to think homeopaths really just make money out of the gullible?

[WidowWadman]

A remedy made from diluted bits of the Berlin Wall - seriously, that's surely just a test to find out how far they can push it, isn't?

That's my worry too, minouminou

I don't know minou it's as baffling as negative energy.

I have to say I'm always quite heartened when I see MN threads about these kind of topics because there is usually a majority arguing pro-science. I'm on a German parenting forum as well and there I have been at times the only one arguing against HP and the likes. It's depressing.

It's 'homeopathy awareness week' next week, so there's probably going to be a lot of woo-promotion around, but luckily lots of people are also now promoting genuine awareness of homeopathy, ie that it is nonsense. This was a blog from last year - I love the video of the homeopathic overdosers.

YANBU
It is a complete load of old bollocks.

Blocked energy, my arse!

This just about sums up the sheer idiocy of homeopathy

That sounds painful, ThereAreEggs!

It is heartening to be amongst so many like-minded souls

Although 'like-minded souls' makes no sense whatsoever

LOVE that Mitchell and Webb sketch

Fantastic lashings!

It's a complete load of old bollocks. Wether they are knowingly making money out of the gullible (and vulnerable) or they genuinely believe this shit works must depend on the individual homeopaths. I've come across a lot of nonsense peddled by homeopaths and I really find it hard to work out where they are coming from, I suspect most of them must know its bullshit and are just in it to make money.

Honestly homeopathy is my pet hate. At least choose an "alternative" medicine that sounds vaguely feasible and doesn't defy all logic.

Here's another pet hate whilst we're on the subject of woo: amber teething necklaces. I can't believe people actually put those on their babies.

Its the jumping up and down 15 times and turning around that activates the memory in the water - do you people not understand that!!

How about this for bullshit:

It is just about believable that the weird gun/drill thing she uses really does 'tap the bone into the correct place'. But the method that she uses to find out which specific area to treat is to wave her hands around the clients head in a woo way. In other words she has no idea what she is doing.

And the best part is, in her other videos, clients say that they have to come back about every 2 weeks - what a rip off! People bring their kids too - no way would I let her near my baby!

That video has just made me very angry.
I know where she can shove her drill.

lurcherlover I agree, another pet hate of mine. Worse in a way as they are directly dangerous, unlike homeopathy which is just water.

Not only is it nonsense, it's fraudulent, dangerous nonsense.

Have a look at the excellent blog by Professor David Colquhoun - example here: www.dcscience.net/?p=6089

and the equally excellent blog (and books) by Dr Ben Goldacre - example here: www.badscience.net/2011/02/pretending-that-evidence-is-difficult-and-complicated/

n.b. I (and other, more qualified people) say it's nonsense because people have rejected conventional therapies that can cure serious illness for 'alternative' therapies that cannot.

Has anyone noticed that the peddlers of all things woo are now starting to talk about "harnessing the placebo effect"? It's becoming increasingly difficult to defend CAM in tems of it actually having any physical effect, so they are trying to claim placebo for their own.....

Yup. Placebo is the new drug of choice .

"why would a poison that causes breathing problems cure breathing problems???"

I don't have knowledge of this. But isn't it similar to the concept of vaccination, where the immune will fight the diluted element and protect and cure the disease?

Claig, vaccinations work because your immune system "knows" how to formulate the right compounds/cells/ enzymes already, and the vaccination introduces the bacteria/virus for it to practise on. Your immune system makes a few different trial runs, usually, until it comes up with the right stuff.

This just isn't the case with homeopathy. It's just water. The homeopathic model is just not possible...chemically of physically.

....or, not of.