This Week In Pseudoscience - Pick of The Best (The Worst?) Pseudoscientific Posts - Issue #2
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Here comes the second issue of carefully selected, appalling Steemit pseudoscience just for you.
Indulge yourself!
This time I am going to skip providing dozens of references to coherent scientific research explaining why these practices are full of shit. As it was proven in my previous post, it does not matter how much relevant and peer reviewed scientific data you provide, because the quackers will refuse to recognize and accept it anyway. It is just futile to try to explain science and evidence to someone who does not value science or who values their personal attachments/beliefs more than science.
I will use bullshit-o-metre to assess the amount of BPM (Bullshits per minute). The maximum amount of BPM it can detect is 10.
[Bullshit-o-metre source]
Reiki
Concept of reiki revolves around a belief that some cosmic woo energy has healing properties and can be directed at someone through palms of your hands being moved over so called "chakras", without even touching the person. It has been proven to show no effect besides placebo effect. Basically if someone beliefs that it helps, then it is likely that person may trigger psychosomatic effect which can actually cause their bodies to initiate some sort of healing. The psychosomatic placebo effect can literally apply to any belief. If you are convinced by your belief system that your Humpty Dumpty shaped cookie is a magical healing amulet, then your are likely to trigger positive psychosomatic effect when you wear it around your neck.
Wasting any more budget funds on offering this quacky service or wasting them on keeping proving that it is an utter bullshit, should be no longer acceptable.
Anyway, why would you pay someone to perform invisible massage on you? You can just pay for a proper, relaxing massage session, where you are actually being touched.
Bullshit-o-metre reading: 9 BPM
Crystal Healing
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This practice is very similar to Reiki. It is a belief that some random and colorful rocks composed of different minerals can direct woo energies within your body's chakras in order to bring up the healing process. After many scientific studies (and precious time, resources and money being wasted) it has been proven to be an ultimate mumbo jumbo with no effect beyond placebo. What is really ridiculous is the fact that you have to, actually acquire certificate to be able to perform this "therapy".
Bullshit-o-metre reading: 9 BPM
Astrology
Astrology is a belief that completely random and arbitrary positions or movements of astronomical objects (often separated from each other by hundreds or thousands of light years) can determine how someone's character and psychology is going to be developed. This belief is a complete opposite to what science has discovered so far in the fields of human behavioral biology, psychology, physics and astronomy.
I would like to refer you to this awesome video from tv series "Cosmos", where Carl Sagan explains what Astrology is about:
When I tried to measure the intensity of nonsense behind astrological posts, the reading went beyond the scale and my bullshit-o-metre broke.
May the shwartz be with you!
Steemit Quack Busters - Pick of The Best (Worst?) Pseudoscientific Posts - Issue #1
I love this line:
Indeed. :)
:-)
Yes, because philosophy is a precursor to science.
-- Without at least some basic philosophical groundwork, there can be no science whatsoever.
Of course, but we could also go back further and say "Without pre-digesting our food via the invention of fire to increase our calorie per neuron count we couldn't have humans." Everything is built on something else and science that doesn't at least engage the "why" along with the what and how can not only be dangerous, but also not very helpful to humanity.
I wasn't talking about philosphy form a historical perspective @lukestokes, if that was how I came off. Neither was I negating the importance of science.
All I'm saying is that it's in comparison rather easy for the mystics of this world to be ignorant or even willfully ignorant towards real science, because they are already ignorant to or they chose to reject the logical conclusions on which a scientist must stand. That still doesn't mean of course, that there couldn't be a superstitious scientist; but he would be handicapped in any specific branch of science intimately related to his superstition.
On the other hand, the claim that ""Without pre-digesting our food via the invention of fire to increase our calorie per neuron count we couldn't have humans." would seem to be obviously flawed, because there are many foods that a person could live on without cooking them. That is unless you are arguing from a historical perspective. (Or maybe I'm wrong about that one?)
I was half kidding and referring to this TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/suzana_herculano_houzel_what_is_so_special_about_the_human_brain?language=en Fascinating stuff, but correlation is not causation.
