Tomorrow night, the 29th of August, the show “Bad Universe” will premier on the Discovery Channel at 10 o’clock eastern time.  If you don’t live in the eastern US, check your local listings.   The show looks pretty cool, and it stars my friend Phil Plait, (AKA The Bad Astronomer) who is a very active member of the skeptic community and has been debunking bad science for years.   It’s really huge that Phil would get a show like this on a major television network, and it’s definitely a great way for him to help spread skepticism and good science.

One nitpick: Phil can’t actually shoot rays of energy out of his eyes. If he could, I’m pretty sure I would have been zapped by now.

People seem to forget that there’s actually an easy way to rid your body of toxic substances, metabolic byproducts, pharmaceuticals and other substances.  Foot pad and, herbal remedies and even enemas all claim to do the trick, but there’s a much easier way to get those substances out of your body and restore balance.   It’s all natural too!

I’ve been thinking it’s about time someone made an ad to promote real natural detox.

Best to just flush it when done though.   Some quacks actually recommend drinking it (the logic is lost on me, since it’s something your body is trying to get rid of).   Don’t do that though.  For one thing, it’s just nasty.

Interested in your own Humancar 2011?   They’re already taking deposits, which are just fifty US Dollars, although the actual unit will set you back more than fifteen grand!   Unfortunately, a closer look at the concept shows it to be about as unrealistic as most “alternative transportation” concepts out there.   Not only is it hyper-expensive, but the whole concept is unnecessarily complex and of limited utility.

The maker of this vehicle states:

Specifications HC Imagine_PS™
* PHEV plug-in hybrid e-vehicle
* V2G Compatible
* Full body biometric input
* BodySteer™ Patented Chassis
* more than 100 mpg equiv.
* SyncGuideway™ compatible
* Street legal low mass vehicle
* Mobile power station 110 A/C

* Hills
* Corners
* Start-up (power-up) sequences
* Traffic

This car is beautiful and it handles like a dream. It’s fast, sexy, makes you ultra healthy and oh yeah, saves
the planet. Welcome to the future.

(apparently I’ve been using a different definition of “sexy”)

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Homeopathic products are often pointed to as scams for being a complete waste of money or damaging to health by displacing real medicine, but generally they are harmless because the active ingredients are so dilute that there’s less than a 50% chance that even a single molecule is present in the final product.

So how can this be?

Via WebMD:

Study Links Zinc Nose Sprays, Loss of Smell

Zicam Zinc Nasal Products Removed From Shelves Last Year
July 19, 2010 — Just over a year ago, the FDA warned that zinc-containing intranasal cold remedies might cause loss of sense of smell.

Now a researcher who has long argued that the sprays were harmful says he has scientific evidence to back up the claim.

Last summer, the FDA warned consumers to stop using three zinc-containing Zicam products: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs for kids. The federal regulators cited 130 reports of loss of sense of smell among users of the products.

Zicam manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives pulled the three products from the shelves, but the company maintains that there is no link between their use and loss of smell.

In the newly reported analysis, researchers applied a statistical method used to establish a cause-and-effect link between an environmental exposure and development of a disease in an effort to confirm that zinc-containing nasal products can cause loss of sense of smell, known medically as anosmia.

University of California, San Diego professor Terence M. Davidson, MD, says the analysis supports the hypothesis.

He adds that the effectiveness of zinc-containing products for preventing or shortening the duration of colds has never been proven.

“Given that they do absolutely no good for colds and given that there is potential for harm, I see no point in putting any zinc gluconate products in the nose,” Davidson tells WebMD.

But… Zicam is homeopathic, right? Well, no, not really. In this case, the product is being sold as “homeopathic” and in doing so managed to avoid all the scrutiny, testing and regulation that over-the-counter drugs normally would receive. However, the dilution of the zinc in Zicam is only x2, meaning about one part per 100 parts of solvent. This is generally not what you find in homeopathic remedies, which are diluted to 30x or more (one part per 10^30.)

So what happened here? Simply put, the makers claimed that since the active ingredient was dilute it qualified as being homeopathic and simply by calling it homeopathic they avoided all regulation.   They just fudged the definition of how much “dilution” the zinc compound, zinc gluconate, need to be homeopathic, and since homeopathic groups are pretty dishonest to begin with, nobody raised any objection.

As it turns out, the concentration of zinc gluconate in the remedy – which may or may not have any effect on the cold virus – can most definitely have an effect on the scent receptors in the nose.  Worst still, the damage may be permanent, making it impossible for a person to enjoy the smells of fresh cut grass, apple pie or perfume and also preventing them from being able to detect odors like the smell of smoke or leaking gas.  And since taste relies heavily on smell, those with damaged senses of smell lose all but the most basic ability to taste food, being able to tell if the food is salty or sweet, but not being able to discern more complex flavors.

