It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
Besides indulging my taste for shamelessly working lyrics from Led Zeppelin and other classic bands into my post, what am I talking about? Simple. Things have been way too serious lately. I mean, just look at yesterday's post. Sure, I framed it semi-humorously, with The Evil Skeptics infiltrating the screening of the Burzynski sequel, but part of the reason that I did that is because the subject matter is so unrelentingly depressing. That's why when a reader sent me a link to the victim target subject of today's post, it was like manna from heaven, pure fluff. It was something that demanded that I resurrect a feature that I haven't done in a very long time on this blog.
We're talking Friday Dose of Woo, baby!
Even better, this particular bit of woo that I'm about to discuss allows me to combine my penchant for delving into the most amusing pseudoscience I can with my long experience in molecular biology and interest in gene-targeted therapy. Even better, it combines homeopathy with gene-targeted therapy. Seriously, that's exactly what this lovely bit of woo does. Are you ready? Let me introduce you to...Homeovitality! This post will quote a lot because, well, sometimes it's better to let you see for yourself rather than to try to make a joke of something whose nature as a joke speaks for itself and is more hilarious than anything my powers of humor, although now fairly formidable, can come up with. Take a look:
In 1997, Prof. Khuda-Bukhsh proposed that homeopathic substances have the capacity to interact with the genetic blueprint and deliver their benefits by increasing the expression of genes that synthesise health promoting proteins. Since then, work by Prof. Khuda-Bukhsh [2, and within Ref. 2] and other scientists [3][4] have clearly demonstrated that homeopathic substances do have the capacity to do this.The genetic blueprint contains many genes that promote health as well as many genes that cause disease. With a view to increasing the specificity and safety of gene targeting by homeopathic DNA, (because homeopathic DNA, which is of undefined sequence, induces various disease symptoms in healthy people) Drs. Jenaer and Marichal pioneered the use of highly diluted small DNA molecules with well-defined sequences to target immune response genes and fight infections. Their system, called Micro-Immunotherapy proved to be very effective. The Homeovitality system was developed along the same lines as Micro-Immunotherapy.
The Homeovitality system uses highly diluted DNA molecules with precise sequences to target genes that produce the body’s natural proteins that have been proven to promote health as well as protect against and resolve many diseases.
I can't help but note that one of the references cited here is an abysmally awful study testing homeopathic remedies on breast cancer cells in tissue culture that Rachael Dunlop deconstructed, as did I. The rest are in "integrative medicine" journals of dubious heritage. Either way, none of the evidence is convincing. It is, after all, homeopathy, and speculating about homeopathic remedies working "at the gene level" caused me to start tittering hysterically, which then progressed to gut-busting guffaws, and then to uncontrolled hysterical laughter that I couldn't control.
In retrospect, it occurs to me that I had sort of thought of the very same thing before. After all, consider the concepts behind homeopathy. Well, consider one of the concepts, anyway. Everyone knows the Law of Infinitesimals, which states that diluting a homeopathic remedy makes it stronger. Of course, to recap, the power of serial dilution in which a 1:100 dilution (commonly called 1C) is repeated 6, 12, 30, or even 100 times, soon dilutes away the starting compound to nonexistence. It's the power of Avogadro's number versus homeopathy. For example, a typical 30 C homeopathic remedy is a dilution of (102)30 - 1060. Given that Avogadro's number is 6.023 x 1023, it's not hard to see how ridiculous this is and how a 30C remedy has been diluted to nonexistence, except perhaps for contamination of molecules that might stick to the container used to do the dilutions.
But the Law of Similars is the one that is in play here, and this is where the woo behind Homeovitality reaches woo genius. True, it's not quite as amazing as the extra etheric strands of DNA postulated in DNA Activation, but it's pretty amazing because it combines the quackery of homeopathy with genetic engineering. Actually, it combines more than that. It combines concepts in evolution, such as hybrid vigor, promising with homeopathy and molecular biology, actually gene therapy. Here's what I mean. After being told that Homeovitality is basedon the "proven principles of Bernard Marichal’s gene targeting technology," we learn:
A few years ago, Dr. Marichal established the use of highly diluted DNA molecules with specific nucleotide sequences to alleviate disease by targeting beneficial parts of the genetic blueprint. Dr Marichal refers to the use of highly diluted DNA molecules of specific sequences (called SNA, specific nucleic acids) as New Homeopathy [1]. He has used highly diluted DNA molecules to target immune response genes to prevent disease and fight infections that do not respond to antibiotics.
