My November column for Skeptical Inquirer, “Psychology’s CAM Controversy,” outlines the increasing use of unsubstantiated complementary and alternative medicine methods by practicing psychologists.
Despite the lack of evidence to support their use, these treatments are very popular and have been championed in articles and books published by the American Psychological Association.

Thankfully, there has been some recent pushback from science-minded practitioners.

Friday November 13th has come and gone, and once again I offered pithy quotes on superstition for several media outlets. USA Today and National Geographic recycled earlier articles I appeared in, but the Toronto Sun and Minnesota Public Radio published original pieces for November, 2015.

My latest piece, “How a Headache Saved My Life” has just gone up on the New York Observer website. The Observer has previously reprinted material I’ve written for other outlets, but this is the first story to appear as an original on the Observer site. I am delighted to be involved with such a wonderful media organization, and to be alive to tell you this particular story.

In other news, October is superstition month, and so I was quoted in this Yahoo News story about America’s Top Superstitions.

After laying low for a month, I have two new articles out today.

The first is a column at Skeptical Inquirer entitled “Welcome to the Season of Conspiracy Theories.” It describes some of the latest conspiracies floating around, including several coming out of the 2016 Presidential campaign. I also review recent research on why people adopt conspiracy theories.

Also out today, my first publication for The Coffeelicious collection on Medium. It is a whimsical thing called “My Enormous Radio,” a title drawn from John Cheever’s 1947 short story, “The Enormous Radio.”

That’s it for now. SV

“Hanging out at the Café: Cultures of Skepticism and Belief,” my latest Behavior and Belief column for Skeptical Inquirer has just been published. After spending a wonderful vacation in a hip area of southern California, I share some thoughts about LOHAS, Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, a marketing approach that encourages a number of anti-scientific beliefs.

I also make a humble proposal to build a culture of scientific thinking by establishing a chain of science-friendly coffee shops.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

SV

Just a quick note to update you on few recent appearances of my Introvert’s Guide essays. In addition to its original posting on Human Parts, “An Introvert’s Guide to Eating and Drinking Out” has appeared at the Observer, The Good Men Project, and the Australian site The Glow.

The Glow version of the article includes a gallery of photos of “Our Favorite Anti-social TV Characters.” Number one on the list is Dr. Gregory House.

Finally, The Good Men Project also reached back to run the very first of my Human Parts introvert pieces “An Introvert’s Guide to Greeting Strangers, Vague Acquaintances, and Friends.”

That’s all for now. Enjoy the last blistering weeks of summer.

SV

“Neuro-Pseudoscience,” my latest Behavior & Belief column is up at the Skeptical Inquirer. It is a look at the evidence behind Lumosity and the rest of the brain training industry.

My latest piece for Medium is up today, “An Introvert’s Guide to Eating and Drinking Out.”

My latest article has certainly gotten around the internet. It has just appeared in a fourth outlet, The Financial Diet, with a new title What It’s Like to Fire Someone.

I am particularly impressed with the The Financial Diet. Great writing and sensible writing on some important topics.

Once again the Observer has reprinted one of my pieces in Medium. In this case they have added a subtitle to You Fired Me and used an illustration that looks like the lego equivalent Munch’s The Scream.

I am honored to see that the good people of The Good Men Project have picked up my most recent essay for Medium, “You Fired Me.” This is the second time my work has appeared on The Good Men Project. Previously they republished, “An Introvert’s Guide to the Coffeehouse Workplace.”