Balm of Gilead was mentioned in the Bible, but we don’t know what was in it. It is supposed to relieve pain, but we don’t know if it is effective; there are no controlled studies. I have been watching the National Geographic series Life Below Zero which profiles people who live off the grid in Alaska, often
There are lots of testimonials from people who say they lost weight with GOLO, but its effectiveness is not supported by any scientific evidence. Advertisements for GOLO seem to be everywhere. They feature people who were unable to lose weight until they tried GOLO. The testimonials are enthusiastic and feature before-and-after pictures of people who
Adora Winquist offers advice about neuroplasticity, but hers is not the language of science or reality. Neuroplasticity is real and is being used in rehabilitation. We have learned that the adult brain can grow new neurons and the brain can be re-wired to function in new ways. In a recent email I was offered an interview
The Joovv Go is a handheld device for red light therapy. Red light therapy remains controversial: most of the claims are not supported by credible scientific evidence. I recently received an email urging me to try the Joovv Go, a small handheld device designed to provide red light therapy while travelling, to treat pain, relax
Nugenix Total T is one of many so-called testosterone boosters on the market. Vague claims, insufficient evidence. The commercials insult my intelligence. They show men on a golf course commiserating with each other about how their performance had gone downhill since the good old days of their youthful manhood, and some telling others how Nugenix
An aromatherapy room spray was contaminated with bacteria that caused melioidosis, resulting in deaths and serious sequelae. Buyers were misled. When cases of melioidosis were diagnosed in four patients in four different states, doctors were puzzled. Melioidosis, infection with the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, is typically associated with exposure to soil and water in tropical and subtropical environments, and
Magic Mind claims to be the world’s first productivity drink. It seems to me an increase in productivity should be easy to prove. If your widget factory produces 1,000 widgets a day you could do a controlled study comparing workers who used Magic Mind to workers who used a placebo. If the output increased to 1,500
[This article is also available in English. Thanks to Pensar for this Spanish translation.] Vuity es un nuevo colirio que se vende bajo receta. Un artículo de Scientific American dice: “Estas gotas podrían reemplazar sus anteojos para leer”. ¿Podrían realmente? ¿Como puede ser? ¿Realmente funcionan? Más o menos, más o menos… para algunas personas… durante unas horas…
[Este artículo está disponible en español. La traducción al español apareció por primera vez en la revista Pensar.] You’ve probably seen the ads. Vuity is a new prescription eyedrop. An article in Scientific American says, “These drops could replace your reading glasses.” Could they really? How can that be? Do they really work? Kind of, sort of …
Companies come and go, but the claims remain the same, that you can (insert claim) with (insert product) without any evidence. A new company offering magical footpads are just putting new wine in old bottles. In an ideal world, rational people would stop believing false claims that had been conclusively debunked. Ours is not a
