Simon Singh is a wonderful science writer. A Briton of Punjabi descent, after he got his PhD in particle physics, he decided that he could make a better contribution to science if he wrote books that explained how scientific ideas were developed in a way that was “plain and easy to be understanded” (Preface to The Book of Common Prayer, 1549). Both his Fermat’s Last Theorem and his account of the history of the science of the Big Bang are more thrilling than a suspense novel and at the same time scientifically rigorous. In collaboration with Edzard Ernst, he has also written Trick or Treatment, a wonderful book on alternative medicine, in which they debunked most myths surrounding the efficacy of quackery like homeopathy, aromatherapy or reflexology. The book is also a very well written history of modern medicine and the development of methods like double blind trials… as well as of medicine’s own limitations. As a follow-up of that book, he wrote a comment piece in the Guardian in which he said that the British Chiropractic Association’s (BCA) claims that their treatments were efficient to treat diseases such as colic, sleeping and feeding problems, frequent ear infections or asthma, could be labelled as bogus.
As it is usually the case with “alternative” quacks, the BCA decided to counter Simon’s comment piece using their legal muscle rather than the power of their evidence (Dr Franz Frizelle dixit). They have sued Simon under the ridiculous English libel laws, which reverse the burden of the proof and have very often been used by banks, politicians and quacks to intimidate critics, stifle free speech and silence dissent, all of them so much needed in any society that sees itself as democratic.
Most of the times, people who are sued for libel in England tend to back off in order to avoid a costly judicial process that can lead to huge amounts of stress, unbearable pressure and ultimately bankruptcy. Simon, however, has bravely decided to fight back and face the risks. Supporting Simon is critical for those who either were born in Britain or have chosen Britain as home, like myself. But that’s just part of it. Simon’s fight is also the fight of everyone of us who believe in the beneficial effects of free scientific enquiry, unhindered debate, free speech and democracy… and who think that “alternative” is a meaningless concept and an oxymoron if it is paired with medicine.
A worldwide campaign has been launched to support Simon against the prophets of unreason. You can find more information about this case and also sign a statement against BCA’s bullying here. The Facebook group For Simon Singh and Free Speech already has more than 5,300 members and counting. If you care about science, freedom and democracy, join in and help this collective effort to give the bullies a bloody nose.
Go Simon!
