Sunday, October 11, 2009

Mute Monday: (Quack) Science




25 comments:

h said...

That's what Homeopathic "Doctors" believe? Holy crap! I thought they were just hippies who flunked out of Med School.

Happy Mute Monday!

moi said...

Troll: Ja. Real "whee ooo" folks. I hate the term "alternative medicine" as well. There is only what works and what doesn't. Homeopathy doesn't.

fishy said...

Quack, quack, quack. Oliver can keep his output to himself, thank you. Plenty of bad science these days.
If you look in the health/medicine section of any good bookstore you can't help but wonder just how some of those titles came to be published. It almost seems as if the weirder the science, the more likely it will make it to print.
Good MM,I'm up!

sparringK9 said...

oh man. i bet i wasted $20 on that homeopathic anti anxiety spray. oh well. theres always valium.

Buzz Kill said...

I get enough urine at the local swim club without having to buy more. I always thought Homeopathic medicine was natural herbs, pot and peyote. I've wasted a lot of years...
I love the "science - it works bitches" pic - it's now my wallpaper.
Happy MM!

Jenny said...

bwahahaahahahh to K9. I know flushing my sinuses with saline water eliminates 90% of my sinus infections and I know that the other 10%? yah, I take the anitibiotics.

not sure how drilling skulls for headaches really made sense.....

Happy MM!

Aunty Belle said...

whoa--freaky!

Uh, happy (?) MM!

LaDivaCucina said...

WHERE'S YOUR PIE?!!!!!

moi said...

All: I once had a doctor friend tell me good health was one part genetics, one part luck, and one part prevention. Still we just keep looking for the magic bullet/elixir/pill to make everything all better instead of just doing the work it takes to truly stay healthy. Which isn't quick and isn't sexy, but I'll put my money on it any day over hocus pocus: eat right, exercise, keep stress at a manageable level.

La Diva: Between training for this half marathon and trying to meet some gawdawful deadlines, the only time I step into the kitchen these days is to make coffee. Soon, soon!

LaDivaCucina said...

Ok, I'll let you go with a caution, seeing as you are soooo busy! haha! I was looking forward to seeing what you came up with since you are quite the baker!

the Dread Pirate Rackham said...

I love that. I want that on a t-shirt.

pam said...

I'll have to watch this from home. But yes, lots of quack science out there. Global warming anyone?

moi said...

La Diva: I actually am more of a tart girl. I was going to try and get to the cranberry/almond/caramel I make quite a bit. I'll have to leave it for the next Undaunted post.

Pirate: One of my favorite spots for coolio science tee shirts is at the gift shop at the National Atomic Museum on Mountain Road. "Why, yes, it IS rocket science." Bwahahahahahaha!

Pam: I gotta list as long as my arm. And, while we're at it, what's your sign?

Gnomeself Be True said...

I complained to my holistic medicine practitioner that I wasn't getting any better.
He said he was already doing as little as he could.

Doris Rose said...

Well, as a medical professional, I can only say that it often works well for allergy patients. But, please continue the scree, because it certainly helps.

moi said...

Gnome: Bah duh bump.

Doris Rose: Then you should be able to point me to some solid scientific studies proving Homeopathy's efficacy. Or something that gives it validity beyond the placebo effect, which I do acknowledge has worth. Mind over matter and, say, viable, proven herbal remedies, are not quackery. However, you won't budge me without scientific proof on the opinion that diluting some kind of "element" to a bazillionth degree in a vial of water can in any way, shape, or form have healing properties.

MinorityReport said...

I love that second pic (on its own and as a commentary to your video choice). Happy MM.

Doris Rose said...

If you are really interested, you could start here:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/
http://www.homeopathyusa.org/faq.html
http://homeopathyusa.org/home/eb/allergic-rhinitis.html

moi said...

Minority Report: Happy MM to you, too!

Doris Rose: The first Web site is an overview of what homeopathy is, including an acknowledgment that it is nearly impossible to study its efficacy because, "a number of its key concepts are not consistent with established laws of science (particularly chemistry and physics)."

As for the other two Web sites, the information provided comes from the American Institute of Homeopathy. Those published "studies" were all done by homeopathic practitioners. Furthermore, if, as these folks admit, homeopathic remedies contain few or no pharmacologically active molecules, then any assertion that these formulations work on curing or alleviating disease violates fundamental principles of science. In other words, one can't study what isn't there.

So in this case, given the lack of evidence, what we are dealing with is not science but faith. In other words, homeopathy is a belief system. Which I have no problem with. If these folks want to BELIEVE homeopathy helps them, great! They just can't claim it as science when they have not and cannot apply the tenets of the scientific method to their claims.

Kymical Reactions said...

I think homeopathic 'doctors' are whack jobs. However, I know first hand that some homeopathic remedies work first hand.

But you don't have to go to a doctor to get what you need. Just have to be your own advocate.

Kymical Reactions said...

(Happy MM by they way!)

Karl said...

Good evening Moi,

Your Doctor friend was spot on.

Best of luck on your run!

Vixen said...

Doh.

HappyMonday :)

Joanna Cake said...

It's like everything in life, there are weirdos in every field. I have to admit that some homeopathic stuff does work for me: I swear by echinacea for preventing most colds and milk thistle has sorted out my cystitis where antibiotics failed miserably. Happy belated MM x

moi said...

Kym and Joanna: Aren't y'all talking herbs, though? Homeopathy isn't herbal medicine. I think that's called Phytopharmacology?