Respectful Insolence

[[File:DavidGorski.png|165px|right|thumb|David H. Gorski]]
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'''Respectful Insolence''' is a blog by a [[breast]] oncology surgeon and researcher which focuses on medical issues in [[woo]] and [[pseudoscience]] as well as cutting edge research in the author's field. It is written using the pseudonymous nom de blog "Orac", named after a sentient machine from the British sci-fi series ''Blake's 7''.<ref group=note>Ironically, "ORAC" was also [[Wilhelm Reich]]'s abreviation for his [[orgone accumulator]].</ref> Orac was later "outed" as {{wpl|David Gorski||.}}<ref>[http://open.salon.com/blog/kwombles/2010/06/21/never_mind_the_facts_crosby_and_aoa_got_a_thing_for_orac Crosby and AoA got a thing for Orac], Open Salon</ref> Gorski is also a managing editor of [[Science-Based Medicine]]. Respectful Insolence was originally started on Blogspot in 2004, it was a part of [[ScienceBlogs]] from 2006 until November 2017.<ref>http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2006/02/13/respectful-insolence-rebooted/</ref>

Orac is best known for his posts examining [[anti-vaccination movement|vaccine hysteria]] and the "mercury militia" claims of a link between [[autism]] and vaccines. He has had several Internet debates with neurosurgeon [[Michael Egnor]] (now a [[Discovery Institute]] fellow) about Egnor's claims that modern neuroscience has provided evidence for a [[non-materialist neuroscience|non-materialistic interpretation of mind]]. In 2012 and 2013, he also took on exposing pseudoscience in anti-[[Genetically modified food|GMO]] activism, drawing parallels between it and the [[vaccine denialism|anti-vaccine movement]].<ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2012/09/24/bad-science-on-gmos-it-reminds-me-of-the-antivaccine-movement/ Bad science about GMOs: It reminds me of the antivaccine movement]</ref><ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/04/22/better-late-than-never-when-hysteria-about-gmos-takes-root/ Oh, no! GMOs are going to kill your babies and permanently change your gene expression!]</ref>

The comments section in the blog is surprisingly good. Of course, there are trolls here and there, but they are frequently shot down by the commenters. Herr Doktor Bimler is the wittiest commentator, and Narad is a tremendous douche suffering from [[Dunning-Kruger]].

As of November 2017, in response to the shutdown of ScienceBlogs, Orac will continue blogging in a new domain.<ref>Gorski, D. (October 18, 2017). [https://respectfulinsolence.com/2017/10/18/future-home-respectful-insolence/ The Future Home of Respectful Insolence]. ''Respectful Insolence''. Retrieved October 28, 2017.</ref>

==Some subjects==
*[[Age of Autism]]
*[[Anti-vaccination movement]]
*[[GreenMedInfo]]<ref>http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/tag/sayer-ji/</ref>
*[[NaturalNews]]. Mike Adams has been breaking his back at character assassination and ruining Orac's reputation. He calls him one of the evilest persons in medicine and "malevolent", "psychopath", "[he] controls Wikipedia!" and more than 200 other [[snarl word]]s in {{unref|http://www.truthwiki.org/orac-david-h-gorski/|one page!}}<ref group=note>Yes, we counted.</ref> Breaking our own record for their page! Since they are incapable of debunking his work, each paragraph resorts to [[shill gambit]]s, [[snarl word]]s, and [[Poisoning the well|(clumsy) character assassination]], claiming that he has psychotic behavior/is mentally unstable, referring to his work as a "rant", or claiming that he has impersonated the families of vaccine injured people to convert people (without proof, of course).

==External links==
*[http://respectfulinsolence.com/ Respectful Insolence], a new domain Orac has created after the shutdown of Science Blogs.
*"Orac" also writes for [[Steven Novella]]'s blog [http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?page_id=224 Science-Based Medicine]
*[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/ Respectful Insolence] on ScienceBlogs (discontinued as of the of October 2017)
*[http://oracknows.blogspot.com/ Orac Knows], the old blog
*{{wpl|David Gorski||,}} his very own [[Wikipedia]] page.
*[https://newrepublic.com/article/170255/doctors-war-right-wing-medical-freedom-movement "A Doctor’s War Against the Right-Wing Medical-Freedom Movement"] — The New Republic
*[https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/05/02/natural-news-health-ranger-mike-adams-libelously-attacks-science-based-medicines-david-gorski/ Natural News’ Mike Adams libelously attacks Science-Based Medicine’s David Gorski] by Jon Entine — Genetic Literacy Project
*[https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/in-which-i-am-once-again-in-the-crosshairs-of-age-of-autisms-pharma-shill-machine-gun/ In which Dr. Gorski once again finds himself a target of the “pharma shill” gambit] — [[Science-Based Medicine]]

==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Blogs]]
[[Category:Physicians]]
[[Category:Rightists who turned left with age]] <!--See the external link: "A Doctor’s War Against the Right-Wing Medical-Freedom Movement"-->

Categories: Blogs, Physicians, Rightists who turned left with age