Celebrity endorsements that are science fiction trashed in annual list

[alp227]

Have you heard the one about the bracelet with holograms that can improve your strength and flexibility, or help you lose weight? Did you know that sperm was highly nutritious and something to be reabsorbed into the body, particularly before a fight?

For the past 12 months a range of celebrities have endorsed and promoted a whole range of scientifically dubious ideas. Fortunately, for anyone concerned that people might take the celebrity nonsense seriously, scientists and doctors are on hand to dispense some corrective wisdom on the dodgiest of these claims.

The campaign group Sense About Science (SAS) has collated scores of examples of scientific abuse from the past year and today publishes its annual list of celebrity-science shame. "When people in the public eye give opinions about causes of disease, cures, diets, or products we should buy or avoid, that's it, their opinion goes worldwide in seconds," said Lindsay Hogg, assistant director of SAS. "It gets public attention and appears in every related Google search for months. So if it's scientifically wrong, we're stuck with the fallout from that."

This year saw the biggest rise in dubious ideas among celebrities about the way our bodies work, said the campaigners. Olivia Newton-John, for example, told a newspaper in the summer that she took extra digestive enzymes and "plant tonics" to boost her immune system. Pop star Sarah Harding, meanwhile, extolled the virtues of sprinkling charcoal on to her meals to Now magazine, as a way of absorbing the "bad, damaging stuff" in the body.

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/dec/29/celebrity-endorsements-trashed-annual-list

[RandomThoughts]

1. some people actually believe it is all about what you think it does.

Placebo effect.

That was part of SG1 Ori story. The rich only have power if they can get people to think they do.


The power comes from people thinking it, it is faith first. What you believe, and by correlation what society believes occurs.

That is how media can run the world in that system.


What I have found is some people have more effect in faith concepts, not sure on the why of that. But basically that is a concept in creating power structures, create the illusion, then the illusion creates the reality.

Fake it till you make it. Where that comes from.

Also why the Toad guy on MSNBC got so upset when his credibility was challenged, since some really believe it is all perception that then tunes the energy of people to create the effect.

Really some believe that, and it is true to some effect, and is definitely how many think it works. Why Bush also kept saying good reports about bad situations.

It creates many traps, listed a few of them, creates self deception, creates fear of even thinking things, creates a need for public acceptance and a bending to the threats of something like media or smear, many other things.


Basically Letterman overcoming his smear attack shows that is not how it works, but it is more that smears are sent out as viral gossip against a person.

[Confusious]

2. That may work sometimes

Other times, the disease wants to create the reality that you are sick, and it gets it's way, whether you believe it or not.

[LongTomH]

3. Cross-post this to GD

Everyone needs to read it!