Alt med show

[Tom Morris]

Okay, alternative medicine gets on my nerves (actually, it doesn't - it's ********, and it works mostly in the mind). But it was last week that it finally hit me. The altmed crowd are coming to my local town.

My old school are going to be hosting an alternative medicine exhibition - a "Mind/Body/Spirit Health Event". I'm in two minds about it.

First of all, for a "Technology College", as my old school is (it applied for technology college status in the year I finished, and they had to prove to the government that they could offer superior facilities for science, technology, mathematics, computing and so on), this is just slightly worrying. Since when was reflexology or ear candling or aromatherapy scientific or technological.

But also, I'm excited because it'll give me a chance to talk to the ********ters face to face.

According to an advertisment, they are going to be having the following techniques / therapies / piles of ******** on display (and I've added some links both to believers websites and skeptical sites):

Alexander Technique
Kinesiology
Aqua-Detox
Metamorphic Therapy
Aromatherapy
Reflexology
Aura Photography (http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-05/i-files.html)
Shiatsu (http://www.shiatsu.org/)
Bowen Technique
Shamanic Counselling
Colour Therpay
Sound Therapy
Feng Shui
Spiritual Healing
Hopi Ear Candles (http://skepdic.com/coning.html)
Tarot
I-Ching
Trager (http://www.trager.com/)
Iridiology

I've just been reading up on Aqua Detox. Boy what a fraud that one is. If you turn on an Aqua Detox machine, you'll find the same thing happens regardless of whether you put your feet in or not. Do I really want to put an end to their game by explaining electrolysis of salt water? At least if my old physics teacher is still about, he'll be pleased to know that I did learn something from his class.

As for things like aromatherapy and reflexology, they are pretty easy to find materials about. And I've written about Hopi candles in the past.

If anybody has any idea how I should approach any of the therapies I've listed above - any scientific data you've found or websites with interesting stuff on. How about the reaction that would be given by the True Believers (I'm still fairly new to debating these idiots)? Do you think I should come armed with literature or should I stick to sarcastic probing comments?

I will probably knock up some leaflets over the week and get them copied when I'm next in town, and put lots of resources up on a website - also with references to Quackwatch, Skeptic's Dictionary, Randi.org, CSICOP and so on.

Do you think I should send a letter to the principal of my old school expressing my concerns? And is it really that polite to go in and debunk these people's bizarre fantasies? I'm not too bothered about offending the merchants of this kind of crap, but I'm thinking that it would be great if I could just persuade one or two people that it's all rubbish.

Or shall I just not bother and keep my Saturday free for slightly less ********-filled endeavours?

[geni]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branches_of_alternative_medicine

Thry looking thorugh this list. Allthough not aimed at debunking quite a few of the articles atchive that in passing (particulary Iridiology).

[Tom Morris]

Thanks for that geni. Didn't know Wikipedia had that lot on there!

I'm just getting ready to go to the show which starts in about an hour. I've got to go up to London shortly afterwards, so I will only have about an hour to look around the show and rip the piss. I might also be able to take some pictures, which will be good.

I've got lots of print outs from Quackwatch and I'm going to have my copy of Bob Carroll's excellent Skeptic's Dictionary under my arm. And I've got the intellectual sledge hammer of truth that is Randi's paranormal challenge...

Woo-woo: But how can you prove that I'm a fraud?
Skeptic: Ah, I can't. But you can prove that you aren't. There's a nice man in Florida who will give you $1 MILLION if you can prove that your treatment has some scientific basis to it. $1 MILLION DOLLARS! That's a smeg load of money. Go for it - you'll be able to give up reflexology and go live in a Carribean mansion with that lot. Why on earth don't you want to do it? You seem so sure of your product.

[Anders]

Now what does Tarot and I-Ching has to do with alternative medicine? Strange people those woo-woos.

[jambo372]

I read tarot cards - they've nothing at all to do with healing.

[geni]

Originally posted by jambo372
I read tarot cards - they've nothing at all to do with healing.

I'm pretty sure that someone some where will try and use them for dianosis.

Why people bother reading random picture I'm not sure.

[Tom Morris]

I've written up my experience today and posted it on my site:
http://www.bbcity.co.uk/entry/3243

And, I've got a letter drafted to the principal of my old school, which I will send on Monday asking them to review the policy of letting facilities out to woo-woo types, especially after having worked so hard to get Technology College status.