Students Against Pseudoscience Cambridge

CUSAP committee, as always standing proud against pseudoscience

Thank you @simonoxfphys.com for attending the CUSAP event as a speaker, and thank you to everyone who attended. It was a very nice evening with plenty of interesting questions asked. Thank you to the Cambridge Union team for hosting. (check their YT for recording). Photo credit: Timothy Lambden

STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

Also for those in the US
www.standupforscience.net

Legality of curses and the “impossible crime” Author: Maya Lopez (Co-President) Now that we’re back for another academic year in full swing, summer feels distant. I was back in my home country (Japan) during the break, which was a time f…

Although a bit late, Blog Chief Editor is at it again with the legal take on spooky curses. A perfect mood match for the Spooktober 👻🎃⛩️.
cusap.org/2025/10/19/l...

We are getting closer to our guest talk by Simon Clark on the Science Communication in this very strange age of AI slop! I can barely contain my excitement for it.

Simon Clark My name is Simon and I make videos to improve your climate literacy. In particular I focus on the physical Earth system, and how the atmosphere, climate, and climate change intersects with our lives...

You may know Simon for:
- Simon Clark YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/@SimonClark/...
especially his PhD vlog series
- His book 'Firmament' (amazing read, I recommend it)
- Him getting surprise by the current Prime Minister

We are happy to welcome soon Simon Clark at the Cambridge Union for his talk about 'Online Science Communication In The Age of AI Slop'

REMINDER: Remember about today's social event at 7pm at Queens college. This is the best place to meet the committee and fellow members and a good place for freshers to meet like minded students!

Hello everyone! With a new term ahead, we'd like to welcome all new members of our society. We have plenty of events awaiting for you!

How Can I Help? Stay Updated Join Our Work Our blog welcomes writers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to expand our content into a multidisciplinary resource of genuine depth and value. Register your in…

If you are neither, no worries! Get in touch with ideas for articles to be published in our blog via cusap.org/action/

Join Our Team Visit the post for more.

Good day everyone, it is the 1st day of Spooktober, and I bring you the good news that we are recruiting for the new committee! Sign up here: cusap.org/recruitment-...
We welcome alumni and students to help us fight against pseudoscience!

Open Letter to The Biomedical Campus Regarding The Cambridge Wellness Festival 2025 Dear Biomedical Campus team, We are writing to express our concern regarding the upcoming Cambridge Wellness Festival 2025, scheduled for 9 September at the Biomedical Campus and advertised on the off...

You can sign this letter her to join us in protest: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We call upon @cambridgebiocampus.bsky.social to re-examine this decision, and to uphold the scientific integrity on which its reputation rests.

To be clear: we respect that individuals, including Biomedical Campus staff, are free to pursue these activities privately if they wish. However, it is very different when a leading scientific institution hosts or promotes them, as this lends credibility where none is warranted.

Our sister died because of our mum's cancer conspiracy theories, say brothers Paloma Shemirani’s brothers say she refused chemotherapy because of their mother’s beliefs.

Alternative medicine's popularity has had devastating consequences, including tragically in our Cambridge student community www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

By endorsing pseudoscience, the Campus risks legitimising practices with no foundation — particularly concerning at a time when antiscientific movements are rising worldwide.

Reflexology is based on the idea that specific points on the feet (or hands) correspond to organs and systems in the body. Practitioners massage these points to “restore health.” The supposed “foot map” has been thoroughly debunked, with no evidence it affects disease.

Reiki, or “energy healing,” claims practitioners can channel life force through their hands when placed lightly on or above the body, promoting healing and balance. Despite its popularity, there is no scientific mechanism or evidence that Reiki has effects beyond placebo.

We are deeply concerned about the decision of the Campus to host such an event, and the risk it poses both to public health and to the scientific credibility of one of the UK’s leading biomedical institutions.

Official Statement: On the 9th Sept, Cambridge Biomedical Campus will be hosting the Cambridge Wellness Festival 2025. The programme includes workshops in Reiki & Reflexology, which are pseudoscientific practice with no evidence base.

And brought to you by a flippant joke, new pattern for our non-existent merch regarding Reflexology:

Health pseudoscience can be dangerous, even when directly harmless. What is wrong with a simple foot or body massage is the mystical framing which may snowball people into believing more harmful things or may lead them to ineffective treatment in a time of need.

On another hand we have Reiki. It is a full body massage, which in itself is relaxing and we have no quarrel with that. But, the framing as why it works and claims about health benefits are overexaggerated. Apparently it work by adjusting energy fields around your body.

Reflexology - Wikipedia

For anyone interested. Reflexology (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflexo...) assumes for there to be a way to relax specific parts of a body by pressing on specific areas of your feet.

Here at CUSAP we believe that mental wellbeing is a serious matter. We are therefore concerned about @cambridgebiocampus.bsky.social including pseudoscientific treatments in their "Cambridge Wellness Festival such as Reflexology and Reiki. We have decided to send them a complaint.

I feel like I'm in an episode of Phineas and Ferb:
Me: MOM, RFK JR IS BUILDING ANOTHER CONSPIRACY IN THE BACKYARD AGAIN
The mom (MAGA supporter): *doesn't see it or ignores it because her phone rings or something* But there is nothing there

To those who think pseudoscience is not dangerous....

Loved ones, fellow officers pay tribute to fallen DeKalb Police Officer David Rose Family, friends, and fellow officers gathered at First Baptist Church in Atlanta on Friday morning, honoring Rose, who was killed by the gunman who shot at the CDC.

Today we gathered to honor Officer David Rose. He was a man of quiet integrity. He loved food, motorcycles, and most of all, his family.

He answered the call. Our call. And gave his life to protect the community he served

We will be forever grateful. Rest in peace.

www.11alive.com/article/news...

I am also wondering why would a government have to commit to writing such an assessment when they have LITERALLY THOSANDS OF PEOPLE STUDYING THIS STUFF FOR A LIVING. Genuinely mind boggling. P.s. Those people are saying to curb the fossil fuel use

Comment from the Social media officer/ gremlin: It is absolutely wild the time we live in. The narcissistic ego of one person made pseudoscience travel so far up the chain of command. It is simply unthinkable. That being said, visit our blog to read more about pseudoscience