See what I mean? Genius! What's the ultimate version of "like cures like"? DNA! You take the sequence of a gene that produces a protein that causes a certain symptom and "target" it with homeopathy by giving a homeopathic dilution of that DNA. Brilliant! But how could it possibly work? (I'm being sarcastic, here of course, but go with me for a minute). Fortunately, the Homeovitality people are only too happy to explain. First, they say they don't know how it works. Then they write:
Firstly, Prof. Kornyshev and his colleagues recently discovered that DNA molecules are able to communicate with each other through sequence identity [3], suggesting that DNA molecules have some way of emitting signals that can be recognized by other DNA molecules with the same sequence. Secondly, Prof. Montagnier and his fellow scientists have actually discovered [4] that highly diluted DNA molecules, approximately 5-6C, have the capacity to emit electromagnetic signals, especially when they have been mechanically agitated (succussed).
Montagnier. It had to be Montagnier. You recall, don't you, how Luc Montagnier, who won the Nobel Prize a few years back for his work on HIV, has become a complete crank, not only with his embrace of the pseudoscience of homeopathy, of which his "study" of highly diluted DNA is but one example. He's also embraced autism quackery in a big, sweaty bear hug. In any case, Homeovitality involves using DNA sequences that Marichal calls "potentized specific nucleic acids" (SNA) as part of the therapy, which is part of a therapy he now calls MicroImmunotherapy:
DNA (occasionally RNA) carries the genetic code for all living organisms from the tiniest virus to the complex nature of human beings. Therefore it should be possible to determine the zones of the genome, of either self and/or non self in human beings as well as areas in the genetic code of a pathogen which can potentially be the cause of upsetting cell physiology. These zones are the target for the therapy both as a preventative and curative measure. The codes of the SNA are chosen specifically with this in mind, acting at the `root' of the problem.
As they say, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and apparently Bernard Marichal had a little knowledge about molecular biology and gene therapy, which he uses to hilarious effect to come up with Homeovitality. On the other hand, it's claimed that a man named Peter H. Kay, "world renowned scientist, molecular pathologist, immunologist and geneticist," was responsible for the Homeovitality micro-DNA therapy system, which he developed to allow everyone to enjoy "super health." I couldn't resist Googling his name, and that quickly led me to multiple articles and web pages extolling the wonderous woo that is Homeovitality. Let's take a quick look at one that was published on a website by a homeopath who might even be loonier than Internet homeopath attack Chihuahua extraordinaire Dana Ullman. I'm referring, of course, to Nancy Malik. In it, after introducing a concept he calls "homeogenetics" (I kid you not), which he defines as "the future field of study investigating the interactive processes between the genetic blueprint and homeopathy" (just like nutrigenetics and pharmacogenetics!), another article on Homeovitality, Kay writes:
So, how to develop a way of using homeopathic experiences to target specific health promoting genes? It has been done by combining the results of the use of homeopathic DNA, New Homeopathy (Micro-Immunotherapy) and the discovery of new properties of DNA, as outlined below.
As already stated, human DNA, the genetic blueprint, contains many genes that promote health as well as genes that cause disease. DNA is a well established ingredient that is used to prepare a homeopathic remedy. Its use is included in Materia Medicas compiled by practitioners such as Dr O.A Julian and Phillip Robbins and others.
The DNA proving process confirms that homeopathic DNA, which may comprise whole genomic DNA from species such as fish, plants or cattle and of unknown sequence and molecular size, can activate genes that cause disease. With a view to increasing the specificity and safety of gene targeting by homeopathic DNA, Drs. Jenaer and Marichal pioneered the use of highly diluted small DNA molecules with well defined sequences to target immune response genes and fight infections. Their system, called Micro-Immunotherapy proved to be very effective and specific.
