Mark Aaron Alsip
I write from the viewpoint of a science-minded skeptic. My target audience is those who may not particularly be in love with science, but are worried that they’re not getting the whole story from pseudoscientists such as Mercola, March Against Monsanto, Food Babe, Dr. Oz, and the dangerous anti-vaccination crowd.
My degree is in computer science, with an additional two years of life sciences (chemistry, biology, etc.). I also minored in math and computer electronics. I’ve worked primarily in the medical and aerospace industries.
My 45th completely safe flu vaccination. I’m not dead yet.
I’ve written on science for Forbes, Skeptical Inquirer, the National Center for Science Education, Patheos, and others. I co-authored my first book, “The Fear Babe,” in 2015.
Field Day, 1979. An understanding of the physics of radio waves helps debunk “earthers” such as David Avocado Wolfe. 😉
I’m a passionate astronomer, amateur radio operator, and published photographer. When possible I also donate photography to science outreach programs such as those sponsored by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the European Southern Observatory.
Bad Science Debunked 
You took an ethics class?
I guess it didn’t take.
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Yeah, Medical Ethics was required as part of the pre-med program. A good counterbalance to all the physical and biological sciences.
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45 flu shots? Have you read the ingredient list for those flu shots? What negative reactions has your body deplayed? You are picking apart the ingredients of products that other people claim to be healthy and de-bunking them. How do you justify allowing a flu vaccine to be put into your body?
serious question from a petro-chemically sensitive person ….
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thanks for reading and commenting.
If you would PLEASE actually read the articles I write on products, you’ll see that in every case I’m pointing out the the PERSON SELLING THE PRODUCT is claiming the ingredients are dangerous.
Each time, I ask the question: if the seller says this product will harm you, why is he/she selling it?
I then go on to say the ingredients are actually safe. Ingredients such as those in the flu shot. They’re all safe. They protect me from the flu. By vaccinating, I’m protecting you and other anti-vaxxers. I’ve experienced no negative reactions.
Is there a particular vaccine ingredient you object to? Happy to discuss it with you. Again, thanks for dropping by.
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After seeing my youngest child almost die following vaccines maby you could answer these questions?
I began researching the safety of vaccines and I have these three questions:
1. Aluminum is in most if not all vaccines so where are the safety studies done to demonstrate that these shots are safe? I would like to see studies that go against a true placebo
2. Where are the safety studies for the combinations shots ie MMR DTaP etc. I cannot find the studies that demonstrate the safety of these shots once they have been combined?
3. Where is the safety studies that demonstrate the CDC schedule of vaccines is safe for children?
Thanks
Shane
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Let’s start with your first claim and work from there. Where is the proof that your child was harmed by vaccines?
We’ll then move on to aluminum being the most common metal in the crust of the planet, unavoidable in the food we eat and water we drink, and the fact you get far more that way than from vaccines, and concentrate on the implicit contradiction in your statement–why isn’t everyone dying from it (hint: I already know the answer).
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Dear Mr. Alsip –
Just read your Herald-Leader op-ed about the crisis in Kentucky education – trying to cut Kentucky’s way to STEM excellence. Ironically, as you know, the same is happening in other states. All of this brings to mind something President Clinton mentioned in the 1992 Presidential Election. During the campaign then Governor Clinton kept mentioning that our nation, using an agricultural analogy, “was spending its seed corn.” In my mind, education is seed corn. When it’s not properly nurtured and treated with care, disaster can ensue. When I was growing up in the 1960s in western Kentucky, I constantly heard at school, on the radio, and on TV “to get a good job, get a good education.” The same is true today. Education is a societal investment in the future. Thought now in my mid-60s, I still think it’s a great investment. Unfortunately, many politically conservative Neanderthals will never be able to see that. They have theirs and to Hell with everyone else.
BTW, really love this website!!
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Thank you so much Roger. I love your analogy to seed! I’ve seen crops wither and die in the soil and I’m terrified that is happening here, with full sanction of a short-sighted government that doesn’t really understand education.
I also appreciate the comments on the website. It’s a labor of love. I had some great teachers and educational mentors growing up. Trying to spread what I’ve learned is one of of paying forward what they did for me.
