Comments on: Fighting for the Woo Pound in Your Pocket http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html Experiments and Thoughts on Quackery, Health Beliefs and Pseudoscience Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:47:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: BadlyShavedmonkey http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5458 BadlyShavedmonkey Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5458 "This makes me suspect he is not practicing his "medicine" at all -which, is a good sign IMO"<br/><br/>He's not, apparently.<br/><br/>"I have not done much practice since<br/>then, even though I won this case, because I've been working on educating<br/>people and health/medical professionals about homeopathy."<br/><br/>http://www.otherhealth.com/showthread.php?t=7345 “This makes me suspect he is not practicing his “medicine” at all -which, is a good sign IMO”

He’s not, apparently.

“I have not done much practice since
then, even though I won this case, because I’ve been working on educating
people and health/medical professionals about homeopathy.”

http://www.otherhealth.com/showthread.php?t=7345

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5457 Anonymous Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:02:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5457 Dear Dog... Is Dana Ullman hitting *all* the anti-homeopathic blogs??? I cannot find one blog on this topic without finding him on it.<br/><br/>He must be sitting at his computer all day and night. This makes me suspect he is not practicing his "medicine" at all -which, is a good sign IMO. Dear Dog… Is Dana Ullman hitting *all* the anti-homeopathic blogs??? I cannot find one blog on this topic without finding him on it.

He must be sitting at his computer all day and night. This makes me suspect he is not practicing his “medicine” at all -which, is a good sign IMO.

]]> By: HCN http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5434 HCN Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:21:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5434 You'll have to excuse Dana. He is easily confused. On the JREF forum he keeps replying on the wrong thread, and did not understand that being called "Brave Sir Dana" was not a compliment:<br/>http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=3211481&highlight=brave#post3211481 You’ll have to excuse Dana. He is easily confused. On the JREF forum he keeps replying on the wrong thread, and did not understand that being called “Brave Sir Dana” was not a compliment:
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=3211481&highlight=brave#post3211481

]]> By: Le Canard Noir http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5428 Le Canard Noir Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:19:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5428 Dana - I have no idea why you are posting on this thread. If you think my challenge is deficient in some methodological way, then please post it on that thread. I am open to feedback. Dana – I have no idea why you are posting on this thread. If you think my challenge is deficient in some methodological way, then please post it on that thread. I am open to feedback.

]]> By: Dana Ullman http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5427 Dana Ullman Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:16:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5427 Andy,<br/> You are painting with a very wide paintbrush when you say that ALL of the references are irrelevant to homeopathy. <br/> <br/> The sections of "homeopathy" and "memory of water" are directly relevant, unless you double-blind yourself by closing both of your eyes (the new definition of double-blind according to skeptics).<br/><br/> That said, please know that your idea for proving homeopathy (or disproving it) holds no water (I thought you'd like that reference...homeopaths can have a sense of humor too). Andy,
You are painting with a very wide paintbrush when you say that ALL of the references are irrelevant to homeopathy.

The sections of “homeopathy” and “memory of water” are directly relevant, unless you double-blind yourself by closing both of your eyes (the new definition of double-blind according to skeptics).

That said, please know that your idea for proving homeopathy (or disproving it) holds no water (I thought you’d like that reference…homeopaths can have a sense of humor too).

]]> By: Le Canard Noir http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5424 Le Canard Noir Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:42:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5424 Ullman said,<br/><br/><i>You will find that he is an objective observer of water research which provides over 1,300 references to water research. </i><br/><br/>And all of them irrelevant.<br/><br/>The day that someone can tell the difference between homeopathic water and ordinary water <i>under blinded conditions</i> is the day that homeopaths win. No-one has done it yet. Ullman said,

You will find that he is an objective observer of water research which provides over 1,300 references to water research.

And all of them irrelevant.

The day that someone can tell the difference between homeopathic water and ordinary water under blinded conditions is the day that homeopaths win. No-one has done it yet.

