed by these words, I decided to list some of the biggest lies from the world of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) as they emerged during 2025. Here they are together with some ot the blog posts that disclosed them:
- HOMEOPATHY CURES CANCER Homeopathy as a therapy for cancer? A new review from India, Homeopathy in the Fight Against Breast Cancer: ANOTHER DEATH BY HOMEOPATHY, Finally! The long-awaited ‘retraction notice’ of the infamous study by Frass et al (on homeopathy for cancer) has been published
- TRADITIONAL USAGE GUARANTEES SAFETY Kampo-induced liver injury: A case report and a systematic review
- CHIROPRACTIC IS HARMLESS Katie May died after chiropractic manipulation – but that’s not the chiro’s fault, claims chiro Steven P. Brown, Death following chiropractic neck manipulation, a rare event?, “Horrifying truth about chiropractors and why paralysis, strokes and deaths are far more common than you’d imagine”, Chiropractic Manipulation: Two Months in Bed With Pain and a Herniated a Disc, nother stroke following chiropractic neck manipulation, “After seeing the chiropractor, I was seeing things and blacking out”, Chiropractic spinal manipulation: what harm can it cause?, Patient suffers spinal bleed after chiropractor visit, Acute Spinal Epidural Hematoma: A Serious Complication of Chiropractic Therapy
- HOMEOPATHY IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR Homeopathy continues its retreat in Germany, A change of mind: The German Green Party is now against the reimbursement of homeopathy
- THE GCC IS FIT FOR PURPOSE Following the death of a young woman, the UK General Chiropractic Council received a ‘Prevent Future Deaths’ report
- THE SCAM INDUSTRY IS BENIGN The “dark underbelly” of the alternative health industry
- VARIOUS FORMS OF ENERGY HEALING ARE EFFECTIVE Faith-healing: US parents were convicted of child-abuse and murder, Is Reiki effective for postmenopausal symptoms? No, I’m afraid not!, Non- Physical Beings Assisting in Reiki Sessions: is this the most impressive BS of the year?, Healing crystals: do they work beyond placebo? … Short answer: No, Distant Reiki for Health and Wellbeing of Dogs – WHAT IS NEXT?, Impact of ‘biofield energy’ treatment on broiler chicken growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics, and meat quality, Reiki for postmenopausal symptoms? No, thanks!, Qigong for Well-Being in Pregnancy?, A placebo-controlled, randomized trial confirms: REIKI IS BOGUS!
- HOMEOPATHY IS EVIDENCE-BASED The “SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON HOMEOPATHY”: does this amount to scientific misconduct?, The Mechanism of Action of Homeopathy! … Someone please inform the Nobel Prize Committee, The role of homeopathy in managing 50 common conditions, The (In)Effectiveness of Homeopathic Remedies in Treating Respiratory Infections, The absurdity of homeopathy, homeopaths and their arguments, Homeopathy for odontogenic infections?, A new study of agrohomeopathy – will it change the hitherto negative evidence?, Homoeopathy as a Complementary Approach to Migraine Management? No, thanks!, A Brazilian cow with cancer cured by homeopathy?, COMIC RELIEF: “The Principle of Homeopathy”, Homeopathy in chronic disease management: a “critical” review of the evidence, “Homeopathy addresses anemia’s complexities with finesse”
- SCAM IS ETHICAL Legal And Ethical Challenges of So-Called Alternative Medicine, Why homeopaths cannot possibly obtain informed consent from their patients, The Nuremberg Code: is it being followed by researchers of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM)?
- ACUPUNCTURE IS A PANACEA Acupuncture for the Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, The characteristics and essence of meridians and acupoints (or: How the ‘Flat Earth Society’ can demonstrate that our planet has the shape of a disc), Acupuncture for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder? No, definitely no!
In SCAM, we live indeed in the era of the Big Lie, and not just since 2025! I will continue to do my best in disclosing untruths and farauds in 2026 and [I hope] beyond.
Why?
Mainly because I want to prevent harm done to vulnerable patients.
4 Responses to Goodbye to the year of the Big Lie
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
A big thank you Edzard, you created a library which all medical schools are able to access, it is a jewel. Keep up the good work and happy new year!
thanks – you made my day!
Happy New Year, Dr. Ernst. I know I should stay away from your blog, but as I find myself here again I must point out, again, a lie told by yourself. It was my professional opinion in the Katie May case that the chiropractor WAS at fault for the stroke. Based on my opinion as an expert for the plaintiff, the attorney was able to get a settlement for Katie May’s daughter. The case sat in limbo for 3.5 years as no other chiropractic expert would review the case for the plaintiff. I have reviewed 55 cases of stroke following manipulation and found the chiropractor at fault 44 times. Either by directly causing the stroke, directly causing a dissection, or failing to diagnose an existing dissection which later caused a stroke. Many of your criticisms of chiropractors are valid, but not this one.
so, where exactly is my ‘lie’?