We are in 2016 and not going backwards. We can say any number of past superstitions have lead to where we are now and therefore we should respect what they have had to say. This is grasping at straws to make something worthless in to something worthwhile.
Just like a failed hypothesis should be thrown out and paid no heed, mystic mumbo-jumbo is an utter waste of time. When there is so much more to learn, why in the world would someone want to take a step backwards to re-learn faulty information is beyond me.
Your choice, however.
@logic
I was amazed actually how much bullshit Steemit has in regards to science and religion.
Too much!
I'm not very surprised unfortunately.
A lot of people on here hold very "extreme" philosophical positions (including mysef, as an anarcho-capitalist etc) and therefore tend to have become very anti-intellectual over the years.
It's very hurtful to any group or movement -- as it has been to the libertarian one -- and it needs to be corrected as soon as possible.
I try to keep an open mind but I just can't even bring myself to read anything about crystals or astrology any more. Anyway the post was worth it just for this:
Everyone needs it. No matter how rational you are you can falll for pseudoscience, BS and scams. They are all basically the same things. The only difference is often the motivation whether it is ignorance, lack of education or sociopathy.
I agree :-) Please make good use of the meter :-)
It is easy to break :-)
I love the bullshit-0-meter! ahahahha
I know, it's hilarious :-)
:D
Ignorance is bliss. :)
http://www.sciencegroup.org.uk/capdyn.htm
Are you talking about yourself?
Sure, you can keep kidding yourself. :)
Impressive rebuttal.
A more clever response would have to been silent and then put me in an issue of psuedoscience, but your intelligence shined through instead. :)
It was a silent response and that picture is equivalent of putting you in category of pseudoscience. Please, stop trashing my comment section with links to your quackery.
@logic being logical again. :) Blessings&&Love eternal.
Good post, but I have to say that the Astrology post is not Pseudoscience. It doesn't mean to be scientific, it's about the Vedic tradition.
Of course it's not scientific to believe in astrology, but it can be studied by a historical / philosophical point of view.
Personally I'm not a fan of Astrology, just wanted to let you know my mind.
Thanks for your comment.
Vedic astrology is pseudoscience. It is used for "making decisions made about marriage, opening a new business, and moving into a new home". Just like with Western astrology it is a belief that some random and arbitrary positions or movements of astronomical objects is going to develop.
Analyzing it's historical development does not mean that it is not pseudoscience.
I think that the definition of pseudoscience is "some theory which claims to be scientific and have scientific foundations, but it isn't" or at least this is my idea of that word.
So, astrology doesn't claim to be scientific and horoscopes don't claim to have scientific foundations, therefore can not be considered pseudoscience, but just non-scientific.
Pseudoscience is when your experiement cannot be replicated and is not falsifiable.
Astrology fails in both. miserably and right off the bat. The gravitational pull of the doctor giving birth to you is greater than any other planetary alligment at the time of your birth.
You see? Highschool physics can toss out of the window any spirtual crap
Bothe Western and Eastern astrologers persistently claim that it is based in science.
Also, Hindu astrology was forced to become University faculty in India despite large protests of scientific community in India.
Still Bullshit mate
Actually, @andrew0, astrology holds a lot of weight when studied properly. The form that it is in as it is presented to the masses is a massive distraction. Firstly, the use of tropical astrology basis its planet's positioning where the planets were 2000 years ago when Vedic astrology began. This does not take into account procession of the solar system through the galaxy, changing our north oriented star over time. Sidereal astrology however allows for the positioning of where the planets are now.
Here's a neat experiment that was conducted to show that the planets' positions do cause an effect on objects here on our planet: http://www.sciencegroup.org.uk/capdyn.htm
Thanks for your feedback, I will check the link and let you know :)
How old is the Vedas?
Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures - Rig, Yajur and Sam) are quite old. The oldest among them, Rig Veda might be 7000 years old (5000 BC or earlier).
http://creative.sulekha.com/how-old-are-the-vedas-and-who-can-read-them_170678_blog
Astronomy is primarily superstition, but it's usually backed by at least some pseudoscientific claims.
You meant to say astrology, I hope.
As for what Astronomy is capable of?
And Astrology??
Yes, big mistake! Sorry about the brainfart people.