There is one bit of good news here, though.  It seems that the company that makes Zicam is large enough and has enough asserts to make it worth going after in civil court.  They’ve already settled quite a few lawsuits, but more are on the way. I hope they get taken to the cleaners, because it’s about time some of these fraud operations were made into examples.    Perhaps if enough attention is given it could actually lead to regulatory changes, which are so sorely needed!

Alaska has more aircraft per capita than any other state in the US and most places in the world.   Small aircraft are a vital means of travel in the massive and largely unpopulated state, and it’s also one of the most dangerous places to fly.  While the relative risk is still fairly low, many lives have been lost in plane crashes in Alaska.

It seems that yet another one has been lost – that of former Senator Ted Stevens.   Stevens plane crashed on a remote mountainside killing Stevens.  The plane also carried NASA’s former chief administrator, Sean O’Keefe and his son.   O’Keefe and his son survived the crash and, at last report, both had sustained injuries that were thought to be non-life threatening.  Luckily for them, it seems rescuers got to the sight of the crash fairly quickly.

Via the Associated Press:

JUNEAU, Alaska — A float plane carrying former Sen. Ted Stevens and ex-NASA chief Sean O’Keefe crashed into a remote mountainside in Alaska, killing the longtime senator and four others, authorities said Tuesday. O’Keefe and his teenage son survived the crash with broken bones and other injuries, said former NASA spokesman Glenn Mahone. The O’Keefes spent Monday night on the mountain with several volunteers who discovered the wreckage and tended to the injured until rescuers arrived Tuesday morning.

Plane crash + NASA big shot + former senator =  conspiracy theories in 5…4…3…2…

Saunas are very hot rooms where people go to induce sweating and relaxation.  They have a long tradition of use in Nordic countries, especially Finland.  It has been claimed that sauna use helps to rid the body of toxins.  While this claim is fairly dubious, there’s no disputing that saunas can be relaxing and do seem to help relax tense muscles and may offer some relief to the symptoms of certain conditions, such as reducing nasal congestion.

However, under no circumstances should a person attempt to stay in a sauna for an extended period of time.  If the heat reaches the point of discomfort, one should leave the sauna immediately.  Spending more than about fifteen minutes (depending on the temperature) should be avoided.   The temperatures reached by saunas (as much as 170  F or 80 C) can easily cause hyperthermia, dehydration and possibly fatal conditions.  Also, under no circumstances should a sauna be modified to operate at extremely high temperatures.   Operating  sauna at an ambient temperature above the boiling point of water is insanity, as it can cause immediate scalding of the body to anyone who enters.

And trying to stay in a sauna as long as you can stand it?   That’s just idiotic!

Well, that message was apparently lost on some in Finland, who decided to hold a “world sauna championship.”  Now one competitor is dead and another is being treated for full body scalding. (OUCH)

Via NPR:

Russian Man Dies In Searing Heat At Sauna Contest
A Russian man trying to win the Sauna World Championships died after collapsing with severe burns in the final stage of an event that required contestants to sit in a 230-degree (110 Celsius) room as water was tossed onto a searing stove, officials and witnesses said.

Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy, an amateur wrestler who was in his 60s, was pronounced dead late Saturday after he collapsed alongside reigning champion Timo Kaukonen of Finland roughly six minutes into the final round.

Nearly 1,000 spectators had gathered in the southern Finnish town of Heinola to watch 130 competitors from 15 countries, waving flags and cheering on the contestants before medical workers pulled the shaking and bleeding men out of the sauna.

Video footage shows workers pouring cold water over the two men and administering first aid as organizers tried to cover up the scene and calm spectators.

The men were bleeding from what appeared to be severe burns, said Hakon Eikesdal, a photographer with the Norwegian daily Dagbladet.

Ladyzhenskiy headed a charity fund in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. The fund’s spokesman Konstantin Kruglyansky told the LifeNews daily that his family has demanded an investigation into his death.

Kaukonen, about 40, was hospitalized in stable condition Sunday, contest spokesman Ossi Arvela said.

The annual contest had been held since 1999. It will never be held again, Arvela said.

Half a liter (a pint) of water is added to the stove every 30 seconds and the last person to remain in the sauna is the winner.

There was no prize other than “some small things” Arvela said. He declined to provide details.

Eikesdal said Kaukonen — the defending world champion — had refused to leave the sauna despite getting sick and that organizers had to force the men out.

Sauna bathing is a popular pastime in the Nordic countries and Russia, but especially in Finland, which has an estimated 1.6 million saunas for a population of 5 million people. Temperatures are normally kept around 158 to 176 degrees (70-80 degrees Celsius).

What are these people thinking?!?!!
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A truly horrific story of what happens when belief trumps reason.   In this case, it’s a fortune teller.
Via NT News Australia:

Fortune teller blamed for teen ‘torture’
Nhung Tri Tran and Trien Tran pleaded guilty to assaulting Leilani dos Santos on February 17, but not guilty yesterday to threatening to kill her and depriving her of her liberty.