So let's see. Homeopathic "provings," which is the word for the process by which homeopaths "prove" what therapies to use by giving the undiluted substance to healthy people and having them write down their experiences, show that whole genomic DNA from other species can change gene expression. I suppose that's possible, because DNA will be rapidly digested in the stomach and digestive tract into component nucleic acids, which are necessary to make more DNA and to be used in other metabolic functions in the body. Of course, that's the nasty reductionist in me talking. To work, homeopathic DNA has to be diluted and succussed, and its magic doesn't come from boring old biochemical processes that can actually be studied and quantified! Oh, no! It's the magic of the DNA sequence signaling to your body's own DNA through apparently either the magical memory of water or some "quantum teleportation" or "radio waves" if you believe Luc Montagne (I'm not sure which—maybe it's both). Yet later in the article, Kay writes:
The Homeovitality system is safe because, unlike homeopathic DNA, it cannot target parts of the genetic blueprint or genes that cause disease. In this context, even though it is simply a refinement of the use of homeopathic DNA, it is not strictly homeopathic because it cannot induce symptoms of disease in healthy subjects. It cannot cause aggravations in disease sufferers. It cannot be subject to the proving process.
So which is it? I do find it hilarious that Homeovitality is apparently homeopathy, yet not homeopathy. Maybe it's like Schrödinger's cat, simultaneously dead and not dead as long as you don't look in the box. I'm pleasantly surprised that, in the posts I read at least, Kay didn't beat on the word "quantum" as much as homeopaths usually do. In any case, why wouldn't Homeovitality DNA be subject to provings? All you'd have to do is to take the undiluted DNA sequence you plan to use and do a proving with it. Just do some Maxipreps of, say, some pcDNA3.1 expression vector with an insert containing the cDNA for a gene like IL-10 (mentioned in one of Kay's articles), cut out the insert and then purify it. All you'd have to do then is to give it to some healthy volunteers, and—voila!—a homeopathic proving. After all, homeopaths did it for plutonium and claimed to have done it for antimatter, so why not specific homeopathic DNA sequences. Inquiring minds want to know!
Let's take a look at the product descriptions, which can be found here, in which DNA for various cytokines. In fact, going to the Homeovitality store and clicking on the product pages is pure depression and lulz all combined. Specifically, I was interested in what was in these products; so I looked first at Age Well, which claims—of course!—to be an antiaging treatment. This is what it is made of:
Acidum Nucleicum KLO/GH1/IL7 UHD at 10-12
Stabiliser* - 0.014mg/mL
Ethanol (25%) in purified water
*Sodium Phosphate buffer
I do so love the homeopathic lingo, turning DNA into "acidum nucleicum" with the abbreviations for the genes (KLO/GH1/IL7) after them. But notice something. It's apparently only a 6C dilution, as it's at a 10-12. That means there might actually be a little bit of DNA left in there. The horror! Of course, that's assuming that these guys know what they're doing in a molecular biology lab and can even isolate purified DNA of sufficient quantity and quality to make this "remedy." I want to see the gels! I want to see the restriction digests! I also notice that Kay has at least a little knowledge of molecular biology in that he apparently knows that you can't just put DNA into pure water and expect it not to degrade over time. It is an acid and it does autohydrolyze in water, albeit not nearly as fast as RNA does. It's much more stable in a Tris or phosphate buffer; so apparently Kay puts his Homeovitality products in either phosphate-buffered saline or a phosphate buffer (it's not specified). Science, right? Just like this rationale for including IL-7 sequences in the Age Well product:
IL-7, on the other hand, is a natural cytokine that has the ability to stimulate the production of new immuno-competent cells in the bone marrow [5]. As well as helping to boost the production of immune cells that kill viruses, T-cells, and others that neutralise toxins and fight infection, B cells, in the aged, it may also be of help to boost the production of new immune cells in those that suffer generalised immune deficiency.
Of course, imbibing a dilute solution containing the sequence of IL-7 (if it even contains that) will do exactly...almost nothing. What it will do is to provide the body with a minute quantity of nucleic acids, and that's about it. You'd get way more nucleic acids from eating a nice steak—or even a nice salad.
Then there's Cancer Care, which includes the cDNA for two tumor suppressor genes, KEAP1 and a gene associated with lung cancer metastasis, TIP30. Now I'm really confused. The rationale for doing this, as flaked out as it is, seems to be the same sort of dull, mundane, scientific rationale for gene therapy of cancer: Restore the function of tumor suppressor genes. However, by the Law of Similars, wouldn't Kay want to try to treat or prevent cancer using a homeopathic dilution of something that causes cancer, say an oncogene or two, like abl, erbB2, B-raf, or src? I'm so confused, but I guess that's OK, because Kay certainly seems to be quite confused himself. I also can't help but note that TIP30 is actually HIV Tat-interacting protein and specifically enhances HIV-1 Tat-activated transcription. Shouldn't there be a warning on the label that anyone who is HIV-positive should absolutely not take Cancer Care? Or maybe the homeopathic TIP30 would treat HIV because of the principle of "like cures like." Again, I'm so confused.
