The problem with miracle cures backed by fake science is that they prey on people at their most vulnerable moments — when they’re sick, in pain, or even dying; when they want or even need to believe, when they’ll try anything. That’s why some of the ridiculous claims spread by Dr. Oz (and many other less telegenic MDs) can be so damaging. In The Atlantic, Alan Levinovitz asks where is the line between alternative therapies and “quackademic” medicine?

+ In BoingBoing, cancer patient Xeni Jardin takes on Belle Gibson, who lied about having brain cancer and then profited from lying about bogus cancer cures. “She’s not the only one who should be ashamed: the enablers who promote this crap deserve condemnation, too.”

+ NY Mag: How a cancer-faking huckster was able to fool so many people.

+ When several doctors petitioned Columbia to remove Dr. Oz from its faculty, Oz struck back. Here’s Julia Belluz and Steven Hoffman in Vox explaining why all of the arguments Dr. Oz made against his critics were wrong. (How about if Columbia keeps Dr. Oz, but TV gets rid of him?)