At 22:06 5/7/97 +0930, you wrote:
>> The only parasites involved here are the people peddling this snakeoil.
>>>Hear hear I agree. What a load of codswallop. How can people believe
>this crap?
Gary:
You'd be amazed what people belive. You could tell me of public literacy
in Australia, but I can tell you that in the US, people's knowledge of
*real* science is horrifyingly shallow. Personally, I think it is due to
the ever widening technological gap between our high-school and
universites. John.Q.Public is so clueless in this country it is no wonder
that people blindly swallow the truck loads of bullshit fed to them by all
the astrologers and mind-numbing new agers and people with things to sell.
"This is a new skunk-stool extract cure all and it is proven by
scientists!"... JQP doen't know squat about science and wouldn't think to
ask - "What's scientist?" "At what institution was this research done?"
The marketing behind all this manure is so well done that people will
believe anything if some statement of science is attached.
I once walked into a heath food store in California and saw (honest to
God!) a large jar with the label: "Lipotrophic Fat Fighter". My first
thought was "what the hell is this???". Further examination of the label
told me its main component was L-lysine. I took it to the counter and
asked the lady how it worked... "It works by altering your metabolism.
It's been proven by scientists!" I bit my tounge, put it back and walked
out, all but choking. At that very moment, I wondered if the bullshit
truck just dumped a load on me or as a 4th year grad student in immunology
maybe there was some obscure pathway I never learned about whereby lysine
alters lipid metabolism. After parusing my old version of Lehninger I
came to the conclusion that the bullshit truck had paid me a visit.
All of this is so alarming that many legitimate scientists have banded
together and founded the society that looks into all the new age paranormal
b.s. with its publication "The Skeptical Inquirer". Now they're having to
take on the "Alien Autopsy"...
Now to the credit of herbal products... The Chinese have used various teas
to treat a variety of ailments, many immunologic in nature for quite a few
centuries, prior to the development of antihistamines and steroids. I
would be interested in what sort of teas have been used to treat
allergies/asthma. I figure there is no harm in a cup of tea provided
croton oil hasn't been added.
;-)
David
As an added note: I begining to agree with Brett. I'm not too thrilled
getting all these SPAMS in my mailbox. But I don't know if moderation is
really an answer just because of the time involved... I've already had to
explain why I'm getting NC-17/XXX rated web sites in my mailbox to my techs
once... if it happens too much more, they'll think I need a 12 step program
for the sexually obsessed.
=============================
David L. Haviland, Ph.D.
Asst. Prof. Immunology
University of Texas - Houston, H.S.C.
Institute of Molecular Medicine
2121 W. Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
Internet:"dhavilan at imm2.imm.uth.tmc.edu"
Voice: 713.500.2413 FAX: 713.500.2424
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" Sometimes you're the windsheild, sometimes you're the bug."
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