Is It a Bomb Detector? No, It’s a Diagnostic Tool!

The Guardian has once again demonstrated that science and technology should be reported by specialist journalists, not whoever just happens to be around. Patrick Kingsley, thier Egypt correspondant has reported on an Egyptian device that supposedly remotely detects hepatitis C.

Magic Drinking Water Bottle

It seems that the alkali diet fad has generated a Far-Eastern spin-off – a plastic bottle that allegedly ‘alkalises’ whatever is put in it and retails for £19.75. Twenty quid might seem a bit steep for a plastic bottle but according to its sellers, this bottle works miracles.

Fallacious Conflation of Homeopathy and Herbalism

The British Homeopathic Association has turned to celebrity endorsement of their sugar pills. Presumably as a distraction from the lack of any real evidence that they work.

A Fourth Year of Steam

It’s New Year’s Eve and time for my review of the year.

Detox Footbaths Make A Comeback

In his book “Bad Science”, Ben Goldacre refers to a ‘detox’ footbath in which you put your feet in a bath of salt water and an electic current passed through the salt water suposedly causes ‘toxins’ to be sucked from your body. The mark client can see the water turning a yucky brown colour so if s’he knows no chemistry s/he is going to believe that the brown stuff is indeed toxins. In fact it is a complex salt produced by electrolysis causing a reaction between the salt solution and the electrodes and will be produced without anyone’s feet in the bath. I produced a similar effect with two 9V batteries in series and a couple of steel nails as electrodes. A similar treatment is still on sale.

Deflecting Criticism 1 – Legal Threats

So you’ve got some sweet deal going – might be alternative medicine, might be hi-fi tweaks. Whatever it is, some twat of a journalist or blogger is pointing out holes in your scientific arguments and suggesting that your product is not as good as you say. This could be a threat to your income stream. What do you do?

Reprisal

There has been a complaint made about one Stuart Jones to the Health Professions Council alleging that he “Made disparaging and/or misleading comments on the website forum, ‘Bad Science’ about Dr XY*.” I understand that Stuart Jones post on the Bad Science forums as ‘Jonas’. I do not recall him making any “disparaging or misleading” comments about any doctor. However, he did raise some concerns with the GMC about some of the content of one Dr. Myhill’s website, and discussed this complaint on Bad Science.

The Abuses of Chelation Therapy

Chelation therapy is a method of ridding the body of toxic elements such as lead and mercury. It is a valid method that is misused by certain CAM practitioners.

Hair Analysis & Metal Poisoning

In my last post I discussed the CAM contention that metal poisoning is common and the scientific inaccuracies peddled, such as the claim that mercury poisoning causes autism. Once you have been sold on the fear, you naturally want to check whether you yourself are poisoned. CAM practitioners recommend hair analysis for this. Unfortunately.

WooWriter’s Template

The offending article

There seems to be some template ‘health’ journalists (particularly those at the Metro) use to write about alternatives to medicine. It goes something like this:-

1. Profess scepticism about the latest woo

2. Give it a try anyway

3. Woo practitioner performs some jiggery-pokery and claims to have found a problem previously un-noticed by the journalist.

4. Wooster claims to have cured the ‘problem’.

5. Another, self-limiting, problem clears up shortly afterwards

6. Journalist is converted to belief and writes a gushing piece of advertorial for the new woo.