Ms dos Santos, 18, told Darwin Magistrates Court the couple was like family to her until they believed she had stolen money from the barber shop she worked at with Ms Tran.

She was living with the couple as well, and said she returned home in the early hours of February 17 to have Mr Tran begin to strangle her before beating her unconscious.

Ms dos Santos, speaking from a “vulnerable witness” room, told the court she was tied up as the couple beat her and threatened to kill her, her boyfriend’s family and her sister.

She said Ms Tran told her a Vietnamese fortune teller told the couple the person who had stolen the handbag was close to them, and was someone they loved.

Ms Tran also allegedly told Ms dos Santos they would cut off her fingers, but they loved her and would inject her with heroin, so she would not feel it.

Ms dos Santos said Mr Tran beat her in the back with a meat cleaver, threatened her with a samurai sword and burnt her arm with a cigarette.

Ms dos Santos said the couple had a Lady Gaga CD playing loudly. “I was screaming,” she said. “I was hoping maybe somebody would break down the door and help me.”

Ms Tran’s lawyer Peter Elliott suggested to Ms dos Santos that she had embellished the story to get victim’s compensation.

Ms dos Santos told the court she escaped the ties before dawn, but could not leave the Coconut Grove house because it was deadlocked and she had no keys.

She said she was allowed to leave about 8am, and after Ms Tran said they could pretend it never happened.

The hearing continues.

Wow. One might ask whether the person(s) who committed the act or the fortune teller is really to blame here. I’d say both are, although I’d consider the two who tied up their employee the more guilty. Fortune tellers are always committing fraud whenever they do business, and in this case, providing false information resulted in very direct harm.

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In the past I’ve made a number of posts and videos mentioning the fact that uranium is a rather common mineral and that it’s been used in a number of consumer products.   Indeed, thousands of kitchen cabinets contain uranium-glazed dinnerware, some of which was mass produced as recently as the 1980’s.

This has been met with a curious response on numerous occasions.   Many concede that uranium is not all that harmful when touched or even ingested but then say “but what about the nano-particles.”   The dust, or “nanoparticles” resulting from uranium combustion are one thing that seems to come up again and again.  They are often credited with nearly magical properties, like the ability to stay suspended in the air indefinitely or to cause horrible health problems even in those far from the location where the uranium projectile was fired.

Indeed uranium tends to be more hazardous when inhaled than when exposure is by other routes, but that’s the extent of the truth to these statements.  Uranium is hardly unique in this respect.  Exposure to dust in general can cause respiratory problems, and certain metallic particles, such as beryllium, are well known to be especially hazardous if inhaled.   By comparison, uranium less dangerous, though it can be a hazard in high concentrations.

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This is the Playpump:

The basic idea is that children in Africa play on a manually driven merry-go-round, not unlike those found in many playgrounds and enjoy themselves, not even thinking of it as work, but in the process they pump water out from a well into a tank so that it can be used by their communities.   Of course, there’s no doubt water wells provide a much healthier alternative to carrying water miles or using surface streams and ponds for water, and the makers of the Playpump claim it is superior to the traditional hand-operated pumps that have generally been used to provide water because it’s powered by children playing as they would anyway.

Seems like a good idea, right?
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First it was Montel Williams, now another major media promoter of psychics fraud is leaving the airwaves.   Larry King has announced that he will be leaving his show on CNN.   Of course,  his mind left the show some time in the mid 1990’s.   Larry King, for those who live outside the US, is a TV show host who does a lot of interviews and generally doesn’t contribute much to them, but yet has managed to be a major force on television for many years.

Decidedly non-skeptical, Larry King has allowed his show to be used by everyone from Jenny McCarthy and her anti-vaccine movement to Sylvia Browne and other self-proclaimed psychics.   His interviews tend to pander to them, even kissing their collective asses.   Whether it be UFO’s or claims of powers to find missing persons, Larry King can’t seem to see reality from lies and lets his television show become the platform for all kinds of bull.   To skeptics… well, we’re lucky we ever get represented on his show.

In this clip you’ll notice James Randi pauses for a moment after Larry King states that Sylvia Browne “described the accused villain pretty well.”   In fact, she had not described him well at all and had said Shawn Hornesbeck was dead, despite his being found alive years later.   This interview was actually done during The Amazing Meeting 5 and as such, I was able to speak to Randi afterward.   He paused because he was waiting for the punchline, so to speak, expecting Larry King to say something more, since his statement was so absurd.   Had I been in that situating, I’m not even sure I would have known how to react.

I can offer another personal story to shed some light on what kind of pandering Larry King is prone to:
Shortly after this, Larry again hosted a “psychic” to defend Sylvia Browne. His guest stated that psychic visions are not always clear and that is why sometimes things like these errors happen.

The show took phone calls and I called in. Actually, I put the number on my speed dial and dialed repeatedly. It took more than 50 calls but I finally got through and talked to one of the producers who screened the calls.
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