]]> By: Dana Ullman http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5423 Dana Ullman Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:34:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5423 Andy,<br/> There are good reasons that the idea for your "study" have not been done before. This study would not prove that homeopathic medicines work or are clinically effective. <br/> If you're serious about wanting to understand the plausibility for homeopathy, consider reading the website of Martin Chaplin, PhD, professor in the department of applied sciences at London South Bank University:<br/><a = HREF="http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/" REL="nofollow" HERE rel="nofollow">here</a><br/><br/>The section specifically on homeopathy is at:<br/><a = GO HERE HREF="http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/homeop.html" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">here</a><br/><br/>The section on the "memory of water" is:<br/><a = GO HERE HREF="http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/memory.html" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">here</a><br/><br/>You will find that he is an objective observer of water research which provides over 1,300 references to water research. <br/><br/>For people who want more detail about both theory and experimental studies on the plausibility issue (not clinical work), go to the July 2007 issue of the journal, Homeopathy, published by Elsevier:<br/><a = HREF="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/14754916" REL="nofollow" HERE rel="nofollow">here</a> Andy,
There are good reasons that the idea for your “study” have not been done before. This study would not prove that homeopathic medicines work or are clinically effective.
If you’re serious about wanting to understand the plausibility for homeopathy, consider reading the website of Martin Chaplin, PhD, professor in the department of applied sciences at London South Bank University:
here

The section specifically on homeopathy is at:
here

The section on the “memory of water” is:
here

You will find that he is an objective observer of water research which provides over 1,300 references to water research.

For people who want more detail about both theory and experimental studies on the plausibility issue (not clinical work), go to the July 2007 issue of the journal, Homeopathy, published by Elsevier:
here

]]> By: Claire O'Beirne http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5418 Claire O'Beirne Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:38:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5418 Re how some homeopaths behave, this recent discussion of the death of a child from complications of severe eczema, homeopathically treated, doesn't inspire confidence:<br/>http://www.hpathy.com/homeopathyforums/forum_posts.asp?TID=6923&PN=1 Re how some homeopaths behave, this recent discussion of the death of a child from complications of severe eczema, homeopathically treated, doesn’t inspire confidence:
http://www.hpathy.com/homeopathyforums/forum_posts.asp?TID=6923&PN=1

]]> By: Le Canard Noir http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5417 Le Canard Noir Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:14:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5417 screenwash is good.<br/><br/>I like to say - image if i took your favourite coffee cup and dropped some rat poison into it. What would you do to ensure you could use it again soon? (no tools) You would probably fill it with water, shake it up a lot. Tip out the water - repeat - maybe up to 30 times! That is homeopathy - what sane people call 'washing up'. screenwash is good.

I like to say – image if i took your favourite coffee cup and dropped some rat poison into it. What would you do to ensure you could use it again soon? (no tools) You would probably fill it with water, shake it up a lot. Tip out the water – repeat – maybe up to 30 times! That is homeopathy – what sane people call ‘washing up’.

]]> By: <a href="http://draust.wordpress.com">Dr Aust</a> http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/12/fighting-for-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5416 <a href="http://draust.wordpress.com">Dr Aust</a> Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:05:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2007/12/fighting-for-the-woo-pound-in-your-pocket.html#comment-5416 <i>"I think, at least from a personal anecdotal point of view, that most people cannot differentiate between herbal medicine and homeopathy. [And see both as] 'natural' alternatives to real medicine."</i><br/><br/>That has been my experience too, LCN. <br/><br/>People with some kind of science (or generally more practical) education can tell the difference once you explain it.<br/><br/>I was amazed to find that a significant number of the arts-educated people I knew couldn't grasp the difference even after I had explained it in short words. I remember this with my old Spanish evening class teacher, who had a postgraduate(MA) degree. <br/><br/>I was forced to conclude that some of these folk had never ever diluted anything, for any purpose.<br/><br/>For people who own a car, I find diluting screenwash makes a useful analogy... “I think, at least from a personal anecdotal point of view, that most people cannot differentiate between herbal medicine and homeopathy. [And see both as] ‘natural’ alternatives to real medicine.”

That has been my experience too, LCN.

People with some kind of science (or generally more practical) education can tell the difference once you explain it.

I was amazed to find that a significant number of the arts-educated people I knew couldn’t grasp the difference even after I had explained it in short words. I remember this with my old Spanish evening class teacher, who had a postgraduate(MA) degree.

I was forced to conclude that some of these folk had never ever diluted anything, for any purpose.

For people who own a car, I find diluting screenwash makes a useful analogy…

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