Magic Mind claims to be the world’s first productivity drink. It seems to me an increase in productivity should be easy to prove. If your widget factory produces 1,000 widgets a day you could do a controlled study comparing workers who used Magic Mind to workers who used a placebo. If… read more "The World’s First Productivity Drink"
¡No, no, no, no! ¡Los testimonios no son evidencia!
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for the Spanish translation.] Estamos programados para responder a testimonios. Échale la culpa a la evolución. Durante la mayor parte de la historia de la humanidad, solo teníamos dos formas de aprender sobre el mundo: nuestras propias observaciones y lo… read more "¡No, no, no, no! ¡Los testimonios no son evidencia!"
Who Is Amy B. Scher?
Amy B. Scher is a proponent of energy medicine and things like astrology and homeopathy. She claims to be a “science geek,” but how could anyone who understands science think that tapping on the breastbone will fix the thymus? Is the thymus the master gland for the immune system and… read more "Who Is Amy B. Scher?"
No, No, No, NO! Testimonials Are Not Evidence!
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] We are programmed to respond to testimonials. Blame evolution. For most of human history, we had only two ways to learn about the world: our own observations, and what other people told… read more "No, No, No, NO! Testimonials Are Not Evidence!"
Energy Medicine Pain Relief Patches Are Laughable Quackery
There’s no acceptable scientific evidence that these patches work to relieve pain. The advertising features pseudoscientific energy medicine gibberish. Good for a laugh, but not to be believed. This book is titled “Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. But there is no scientific basis. Recently I have seen numerous ads for… read more "Energy Medicine Pain Relief Patches Are Laughable Quackery"
Biofield Tuning: Another Example of Tooth Fairy Science
Biofield tuning uses tuning forks to assess the health of clients. This study of inter-rater agreement is a prime example of Tooth Fairy science. A study recently published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is titled “Inter-Rater Agreement of Biofield Tuning: Testing a Novel Health Assessment Procedure.” It is… read more "Biofield Tuning: Another Example of Tooth Fairy Science"
Taopatch Offers Everything… Except Science
Taopatch promises all kinds of vague benefits, but the mechanism of action is implausible and what they call scientific proof is no such thing. It promises to improve your health and wellness. Who wouldn’t want that? Immediate health benefits. Why wait for things that work slowly? Delivery via skin patch:… read more "Taopatch Offers Everything… Except Science"
Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)
TRE exercises can supposedly cure PTSD by inducing tremors. Not credible. And there’s no science to support the claims. This bear is running away. After he has escaped the danger, will he lie down on his back in the woods and deliberately tremor to release the aroused stress? I doubt… read more "Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)"
BioCharger’s Claims Are Too Silly to Take Seriously
The BioCharger is a subtle energy device based on fantasy, not science. At $15,000, pretty expensive for a placebo. Facebook keeps sending me a puzzling picture. It shows clothed adults sitting around (but not touching) a futuristic-looking apparatus: a glass cylinder with tubes and flashing lights visible inside. They apparently… read more "BioCharger’s Claims Are Too Silly to Take Seriously"
How Not To Do Science
According to research methodologist R. Barker Bausell, “CAM [complementary and alternative medicine] therapists simply do not value (and most, in my experience, do not understand) the scientific process.” They have seen their patients improve, and that’s all the “evidence” they think they need. They don’t understand that they may have been… read more "How Not To Do Science"