A science degree in complementary medicine is a contradiction in terms, David Colquhoun argues in the March 22 edition of Nature . Professor Colquhoun of University College London's pharmacology department argues that while 45 BSc honours degrees in complementary medicine were advertised last year, the course is not science because it is not based, in the main, on empirical evidence. The reputation of the 16 post-1992 universities offering these degrees is damaged, he argues.