iSylvan

Why are there no homeopathic poisons?

iSylvan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:05:48 +0000

Homeopathy is based on the idea that water has memory. To make a homeopathic remedy, you first identify a substance that is able to produce a certain symptom, and then you dilute the substance in water many times over while forcefully shaking the remedy for each dilution step, a process called potenziation. This somehow induces the water’s memory, making it able to retain the abilities of the diluted substance even though the substance is diluted to such a degree that the probability of finding even a single molecule of the original substance is ridiculously low. In addition, by doing this the effects of the substance are somehow reversed. For example, if you dilute a substance that itself is able to cause nausea, the resulting homeopathic remedy will be able to cure nausea.

No homeopath I’ve ever heard speak on the subject has been able to explain the mechanism behind these wondrous properties of common H₂O. Also, the purported efficacy of homeopathic remedies somehow always seem to dwindle under the scrutinizing light of a randomly controlled clinical trial. But I digress…

My simple challenge to any homeopaths out there:

Name a substance that, when potenziated after homeopathic principles, will be able to produce deleterious effects on an organism. Specifically I’m interested to learn about substances that, when diluted to common homeopathic concentrations like 30C, are able to kill an organism.

If you have any issues with the definition of homeopathy I’ve given above, please comment so that I may correct it. If you have any elucidating insights about the mechanisms behind homeopathy, please chime in. (Though I implore you, please don’t go all Charlene Werner on me, it makes my head hurt…)

“We Few, We Happy Few, We Band Of Brothers”

iSylvan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:26:28 +0000

A longer version of the talk he gave at TED, this is Dr. Andy Thomson’s talk at the Atheist Alliance International conference of 2007, exposing some of the psychological mechanisms that drive suicide bombers and how we’re all vulnerable to religious hijacking of our minds. Brilliant stuff.

Homeopathic Emergency Medicine

iSylvan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:24:39 +0000

Ok, I simply can’t let this one pass. I mean, what kind of science blogger would I be if I didn’t repost this excellent video by british comedy duo Mitchell and Webb? In the words of The Bad Astronomer: sometimes a little mockery is the best way.

EDIT: And of course, if you’re a Norwegian like me, you’ll also know and love the Uti Vår Hage-sketch “Homeopatihelikopteret” (“The Homeopathy Helicopter”), linked here for your convenience.