Hundreds overdose on homeopathic remedies

[Raistlin]

So I read about this study, which was to determine how much people who use "alternative" medicine really care about the science. The results are not comforting:

When asked what they would do if a government agency said that the supplement they use most often was ineffective, 71% of regular users reported that they would continue to use it. In the follow-up survey, respondents were asked what they would do if the FDA specifically said that the supplement they use most often was ineffective to see if using the FDA's name vs an unknown government agency would alter the result. The addition of the FDA did not lead to different responses. Once again, two thirds (67%) of regular and sometimes users said that they would continue to take the supplement.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Jesus Christ. Really? That's just sad and awful.

I weep for humanity.

[Mirage]

Wow, I'm amazed how many people are actually defending this. I can understand if you don't understand what homeopathy is (and assume it's just using herbs), but people who actually know what it is defending it is unbelievable.

1. Take 5 black and 95 white marbles and put them in a jar.
2. At random split the marbles into 5 sets of 20 and put them in new jars.
3. At 80 white marbles to each jar of 20 so that the total is 100 again.
4. For every jar repeat step 2.
5. Do this dozens to hundreds of times.

Once you've done this sufficiently to have 100 jars of 100 marbles when you only started with 5 black marbles... how is it possible for each of the 100 final jars to still have a black marble?

This is the principle of homeopathy. You dilute something repeatedly in water. At some point you literally will have diluted it so many times that not even a single molecule of the original "active" substance can be present in the jar of water. The argument that says that the more diluted it is, the more likely it is to work is like saying the more times you run the marble experiment, the more likely a black marble will appear in each jar. More likely at 1/1,000,000 than 1/100. Homeopathy is bunk.

So basically you're saying water has memory of medicinal stuff that's been in it. However, it lacks memory for every contaminant it's run over in its existence, right? If homeopathy works then water treatment plants cannot.

In fact, the effect of the contaminants would get stronger the more you treated the water :)

[Yeargdribble]

In fact, the effect of the contaminants would get stronger the more you treated the water

That would explain why my tap water tastes like s**t.

By the way has it come to anyones attention that Yearg just posted outside EoEO? o.O

It was an accident. I swear. I just clicked on a link and was wondering how I'd missed this topic in EoEO. It was after I responded that I realized it was in General. Definitely a rarity for me, though I do sometimes post in the other forums... I just tend to live in EoEO because teh interwebz r srs biznes.

When asked what they would do if a government agency said that the supplement they use most often was ineffective, 71% of regular users reported that they would continue to use it. In the follow-up survey, respondents were asked what they would do if the FDA specifically said that the supplement they use most often was ineffective to see if using the FDA's name vs an unknown government agency would alter the result. The addition of the FDA did not lead to different responses. Once again, two thirds (67%) of regular and sometimes users said that they would continue to take the supplement.

Yeah, this is just sad. My wife an I were recently at the doctor for some minor cold type thing. The doctor was actually lamenting that the government would now regulate his ability to prescribe things that didn't work. He cited the fact that people just feel better getting anything even if it doesn't work and so he would just prescribe stuff so the patient would feel better psychologically even if he knew there was nothing he could prescribe that would help their condition.

They want to throw their money away and they feel like the government is being too imposing when it tells doctors they can't just prescribe pointless crap.

[Unbreakable Will]

[QUOTE=Yeargdribble;2787539]

By the way has it come to anyones attention that Yearg just posted outside EoEO? o.O

It was an accident. I swear. I just clicked on a link and was wondering how I'd missed this topic in EoEO. It was after I responded that I realized it was in General. Definitely a rarity for me, though I do sometimes post in the other forums... I just tend to live in EoEO because teh interwebz r srs biznes.

Indeed, no laughing....ever...

[Yeargdribble]

It's kinda funny that I come across so serious and all. My wife often complains that I'm always joking around and that I'm not taking things seriously enough. I'm actually a laid-back, carefree guy.

[Raistlin]

It's kinda funny that I come across so serious and all. My wife often complains that I'm always joking around and that I'm not taking things seriously enough. I'm actually a laid-back, carefree guy.

Haha, I'm very similar. Offline I'm very laid back. I think the contrast has something to do with being exposed to more stupidity online, and having specific avenues (forums, blogs, etc.) of expressing frustration with it.

[Peegee]

I haven't responded to this thread?

If homeopathy were consistent in its purported benefits, it would be used by everybody in established medicine. But wait, it's not, so it must be a government conspiracy to halt its production!

My grandmother had a stroke a while back. One of the 'treatments' is acupuncture, because well, I'm Chinese. My mother's observation is that it (acupuncture) is more effective than traditional western medicine.

Shoot me.

[Raistlin]

Yet more reason to stay away from "natural remedies" that may even have real things in them: some common herbal supplements have negative interactions with common medication.

[Madame Adequate]

If people want to try this nonsense that's between them and their doctor, but I'll be damned if quack medicine should be paid for by the government when real treatments are not.

[Raistlin]

Wait, wait... the NHS has a "value-for-money watchdog?" And this so-called watchdog approves of "alternative medication" like acupuncture somehow? I would love to see those calculations.

[Tavrobel]

Placebo/cost of water = infinity.

[rubah]

Read this
Homeopathy vs Science - a Metaphor

But this thread is a month old and on the third page!

Bite me.













(you'll like it~)

[Raistlin]

That analogy is perfectly accurate. That optical illusion is freaky, though.

Also on topic, last month Wordpress disabled the blog of a guy who was being critical of some "naturopath" nutjob called Christopher Maloney at the request of another complete quack. Last I heard Wordpress finally reenabled the blog, but it's still disheartening on several levels -- including the fact that those two wackos actually have a following.

[NorthernChaosGod]

I remember that illusion, it's sweet. Also, the argument made me lol.

Also, observer effect, double slit experiment.