I leave as an exercise to my readers going through some of the other Homeovitality products. For those of you with a background in medicine or biomedical science, there will be hilarity aplenty, I promise you. If that's not enough to entertain you, feel free to take on this Homeovitality FAQ as well.
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More like this
http://jengajam.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/fuck-you-dying-of-cancer-gregg… Would you please address this disgusting creature?
I have a feeling that Orac won't be 'too serious' for long: it has been nearly a week since his little *tete a tete* with Jake so there is apt to be an extremely detailed recitative soon that truly reflects reality in the alternate universe he inhabits.
-btw- Homeovitality's Memory and IQ? Maybe I'll shred that later.
@Will Bradbury:
Just an observation that longtime readers probably know: I really hate it when someone someone tries to hijack the tread on the the very first comment by posting something completely off-topic. It's an old and very annoying blog commenter trick, that I do not appreciate at all. Did you not read the first part of the post, where I said I was trying to keep it light today?
Please don't do it again. Next time I'll delete such a comment with extreme prejudice. Thank you.
Now, back to homeopathic gene targeting!
25% ethanol in purified water?
Of course the patient feels better, but I'd bet that Nyquil-brand would be less expensive.
fusilier
James 2:24
With that 25% ethanol cocktail you may not reverse aging, but you won't care.
When will homeopaths realize that overindulging in bullshit makes their message weaker? The less silly they are, the more they make sense.
-btw- Homeovitality’s Memory and IQ? Maybe I’ll shred that later
See, there's 25% of alcohol in the homeopathic solution and alcohol cross the blood brain barrier bringing in the fragments of dna which.....I don't know....stimulate cell growth? and increase the IQ :D
Obviously, one's need to do the raven standard progressive matrix test for each homeopathic pill ingested.
SBM version: try the raven standard progressive matrix test in an fMRI scanner to measure brain activity; apply transcranial direct current stimulation to selectively stimulate cell growth in certain region of the brain known to increase RSPM performance while doing the RSPM test on paper and finally, retest again in the scanner.
Alain
@Orac
I thought that, too, but then I remembered that homeopaths don't need to stick to their own rules. I learned that when I saw that Hyland's Calms Forte sleeping pills contain chamomile and other flowers that have reputed calming effects. One would expect, going by homeopathic laws, that they would instead act similarly to caffeine pills.
@ Alain:
I think that they are trying to instill the belief that because particular proteins are involved, adding them will assist people with memory problems. The mind boggles. It reminds me a bit of woo-meisters advocating that people with depression ingest certain precursors of neurotransmitters like serotonin.
-btw- That FAQ is quite ilarious!
Because IQ and other cognitive abilities have social/ cultural- biases/antecedents I was thinking more along the lines of homeopathic dilutions of Essences of European Ancestry and University Traditionalism ( for IQ) and Essence of Multi-lingual Chess Grandmasters ( for Memory).
And yes, like Todd W. says, inconsistency rules.
( And I didn't want to write about Essences of Not-Too-Bright People and those with memory problems).
That should be HILARIOUS
And it s.
Jeez. I was a business major and even I can see how completely impossible this is.
So when will we see a homeopathic remedy made from Bigfoot DNA? Will it include nanofeet?
(oh, and today an 80 page paperback went on sale about how to use homeopathy to treat measles!)
Because IQ and other cognitive abilities have social/ cultural- biases/antecedents I was thinking more along the lines of homeopathic dilutions of Essences of European Ancestry and University Traditionalism ( for IQ) and Essence of Multi-lingual Chess Grandmasters ( for Memory).
I see that you are thinking about the WAIS-III or the WISC tests and in that sense, I have to agree homeopathic solution of the Essences of European Ancestry and University Traditionalism and Multi-lingual Chess Grandmasters might fit the bill but then, shouldn't that be ABA? There is plenty of psychologist experimenting with these homeopathic solution of common (or not so common) knowledge on autistics with varying result :D
Alain
p.s. the RSPM, I think it's a better measure of intelligence.
p.s. the RSPM, I think it’s a better measure of intelligence.