— Mark
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Ah yeah I call BS on your theory, and hypercritical nothingness, on bentonite clay. You take one product That was tainted and naturally in your mind now all products are tainted, and blow it out of proportion. Your computer degree suddenly makes you a scientist for health huh? Your ethics resemble those of M.D.’s who prescribe medications for everything, yet know what they do is unethical. I’m with the other person who stated “I guess your ethics class didn’t take.” You should keep to computers, something you know and leave the medical to those who know, which isn’t you by the way.
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Did I say the product was tainted? No. That would have been Josh Axe making that claim. He’s the one who says that trace amounts of heavy metals in a product make it dangerous, and the lab analysis provided by the manufacturer of that product says that there are trace amounts of heavy metals in the product. Please do write back and give your take on this. These are Josh Axe’s claims, not mine.
I’ve made no claims about expertise in medicine in my article, yet, ironically, Axe often does, and as a chiropractor, he has no medical training, so I think your criticism is rather misplaced.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Agreed! This Alsip guy-Computer degree science guy, considers himself an authority on HEALTH science! And he absolutely NEVER defaults on the side of safety. I too am a scientist Chemical and Material. It is well known in science, that many lab studies results can be found when following the money. I’ve seen it in my own lab and for over 16 years it has influenced “results”. Suddenly though, when it’s convenient for him and his pseudo HEALTH science expertise, he DOES follow the money when it is an organization looking to remove pesticides from our food or trying to pass legislation to stop desiccation on our food crops. What a bunch of shit. You, Dr, HEALTH scientist, are either not using all your senses or you are a hack!
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Hi,
I’d love to know where you think “super bugs” come from and how they form?
Thanks,
Misty
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Hi Mark,
I came across your blog yesterday and thought it interesting. I’m neither an “anti-vaxxer” nor a vax-worshiper. I fall somewhere in the middle: Tired of seeing my wife (who typically never got sick) to getting sick regularly after being bullied at work into taking the flu shot the last few years. However, I am quite happy to stay up on DTaP (no one wants to experience a full on tetanus infection). I’m not looking for an opinion here, just relating part of my views.
While your viewpoints can be interesting, I have quickly lot interest for a couple of reasons:
Your condecending/attacking style of writting while not offering solutions to problems get’s old fast. I saw a comment in 2015 where someone asked an autism question and you agreed that it was a good question and that you might do an article on it. I assume you never researched that or you found that the answer didn’t fit your agenda of smug negativity since “autism” hasn’t come up in any searches since that 2015 comment.
You also let your politics taint your “science” blog. I’m beat over the head with politics all day, every day. I think most people are sick of politcal crapola and would like to read about ANY other subject without having more politcal opinions thrust upon us. I don’t need to know how much you despise the current president or why you think that net neutrality was the best thing since the flu vax.
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents. Which, by the way, mine and everyone else’s 2 cents are worth just as much as your 2 cents: $0.02.
Peace out,
JJ
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Thanks for reading and commenting JJ.
I’ve searched in vain for a 2015 comment on autism. If you can point it out, I’d be happy to try and answer it.
Decrying the death of net neutrality isn’t a political act; it’s a warning about the shutdown of an important pipeline used to exchange free speech that happens to contain a huge amount of scientific information. I could, and should have, gone on to speak out about the purging of years of meticulously accumulated scientific data on climate change and other areas of important research. I respect your right to not be interested; I know there’s an information overload and many people would rather not hear about it anymore. I’d like to respectfully point out that pretty soon, people might not BE ABLE TO HEAR about it anymore.
My writing style is my own. Some people enjoy it. Some people hate it and never come back. I always welcome constructive criticism, but I learned a long time ago I can’t please everybody.
Thanks for your two cents’ worth. Yes, they’re exactly equal to my two cents. Here’s to the day we’ve got a little extra to kick in and the time to enjoy the beer we can buy with it 🙂
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Dear Mr. Mark,
I had read carefully your opinion about bentonite clay and I would like to ask you a couple of questions. Do you heard about the company V. E Irons, Inc. or Vitratox advice by Daniel Reid through his book the tao of health, sex and longevity in the detox and fasting chapter?.
I had called the company https://veirons.com/products/ to buy the bentonite but I couldn’t finish the sale yet. Suddenly I found you.
So do you think that the bentonite that they have is really free of heavy metals because they have used an special process to refine the raw bentonite clay to remove the mica, dirt and others impurities, in order to concentrate the active detoxifing ingredient, montmorillonite. So they prepared the bentonite into a colloidal suspension to retains its innate negative charge. At list it is what they said.
