What You Can Do to Fight Woo: Magic bracelets, mediums, and immunity denialism
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Reading the day's headlines often feels like stepping into a vortex of unfounded claims. A psychic who bilked someone out of their savings here, an aura reader who prevented a cancer victim from seeking treatment there.
Every day, the James Randi Educational Foundation scours the media for these kinds of stories, so we can step in and help any way we can. But we can't do it all on our own. We need you.
This week is thick with woo, but here's what you can do to fight it. And some of these won't take you longer than a commercial break.
Magic Athletic Bracelets Still Don't Work
The Problem: When I was in eight grade, my P.E. teacher wore a very unattractive gold magnet bracelet to class. I asked him once what it was for. "It gives you balance," he said. "You know how magnets even stuff out? Like poles? Well, your body needs evening out too." I don't know what that meant, but it sounded pretty right on (hey, I was fourteen), and it distracted him long enough not to notice I couldn't do thirty sit-ups.
Today, there are countless versions of my P.E. teacher's overpriced golden magical magnetic body equalizer. Power Balance is the most famous, both for its ubiquitous usage among athletes, and its notorious failure to produce any quantifiable benefits under controlled conditions. This week, the Merseyside Skeptics in the United Kingdom brought us news of their new investigation of the Shuzi band, a similar device "whose Nano Vibrational Technology claims to relieve the detrimental effects of your sluggish, uncommunicative, clumpy blood." Watch the Merseyside Skeptics perform a rudimentary test to examine this claim.
Read more: What You Can Do to Fight Woo: Magic bracelets, mediums, and immunity denialism
JREF Offers a Number of Scholarships and Grants for Students, Educators and Local Skeptic Groups
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The James Randi Educational Foundation is proud to provide a number of resources that skeptics need to promote critical thinking in their communities and the wider public. We are equally committed to making sure the next generation of skeptics is equipped to carry on this important work for years to come. This is why the JREF is proud to regularly provide grants and scholarships to educators, students, and community activists who share our mission of inoculating the public against pseudoscience, superstition, and unproven claims.
New Videos from the Amaz!ng Meeting 2012: Jennifer Michael Hecht and Stuart Firestein
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If you missed The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012, you can still catch great talks, panels, and workshops on science and skepticism given live at TAM 2012 on our YouTube page. Today, we are happy to share two more exceptional talks.
Jennifer Michael Hecht - Future of Skepticism: New Adventures in Critical Thinking
Author and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht argues in favor of understanding the history of skepticism to build a foundation for skepticism of the future.
Stuart Firestein - The Values of Science: Ignorance, Uncertainty, and Doubt
Dr. Stuart Firestein of Columbia University discusses the value of "thoroughly conscious ignorance" in propelling scientific advancement.
JREF Welcomes Barbara Drescher, Bids Farewell to Michael Blanford
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After nearly three years of working with Michael Blanford, the JREF is sad to announce that he will be leaving the organization. JREF’s Director of Educational Programs, Blanford is precluded from moving to Los Angeles at the present time to join the rest of the organization’s staff at its new offices and meeting space, opened this last June. The JREF is pleased that he was able to contribute so much to its important mission advancing critical thinking in education, especially with his work leading a team developing JREF’s educational modules for the classroom.
“Michael is a good skeptic, a good educator and a good friend, and I’m very happy he will remain connected with the JREF in the years ahead, continuing to give guidance and advice on our developing programs of educational and teacher resources,” said D.J. Grothe, president of the Foundation. “The growth of JREF’s new educational programs are a direct result of Michael’s creativity and hard work, and we are grateful for his many contributions.”
The JREF is very happy to announce that Barbara Drescher will begin serving as the organization’s Consultant for Educational Programs in Blanford’s absence. Drescher has been involved with the James Randi Educational Foundation for many years, speaking and leading teacher workshops at The Amaz!ng Meeting, JREF’s annual conference, and advising on the JREF in the Classroom program. In addition to skeptical activism, Ms. Drescher teaches research methods, statistics, and cognitive psychology at California State University, Northridge, where she has focused her research on perception, attention, learning, and reasoning. On her critical thinking website, ICBSEverywhere.com, she evaluates claims and research, discusses education, and promotes science and skepticism.
“I strongly believe that what the JREF does makes the world a better place,” says Drescher. “I have been proud of my contributions to the JREF's educational efforts over the past few years and I am excited about the opportunity to make a much larger and more lasting contribution in this new role."
For more about the James Randi Educational Foundation’s educational programs, click here.
The Cult of Ramtha and More on "Consequence"
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If you haven't already, be sure to check out the JREF's newest podcast, Consequence: True Stories About False Things. We recently completed a two-part interview with David McCarthy, a former follower of J.Z. Knight. Knight operates a cult based on the teachings of Ramtha, the spirit of an ancient warrior whom Knight claims to channel. David's story of attending "Ramtha's School of Enlightenment" is harrowing. You can listen to part one here and part two right here.
And on the latest episode of Consequence, we talk with Tim Farley of What's the Harm about some of the most egregious (and most ridiculous) stories from his great compendium of wrongs committed in the name of pseudoscience, superstition, and the paranormal.
You can keep up with each new episode of Consequence at our website, and you can also subscribe in iTunes.
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