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CriticalThanking · 8th September 2009, 07:49 PM

Note - there is always the chance that the person to whom I am referring reads this forum, or that other forum members know this person. I am not looking for this person be outed or ridiculed. This is a description of encountering red flags that often indicate pseudoscience. Miisstatements about the science terminology he used or his hypothesis *may* be mine. It was hard to tell.

At a recent conference, I met an attendee with what seemed to be an intersting hypothesis. When I first met him, he seemed not to different than many conference attendees: intelligent and somewhat nerdy. He has a degree from a prestigious university. He was well spoken, with knowledge of a broad range of subjects. We got around to his area of scientific interest and started a normal conversation.

He is studying the "nitric oxide uptake" reaction and its relationship to disease. He feels he has found a link between the reaction and disease states and an exciting potential for disease treatment and prevention. The biochemistry he described is beyond me, but I asked questions to try to understand the direction of his research. I asked how strong a correlation he found between onset or presence of disease and the reaction rate ranges he had measured. He told me that the process can not yet be measured in the body. I saw something red waving in the distance, but I wasn't sure what it was and ignored it.

He went on to describe a common, naturally ocurring soil bacteria he believed to be a promising treatment to regulate the reaction in the body. He believes there is an evolutionary explanation for the "diseases of modern man" - we are too clean (my paraphrasing) as we have cut ourselves off from the soil in modern life. Hmmm... discovered a cure to a problem he has not proven existed, and hinting we should go back to being dirty to improve health (ok, a bit of an oversimplification on my part). I can see 2 or 3 people carrying large red pieces of fabric getting closer.

I tried to direct the conversation toward whether or not his ideas were being accepted by others. He told me he had approached a Nobel laureate at a conference and told him of his ideas. The laureate "could not tell him anything wrong with his ideas." A person holding what I can now see is a red flag comes running up, saying "sorry I am late."

I ask how he intends to test his hypothesis. Is his university considering funding some additional research or even trials? No, he is not affiliated with any institution and has always been a research team of one. Several large gentlemen push by, carrying a large box of the flag material and assorted flagpoles.

In fact, he has been testing his bacteria on himself and has cured his ADHD. It has helped him lose weight and should be a general cure for obesity and diabetes. I hear the beeping of a large truck backing up to dump some large rolls of red cloth.

My head is spinning at this point and the conversation moves on to other things. At lunch, he has engaged someone else in discussions of his ideas. Someone asks if he is so concerned with staying in contact with this bacteria whether or not he washes his hands or showers. "Of course, then I reapply the bacteria." At this point, he pulls out a small plastic bottle from his pocket and applies something to his hands. Lunch is over, as everyone is no longer hungry, and there is a wall of red fabric threatening to take over the restaurant.

I have never encountered anyone like this before in real life. He may be on to one of the most astounding breakthroughs in medical history. Or maybe not.

I must have had a bad card. I never hit a bingo. I needed either "quantam" or "Einstein was wrong" to win.

CT

JJM · 8th September 2009, 08:05 PM

I think I know who you are talking about, he is single-minded about it. He has a vast data base on NO, so he often offers citations to back his claims. The problem for anyone else is to become sufficiently interested to check his claims. One must, furthermore, separate his assertions of fact from his hypotheses. I think most folks find him a charming eccentric.

McHrozni · 9th September 2009, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by CriticalThanking

N
He is studying the "nitric oxide uptake" reaction and its relationship to disease. He feels he has found a link between the reaction and disease states and an exciting potential for disease treatment and prevention. The biochemistry he described is beyond me, but I asked questions to try to understand the direction of his research. I asked how strong a correlation he found between onset or presence of disease and the reaction rate ranges he had measured. He told me that the process can not yet be measured in the body. I saw something red waving in the distance, but I wasn't sure what it was and ignored it.

It seems like pseudoscientific woo to me. If I remember correctly (and I usually do), nitric oxides are a cause for oxidative stress in the body, which causes mutations to your DNA (and a range of other, less severe problems). I fail to see how it's uptake could be beneficial to you in any way.

Portions of his research are valid, of course. Being overly clean can lead to serious problems when you encoutner "dirt", because the body can overreact to the new and unknown chemicals, for example. Constant exposure to low doses of many poisons, like heavy metals for example, can produce a measure of tollerance to them, reducing the seriousness of a latter poisoning.
However, many of these exposures will harm the body by themselves, resulting in chronic conditions of varying severity.

Lastly, I consider anything that resembles a magic bullet to a wide varaiety of conditions a major red flag in itself. They are incredibly rare and always much more varied than presented - look at antibiotics for example. I believe this is the closest to a magic bullet we can get.

