Waaaay offtopic

[James Knott]

Hugh Reilly wrote:
>> From: James Knott <james.knott-bJEeYj9oJeDQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org>
>> Reply-To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
>> To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
>> Subject: Re: [TLUG]: Waaaay offtopic
>> Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:23:29 -0500
>>
>> Hugh Reilly wrote:
>>
>>> Has anyone out there heard of the "zapper", invented by Saskatchewan 
>>> naturopathic doctor and celll biologist Hulda Clark? She claims that 
>>> disease-causing bacteria and viruses in the body can be killed by 
>>> low-level radio frequencies. The zapper delivers that frequency to 
>>> the body, and has been claimed by some to actually cure AIDS.
>>
>>
>> If that's all it takes, we're all going to be fine.  We're constantly 
>> bathed in RF from many sources.  The above claim, indicates she's a 
>> fraud.
> 
> 
> No it doesn't. The science behind it is, of course, more complex than 
> you could have known from my post. What I find interesting is that that 
> didn't stop you from jumping to conclusions.

Real medicine requires trials to show effectiveness and risks of a 
medicine or treatment.  By examining the results of a study with several 
participants, the effects can be analyzed.  Taking a single case will 
not prove much, as you cannot say whether what you did or if the results 
could be attributed to something else.
> 
>>> I have been experimenting myself with the device, having built 
>>> several over the past couple of years. And I have to say, with very 
>>> positive results. And I am NOT getting a flu shot!
>>
>>
>> How do you know you've had positive results?  Did you run a full 
>> study, with several participant, including a control group?  If not, 
>> all you've got is a delusion.  I could claim that eating pizza & beer 
>> prevents disease.  After all, I've had lots of both and rarely get 
>> sick (only one sick day in 21 years, with one employer).
> 
> 
> I don't need to employ the scientific method to prove something to 
> myself. Neither do you, unless you don't trust yourself. If pizza and 
> beer works for you, who am I to argue?

Well, what's that saying about he who refuses to see?  If you don't have 
a carefully controlled study, what have you got?  So you didn't get the 
flu.  Would you have gotten it if you hadn't zapped yourself?  There's 
absolutely no way to tell.  Now if you get 2 large groups of people, one 
experiment, one control, you can then compare how the 2 groups 
responded.  If there's no significant difference, your treament had no 
effect.  If one group is measurably better (or worse), then you have 
some idea as to the effectiveness of your treatment.  Anything else is 
at best a delusion or worst a deadly fraud.


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