I got breast implants from PIP brand explantation 8 years already and i am trying to removed the particules of silicon in my body of course heavy metals, so iam wondering to follow the detox exposed by Daniel Reid with bentonite soal.
Sorry my english is not so good but i hope you can understand my questions and the context.
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Hi Marisol,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I’m not qualified to give medical advice but would tell you based on conversations with doctors and chemists that (1) the trace amounts of heavy metals found in bentonite clay are not enough to harm you–the fact that the trace amounts are present at all, and the sellers of the clays claim that trace amounts build up over time and are therefore dangerous, are a testament to the sellers’ hypocrisy, and (2) your body’s organs (kidneys, liver) are responsible for removing toxins–eating mud is not going to help. Leave the clay on the shelf. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. I believe that he/she will tell you that this is a scam. I’ve spoken with several; they overwhelmingly agree.
My best wishes on your good health.
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thanks Mark,
and how about the clean up of bentonite from heavy metals , do you believe that some brands can to that by the refine procces?
thanks
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I’m so sorry about most of these comments 😢
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Part and parcel of running a blog and not censoring comments, Tony :-).
I take pride in being the anti-Food Babe (Vani Hari), who apparently has full time staff deleting the words of anyone who disagrees with her.
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Do you receive royalties from pharmaceutical companies or any institutions with investments in pharmaceuticals or so called biologics or GMOs please Mark?
Arguably, most vaccines contain cancer causing ingredients. Since the vaccine schedule has changed, cancers have sky-rocketed. Most commercial shampoos and facecreams are tried on animals to see if they cause cancer. Can you explain to me why vaccines are NEVER tested on animals medium to long term to ensure they don`t increase the incidence on cancers?
If you bothered to follow the work of anyone like Mark Hyman you would see that he really and truly cures people. The word cure doesn`t even exist in allopathy. Since the 1913 Flexner Report, `medicine` has been co`-opted by the pharmaceutical cartel. America is the sickest country in the world and that proves the so-called healthcare system just doesn`t work. Its just a whole bunch of lies, the propagation and peddling of failed nutritional and medical theories and lies. Surely you cant be that blind mate? Come on. .. You are intelligent… But then there is cognitive dissonance eh! Best and good luck!!
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Do you receive loyalties from the organic industry Jason?
Doesn’t seem like a logical question when it’s turned around, does it?
No, there’s no argument that “most vaccines contain cancer causing ingredients.” Your references, please?
The article you’re commenting on explains how Hyman is selling products that contain EXACTLY the same ingredients he says are harmful. You wrote three long paragraphs of unfounded conspiracy theories without ever addressing the substance of the article. It’d be great to have a discussion with you, but can we concentrate on facts instead of innuendo?
As always, to all my readers, pro and con, I thank you for reading and commenting.
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Thank you for this website!!! i got after Nicole Musap (Naturally Nicole) all on my own. I went to her linkedin page and saw that her career definition is ‘internet influencer.’ I told her I was actively working to see her site taken down and sparred with her on Facebook Messenger. Long story short: in the age of ‘media influencers’ it doesn’t matter to these random people hosting websites that their info is dangerous or stupid.
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848651/ — You need to present both sides of the science — a blogger may post rubbish and bad links, but NIH is peer reviewed science. Personally Alternative Medicine is an effective and well peer reviewed and well researched way to improve your health in many cases — Look on NIH, Medscape, Drugs.com and many others before saying an item is no good. Some of these methods have over 10,000 years of use and have less genetic mis-adaption effects than the latest “Franken-molecule” from big pharma.
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Hey Mark,
Where did you go?
No archives since Feb ’19?
Sad to see you’re unavailable during this pandemic.
There’s so much quackery and instability from the top down, it’s difficult to see through the fearog.
At least there’s John Oliver in a white room.
Hope you’re healthy, safe and sane during this extraordinary time to be a human on this rock.
🙏🏻
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Hi Diane, thank you for your kind comments. I’ve gone through some burnout on the writing, not knowing if I’ve been reaching an audience and having any effect. At times I feel like I’m preaching to a crowd of Jerry Falwell followers, where logic just doesn’t apply 😦
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Hello,
I was wondering if you have any sponsored posts options available on
If yes, can you please get back to me with the prices and the details for the same.
Do let me know
Emily
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