Junk Science

Junk Science Fuels Campaign to Overturn Marriage Equality, Ignoring Foster Children

It’s disheartening to see attempts to undermine established rights using outdated and flawed arguments, especially when those arguments target the well-being of children. The campaign to overturn *Obergefell v. Hodges*, the landmark Supreme Court decision that affirmed marriage equality nationwide, seems to be leaning on research from over a decade ago that has been widely criticized by the scientific community. This so-called “junk science” aims to paint LGBTQ+ individuals as unsuitable parents, a narrative that is not only baseless but also incredibly damaging.

This particular research, first published in 2012, purported that children raised by parents in same-gender relationships faced greater risks of negative outcomes.… Continue reading

Penn & Teller Warn Supreme Court About Junk Science

Magic performers Penn & Teller have filed a U.S. Supreme Court brief in support of death row inmate Charles Don Flores. The brief highlights that key evidence used to convict Flores was tainted by a police officer’s use of “investigative hypnosis” on a witness. This discredited technique, which falsely purports memory to be a recording device, led the witness to identify Flores despite initial descriptions not matching him. Penn Jillette, an expert in misdirection, argues that such questionable practices mirror his own stagecraft and should invalidate the evidence.

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