McHrozni

8th September 2009, 07:49 PM	#1
CriticalThanking Designated Hitter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the queue to Williamsport Posts: 2,164	Pseudoscience encounter? Collecting red flags Note - there is always the chance that the person to whom I am referring reads this forum, or that other forum members know this person. I am not looking for this person be outed or ridiculed. This is a description of encountering red flags that often indicate pseudoscience. Miisstatements about the science terminology he used or his hypothesis may be mine. It was hard to tell. At a recent conference, I met an attendee with what seemed to be an intersting hypothesis. When I first met him, he seemed not to different than many conference attendees: intelligent and somewhat nerdy. He has a degree from a prestigious university. He was well spoken, with knowledge of a broad range of subjects. We got around to his area of scientific interest and started a normal conversation. He is studying the "nitric oxide uptake" reaction and its relationship to disease. He feels he has found a link between the reaction and disease states and an exciting potential for disease treatment and prevention. The biochemistry he described is beyond me, but I asked questions to try to understand the direction of his research. I asked how strong a correlation he found between onset or presence of disease and the reaction rate ranges he had measured. He told me that the process can not yet be measured in the body. I saw something red waving in the distance, but I wasn't sure what it was and ignored it. He went on to describe a common, naturally ocurring soil bacteria he believed to be a promising treatment to regulate the reaction in the body. He believes there is an evolutionary explanation for the "diseases of modern man" - we are too clean (my paraphrasing) as we have cut ourselves off from the soil in modern life. Hmmm... discovered a cure to a problem he has not proven existed, and hinting we should go back to being dirty to improve health (ok, a bit of an oversimplification on my part). I can see 2 or 3 people carrying large red pieces of fabric getting closer. I tried to direct the conversation toward whether or not his ideas were being accepted by others. He told me he had approached a Nobel laureate at a conference and told him of his ideas. The laureate "could not tell him anything wrong with his ideas." A person holding what I can now see is a red flag comes running up, saying "sorry I am late." I ask how he intends to test his hypothesis. Is his university considering funding some additional research or even trials? No, he is not affiliated with any institution and has always been a research team of one. Several large gentlemen push by, carrying a large box of the flag material and assorted flagpoles. In fact, he has been testing his bacteria on himself and has cured his ADHD. It has helped him lose weight and should be a general cure for obesity and diabetes. I hear the beeping of a large truck backing up to dump some large rolls of red cloth. My head is spinning at this point and the conversation moves on to other things. At lunch, he has engaged someone else in discussions of his ideas. Someone asks if he is so concerned with staying in contact with this bacteria whether or not he washes his hands or showers. "Of course, then I reapply the bacteria." At this point, he pulls out a small plastic bottle from his pocket and applies something to his hands. Lunch is over, as everyone is no longer hungry, and there is a wall of red fabric threatening to take over the restaurant. I have never encountered anyone like this before in real life. He may be on to one of the most astounding breakthroughs in medical history. Or maybe not. I must have had a bad card. I never hit a bingo. I needed either "quantam" or "Einstein was wrong" to win. CT
	__________________ T-Mobile customer service sucks. Happiness should not be a zero sum game. Did I mention T-Mobile customer service sucks?

8th September 2009, 08:05 PM	#2
JJM Graduate Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,855	I think I know who you are talking about, he is single-minded about it. He has a vast data base on NO, so he often offers citations to back his claims. The problem for anyone else is to become sufficiently interested to check his claims. One must, furthermore, separate his assertions of fact from his hypotheses. I think most folks find him a charming eccentric.
JJM Graduate Poster Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,855

9th September 2009, 04:37 AM	#3
McHrozni Illuminator Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3,666	Originally Posted by CriticalThanking N He is studying the "nitric oxide uptake" reaction and its relationship to disease. He feels he has found a link between the reaction and disease states and an exciting potential for disease treatment and prevention. The biochemistry he described is beyond me, but I asked questions to try to understand the direction of his research. I asked how strong a correlation he found between onset or presence of disease and the reaction rate ranges he had measured. He told me that the process can not yet be measured in the body. I saw something red waving in the distance, but I wasn't sure what it was and ignored it. It seems like pseudoscientific woo to me. If I remember correctly (and I usually do), nitric oxides are a cause for oxidative stress in the body, which causes mutations to your DNA (and a range of other, less severe problems). I fail to see how it's uptake could be beneficial to you in any way. Portions of his research are valid, of course. Being overly clean can lead to serious problems when you encoutner "dirt", because the body can overreact to the new and unknown chemicals, for example. Constant exposure to low doses of many poisons, like heavy metals for example, can produce a measure of tollerance to them, reducing the seriousness of a latter poisoning. However, many of these exposures will harm the body by themselves, resulting in chronic conditions of varying severity. Lastly, I consider anything that resembles a magic bullet to a wide varaiety of conditions a major red flag in itself. They are incredibly rare and always much more varied than presented - look at antibiotics for example. I believe this is the closest to a magic bullet we can get. McHrozni
McHrozni Illuminator Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3,666