Comments on: The Epiphenomena of Quackery http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html Experiments and Thoughts on Quackery, Health Beliefs and Pseudoscience Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:52:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-7364 Anonymous Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:39:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-7364 how about that :<br/><br/>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94019645<br/><br/>and that:<br/><br/>http://www.physorg.com/news73996014.html how about that :

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94019645

and that:

http://www.physorg.com/news73996014.html

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6810 Anonymous Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:55:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6810 I know little about quantum theory, I know that very very few people know anything about which makes it an ideal subject for quackery, similar to the God experts. I do know something about education, I looked at that edu whatever sight and am amazed that these people are not in jail. I also looked at their newsletter, they made reference to a test to determine whether you are right or left brain in the Herald sun.I looked at it, very carefully, downloaded the image and played it slow motion. That test appears as valid as edusomething. Sometimes it turns clockwise, then reverses and vice versa. I know little about quantum theory, I know that very very few people know anything about which makes it an ideal subject for quackery, similar to the God experts. I do know something about education, I looked at that edu whatever sight and am amazed that these people are not in jail. I also looked at their newsletter, they made reference to a test to determine whether you are right or left brain in the Herald sun.I looked at it, very carefully, downloaded the image and played it slow motion. That test appears as valid as edusomething. Sometimes it turns clockwise, then reverses and vice versa.

]]> By: P Leick http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6793 P Leick Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:33:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6793 I had the dubious pleasure of attending a lecture by one of the speakers, Konstantin Meyl, a few years ago... This guy has written several books and built a theory about his complete misunderstanding of Maxwell's Equations. He is now mostly going on about neutrinos, which supposedly are oscillations between electron and positron states (you see, the electric charges and <i>masses</i> have to cancel each other...), and how the earth grows because it absorbs them.<br/><br/>His rather elementary mistakes are refuted here http://www.mathematik.tu-darmstadt.de/~bruhn/Meyliana.html and here http://www.xy44.de/skalar/<br/><br/>Anyway, his talk and his audience were rather entertaining... they reminded me a bit about a preacher and his audience, who'd cheer or jeer at the right moments... I had the dubious pleasure of attending a lecture by one of the speakers, Konstantin Meyl, a few years ago… This guy has written several books and built a theory about his complete misunderstanding of Maxwell’s Equations. He is now mostly going on about neutrinos, which supposedly are oscillations between electron and positron states (you see, the electric charges and masses have to cancel each other…), and how the earth grows because it absorbs them.

His rather elementary mistakes are refuted here http://www.mathematik.tu-darmstadt.de/~bruhn/Meyliana.html and here http://www.xy44.de/skalar/

Anyway, his talk and his audience were rather entertaining… they reminded me a bit about a preacher and his audience, who’d cheer or jeer at the right moments…

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6792 Anonymous Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:49:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6792 <<< posit that consciousness is quantum >>><br/><br/>Nothing wrong with that at all, but presenting it as fact is.<br/><br/>Speculation about something has been the spur to many discoveries.... but it takes scientific rigour, and time and hard work, to turn that speculation into hard fact <<< posit that consciousness is quantum >>>

Nothing wrong with that at all, but presenting it as fact is.

Speculation about something has been the spur to many discoveries…. but it takes scientific rigour, and time and hard work, to turn that speculation into hard fact

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6791 Anonymous Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:08:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6791 Q: What is a quantum psychologist?<br/><br/>A: A psychologist who entangles himself with his patient.<br/><br/>BillyJoe Q: What is a quantum psychologist?

A: A psychologist who entangles himself with his patient.

BillyJoe

]]> By: Mojo http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6788 Mojo Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:18:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6788 Also from the Sherr interview linked by Gimpy:<br/><br/><i>In conventional RCT trials researchers compare verum to placebo because they assume the placebo takers will have no symptoms and represent zero effect.</i> <br/><br/>Does he really not know why placebo controls are used? Also from the Sherr interview linked by Gimpy:

In conventional RCT trials researchers compare verum to placebo because they assume the placebo takers will have no symptoms and represent zero effect.

Does he really not know why placebo controls are used?

]]> By: Peter in Dundee http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6787 Peter in Dundee Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:25:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6787 Dr Aust unfortunately the 'quantum psychologists' are cargo cult equivalents of people who, stimulated by Penrose and Hammeroff, posit that consciousness is quantum. Many of them are apparently bona fide academics, have a look at Prof Jonjoe McFadden's website some time for a good case in point. If you are not a physiologist I will help you see the flaw, nowhere is there a time constant. Or any data now you mention it.<br/><br/>People like him, and he gets to write in the Grauniad, give cover to cargo cultists. Dr Aust unfortunately the ‘quantum psychologists’ are cargo cult equivalents of people who, stimulated by Penrose and Hammeroff, posit that consciousness is quantum. Many of them are apparently bona fide academics, have a look at Prof Jonjoe McFadden’s website some time for a good case in point. If you are not a physiologist I will help you see the flaw, nowhere is there a time constant. Or any data now you mention it.

People like him, and he gets to write in the Grauniad, give cover to cargo cultists.

]]> By: gimpyblog http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6786 gimpyblog Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:14:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6786 Ahhh, Jeremy Sherr. I submitted a complaint about him to the SoH you know. They told me that as his Fellowship was honorary he was not bound by their code of conduct. It beggars belief that the SoH give awards to AIDS quacks. Truly an organisation without scruples. <br/><br/>Here is an <a HREF="http://www.hpathy.com/interviews/jeremy-sherr-1.asp" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">interesting quote from Sherr</a> on the use of placebos in provings that lays bare the idiocy of homeopathy. <br/><i>They are displayed on the side, usually in the anecdotal section, and distinctly marked as placebo, for the reader to compare. Otherwise how would we know a priori that they were placebo symptoms, as opposed to an epiphenomenon?<br/></i><br/><br/>You couldn't make it up. Ahhh, Jeremy Sherr. I submitted a complaint about him to the SoH you know. They told me that as his Fellowship was honorary he was not bound by their code of conduct. It beggars belief that the SoH give awards to AIDS quacks. Truly an organisation without scruples.

Here is an interesting quote from Sherr on the use of placebos in provings that lays bare the idiocy of homeopathy.
They are displayed on the side, usually in the anecdotal section, and distinctly marked as placebo, for the reader to compare. Otherwise how would we know a priori that they were placebo symptoms, as opposed to an epiphenomenon?

You couldn’t make it up.

]]> By: peterd102 http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6785 peterd102 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:36:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6785 Its a person who is both the psycologist and the patient at the same time.<br/><br/>Or basically F*** knows<br/><br/>I often think that if you told these people exactly what Quantum theory says their heads would explode out fo confusion, its weird stuff. Its a person who is both the psycologist and the patient at the same time.

Or basically F*** knows

I often think that if you told these people exactly what Quantum theory says their heads would explode out fo confusion, its weird stuff.

]]> By: Dr Aust http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/09/epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6784 Dr Aust Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:47:00 +0000 http://www.quackometer.net/wpblog/2008/09/the-epiphenomena-of-quackery.html#comment-6784 PS Strewth - just checked out the <a HREF="http://quantum-medicine.com/speakers.html" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">list of speakers</a>. Several of the usual suspects, but some new ones too.<br/><br/>But the thing that is really intriguing me - just what the !*x! is a "Quantum Psychologist"?! PS Strewth – just checked out the list of speakers. Several of the usual suspects, but some new ones too.

But the thing that is really intriguing me – just what the !*x! is a “Quantum Psychologist”?!

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