I am still waiting for someone to market a set of Raven Conservative Matrices in the name of political balance.
The homeovitality (hard to type that word!) principle seems to be a defense of the use of genetically modified organisms as health food. It implies that the use of Roundup Ready corn should be making us all healthier and result in a long term reduction in stomach cancer and long term lessening of automobile traffic deaths, but perhaps a concomitant decrease in the purchase of CDs at record stores.
One bit I absolutely love:
(from the FAQ)
" How can eights drops in a sip of water reach in to the gene and alleviate my symptoms?
Homeovitality products take advantage of the newly discovered telepathic properties of DNA".
I didn't know that!
Jesus wept. Avogadro's number is dwarfed by the measurement that my quantum holistic personality transmogrifier brain wants to give this unbelievably ridiculous woo. It's stupendous.
This is a parody, right?
Right?
Oh.
I thought homeopathy was always safe because the magic could only do good, never harm.
@Will Bradbury. I looked at your link. I couldn't help but notice the guy in the video had almost the exact same hand movements as every Bi-Polar person I've known who refuse to accept they are ill. So question: could there be a relationship between hand gestures and Bi-Polar?
And- believe it or not- you too can become a practitioner of Homeovitality- with a diploma- for only a small fee: you will be guided through the mysteries of this earthshatteringly new scientific discovery by your tutors, Drs Kay and Rashid.
Why spend all of those years studying immunology or genetics when you can master all of the secrets of DNA in a
few months and cure all ills in a hurry.
Faux doctor's costume and brass name plate, extra.
I looked at the "Fibrocare" section of the website, and found an argument that giving a semi-homeopathic dose of the gene PPARg will help in fibrous tumors of the uterus.
There are a couple of drugs which already work to activate PPARg -- Actos and Avandia. They were taken off the market or severely limited by regulatory agencies in the US and in Europe due to their potentially damaging or lethal effects. They still work to affect diabetes, but playing around with PPARg is something that requires care, since it works on a number of different genes. Luckily for the mark (sorry, the devoted buyer), using Fibrocare as attempted therapy isn't going to have much effect on real PPARg gene activity.
Take a look at the "testimonials". "MAS" from Australia has an especially *interesting* story...so *similar* to Mr. Rogers from Australia.
https://www.homeovitalityuk.com/about/reviews-and-testimonials
"I am 67 years young with above average health. However, 2 years ago my partner’s psychotic son moved into our little house, and I quickly found out that he was violent and aggressive. In attempting to keep the peace, my BP quickly got up to over 200+ diastolic. I went to a specialist, who did agree that this was not a healthy heart and suggested that we should keep an eye on, and for the time being he deferred medication. I went home and continued to monitor my bp every day for several months and, to my chagrin, the BP persisted up around 200. I was determined not to medicate (my partner is a GP). Finally, a homeopath friend (Rick Loader) had just begun to use “Super Heart” in his practice. He had some good results and suggested that i give it a go. Being a fan of homeopathy, I got a bottle immediately and began to use the remedy according to the suggestions on the bottle. It was remarkably simple, requiring only consistency....."
Holy sh!t!...how about a 200 diastolic BP! *Down Under* is the diastolic BP and the systolic BP reversed?
This post just to reset the frigging most recent insolence returned column.
AL
One would expect, going by homeopathic laws, that they would instead act similarly to caffeine pills.
It is the Gleamhound Effect.
Since there *might* actually be some DNA in it, who in their crunchy mind would ever want to take it? It's foreign DNA, and that causes asthma, rhinitis, allergies, autoimmune disorders, ovarian failure, sterility, premature menarche, premature menopause, autism....
One criticism, Orac - you sometimes write we learn just before quoting from some quack. I don't think "learn" is the right word. In fact it's very nearly the opposite of the right word. Does English have an antonym for "learn"?
Ken, we could invent one. Let's brainstorm! We "opposite-learn," we "lose brain cells over", we "become stupider upon reading," we... we need a single word for this.
Ben @ #19-- Weird! I'm bipolar and so is my father, and we are both dramatic gesture-talkers. I've never noticed *specific* gestures made by all bipolar folks, but then maybe I'm too close to it to notice. I am also well-medicated for it, but mood stabilizers have done nothing to reduce the DRAMATIC GESTURES, which have, alas, been responsible for swatting unsuspecting passers-by.
The opposite of learn is "forget", though some use the term "unlearn" when you consciously replace something you learn with something else.
I think "unlearn" is closer. "Forget" is a passive activity - reading woo and becoming less-informed is active.
I might use 'get dis-informed', 'research' ( sarcasm tag) , 'attend the U of Google' , 'update mis-information'et al.
how about dis-learn? or de-learn? or stupidify?
How about the iconic: Sez here...
Mis-learn? Dys-learn?
If this idea truly worked we'd all be the proverbial three-eyed fish from The Simpsons - every drop of water we drink would work on our genes and mutate us!
If there is a latent gene for long (or is it short?) noses in a minuscule amount in the homeopathic 'remedy', how do they prevent people from suddenly sprouting noses like Pinocchio?
@Lilady
What worries me about that testimonial is that rather than get help for the apparently 'psychotic' and 'violent' son, the testimonial-guy instead decides to avail himself of homeopathic treatments for his heart. Please someone tell me that whole testimony was made up and it's just a Poe or something...
Enstupid! Endumbify!
Sounds like a new movie, doesn't it? Quackery: The Dumbening.
I think the sort of reality-free mentation homeopaths engage in would be called "fantasy," and thus the activity which replaces learning would be "fantasizing."
@Lilady
Note also that MAS mentions his cardiovascular exercise routine. So, the usual script for woo is followed: woo + conventional medicine + improvement = woo gets the credit.
Firstly, Prof. Kornyshev and his colleagues recently discovered that DNA molecules are able to communicate with each other through sequence identity [3], suggesting that DNA molecules have some way of emitting signals that can be recognized by other DNA molecules with the same sequence.
"Spooky action at a distance"....but of course!
misinform works but endumbify has a ring to it
"Endumbify."
Excellent.
Actually, they usually involve giving the subjects the diluted remedies.
Most, if not all, recent provings (certainly all the ones I've seen published on the internet) use highly dilute remedies, and Hahnemann himself recommended using 30C remedies for provings. See aphorism 128 of the Organon:
Homoeopaths don't seem to like having attention drawn to this, for some reason.
Well I for one now understand Hahnemann completely for the first time.
See, when you succuss according to proper technique, you triturate the highly dilute solution, allowing ample room to stir up the counter-remedy's DNA (or its memory), which then, in a quantum fashion potentizes the genome of the patient, which then homeovitalizes the exact sequences needed to stimulate their immune system to fight off disease.
The researchers who've devoted themselves to elucidating this mechanism deserve our fervent thanks, not the sneers of the intellectually sterile.*
*pharma shills, every last one.
My favorite bit was the simplistic "some genes cause disease, others cure disease." Oh please. A gene where all it did was cause disease would be rapidly selected away, and a gene which only cured disease would be maximally activated all the time. REAL gene-targeted therapies either bump up the activity of those which are abnormally low, or lower the activity of those which are abnormally high. Everything in moderation.
My degree's in physics, and even I know that.
Mojo, didn't you actually get a degree or certification in homeopathy at one point, the better to pull an Edzard Ernst on their arguments?
People talk about the laughter of Orac (as know as fraudskeptik):
-In 2002 Professor Martin Bland and illusionist James Randi with a research team of the Royal Society conducted a study that is supposed, was to "replicate" the Ennis-Brown experiment. The result is that the program was a fraud... FRAUD, FRAUD, Patological "science", Pseudoscience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcBHKMJDHaU
Ennis never approved the protocol + the fact that Bland's report in 2005 shows that even the methods followed Ennis Brown.
Randi is a Quackery, Bluffer, Pedophile (respect for gay, but not pedophiles, as randi) and social darwinist (Dawkins?)
So far Bland or Randi responded, refusing to answer.
-The Moshe Frenkelstudy was not refuted. Their understanding of refutation? This is rubbish:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/03/04/a-homeopathic-bit-of-breas…
There is no rebuttal.
Anisur Khuda-Bukhs if published in refereed journals. It takes more than one pseudorebuttal (thanks SCEPCOP and thanks to Brian and Winston Wu Joshepson technique for revealing pseudoescéptica): TCP ": Technically Correct Pseudo-refutation.
The point is that different sectors are becoming aware of the corrupt and fraudulent pseudoskeptics.
-The terrible peer review of FACT magazine published a "critical study" that says that homeopathy is "impossible". The paper looks like a copy / paste of a pseudo skeptic blog and was acepeted by Edzard Ernst (which incidentally is the publisher). The paper is rubbish:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-7166.2012.01162.x/abs…
-Acupuncturists, homeopaths, parapsychologists, Marxists and even some atheists are becoming aware of the corrupt system in the areas of what should be science:
---Sense About Science + John Maddox Heresy +James Randi "Educational" Foundation = Corruption
---Center for Inquiry-Mass media + = $ $ $ (see to Sense About Science)
---Liar One Million Dollar Challenge (See McLuhan Book)
That skepticism called "scientific" and that is reflected in the bullshit ideology, supported by Daniel Loxton omits the critical part of Marcello Truzzi, Richard Kamerman, David Leiter ...
http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/Why-Is-There-a-Skeptical-Movement.pdf
-Jimmy Wales and other pseudo Skeptik? Not surprisingly, the founder of Wikipedia is declared against homeopathy precisely when formed Skeptical Guerrillas (who seek to control information on wikipedia editions).
The Skepticism called "scientific" is a politics, not science. Orac is a model of fraudskeptik.
People talk about the laughter of Orac (as know as fraudskeptik):
-In 2002 Professor Martin Bland and illusionist James Randi with a research team of the Royal Society conducted a study that is supposed, was to "replicate" the Ennis-Brown experiment. The result is that the program was a fraud... FRAUD, FRAUD, Patological "science", Pseudoscience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcBHKMJDHaU
Ennis never approved the protocol + the fact that Bland's report in 2005 shows that even the methods followed Ennis Brown.
Randi is a Quackery, Bluffer, Pedophile (respect for gay, but not pedophiles, as randi) and social darwinist (Dawkins?)
So far Bland or Randi responded, refusing to answer.
-The Moshe Frenkelstudy was not refuted. Their understanding of refutation? This is rubbish:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/03/04/a-homeopathic-bit-of-breas…
There is no rebuttal.
Anisur Khuda-Bukhs if published in refereed journals. It takes more than one pseudorebuttal (thanks SCEPCOP and thanks to Brian and Winston Wu Joshepson technique for revealing pseudoescéptica): TCP ": Technically Correct Pseudo-refutation.
The point is that different sectors are becoming aware of the corrupt and fraudulent pseudoskeptics.
-The terrible peer review of FACT magazine published a "critical study" that says that homeopathy is "impossible". The paper looks like a copy / paste of a pseudo skeptic blog and was acepeted by Edzard Ernst (which incidentally is the publisher). The paper is rubbish:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-7166.2012.01162.x/abs…
-Acupuncturists, homeopaths, parapsychologists, Marxists and even some atheists are becoming aware of the corrupt system in the areas of what should be science:
---Sense About Science + John Maddox Heresy +James Randi "Educational" Foundation = Corruption
---Center for Inquiry-Mass media + = $ $ $ (see to Sense About Science)
---Liar One Million Dollar Challenge (See McLuhan Book)
That skepticism called "scientific" and that is reflected in the bullshit ideology, supported by Daniel Loxton omits the critical part of Marcello Truzzi, Richard Kamerman, David Leiter ...
http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/Why-Is-There-a-Skeptical-Movement.pdf
-Jimmy Wales and other pseudo Skeptik? Not surprisingly, the founder of Wikipedia is declared against homeopathy precisely when formed Skeptical Guerrillas (who seek to control information on wikipedia editions).
The Skepticism called "scientific" is a politics, not science. Orac is a model of fraudskeptik.
No, I think that was "vbloke".
Magufo - That's an awful lot of gibberish for one post. You might be more effective if you made, say, one well thought out statement and backed it up with facts.
Magufo looks like some idiot that posts on the JREF site - he has an issue with Randi, and usually posts links to musical youtube videos as well as calling people frauds. (Heh, I know it seems like there would be a lot of those, but there's one in particular and I can't remember their name... I think they were a Queensland, Australia located applicant to the million dollar challenge who lost it when they failed...)
@Flip
Sounds like the Aussie version of Denis Marcuse
Mojo-- Ah yes, "vbloke" was the one; thanks for the reminder! :)
#49 flip
He's really going to have to step up his game if he wants to beat DJT in the Incoherency Marathon. Some of those sentences were comprehensible--and the penalties for that sure do hurt your final score.
So true Khani. DJT makes practically any crank seem like a genius by comparison.