Again, I'm so glad this thread exists - a pocket of sanity for those who share an almost guilty pleasure for searching for 'silly things' or products made by companies who sacked all engineers and replaced them with marketing folk on crack.
Alas, the reason these products exist, special audio cables with 'sonic' qualities, crystal healing, brain stimulation (the sort that just passes current through the brain but make very specific claims) etc.. is because they sell. Whilst I'm sure some amateurs truly believe the crap that comes out of their mouths, larger companies with > 10 employee's know full well they're selling something that cannot work but of course - if there's a market, there's business. Belief's the public/consumers have can easily be used to get them to part with their cash, and whilst I instinctively feel sickened by people making money selling such crap, another part of me thinks 'if its what people want... then let them have it'.
Perhaps I just see more of this stuff now the internet is more accessible, and there are more forums and blogs than ever - so more of the wacko's come out of the wood work - but I swear it has got significantly worse over the past decade, perhaps it is shrewd business people wanting in on the action. To the point where, rather than there being a nice line between 'official science/engineering' and 'bollocks', its seeping into every day life. What with 'wellness' guru's promoting paleo diets and the endless 'versions' of diets - because they don't actually like the original diet so add/remove things then claim its their own, and better - sprinkled with links to what look like well conducted studies, that are actually incredibly vague and poorly controlled - rather than the mainstream being somewhat protecting from 'bullshit', its actually driven by it.
Generally i think one should embrace new technology - pragmatically - whilst simultaneously being suspicious of it. Because the latter is seen has 'holding things back', cynics are seen as being completely negative, but they really are required to prevent the world being taken over by marketing bollocks.
Supplements is another, as are herbal remedies. These are more dangerous because they cannot be immediately dismissed as being 'false science', but because they are considered to be 'food', they do not have to go under any form of rigorous testing as to efficacy. So once something has been on the market for two years, its apparent longevity lends credence to its efficacy - when really it just highlights that is does nothing at all and people take it out of habit/belief. And if they are found out to cause harm, or have just been in the 'pseudoscience' camp for long, any real positive effects will never be tested because it is tainted. I was going to quote Tim Minchin then, but I think I've done that before. Instead I'll drop a link to 'Storm'.
For electrical goods, take Dyson for example, they don't make anything remotely 'pseudoscience' but they do push their marketing to the point where some ad's look like a parody. 'microprocessor controlled for perfectly dry hair', 'V-6 digital motor' - whilst that isn't making any false claims, it is of course trying to dazzle the consumer who wouldn't know one motor from another. I remember hearing that Dyson make claims of his vacuum cleaners having 'Zero carbon emissions', a shout out to those who want to be seen to be doing good things for the planet, but can't be arsed to change their lifestyle at all - even though Dyson was referring to using brushless motors that don't have carbon brushes so don't create 'carbon dust' - as opposed to carbon dioxide.
I think perhaps I'm getting a bit obsessed with this sort of thing, I find now my immediate reaction to media coverage of tech/sci is 'thats bollocks' until I read more into it - which of course, I don't do for everything, so perhaps I've gone too far the other way. It is why I do enjoy electronics - there isn't' much in the way ambiguity and one can use a fairly decent background in the subject to make an informed decision about idea's/tech. On the flipside, biology, health, diets etc.. whilst we know a hell of a lot, there is still far too much room to allow claims to be made that cannot be proved, nor disproved, especially as its a very personal thing which is why many stand by their health choices with conviction, because pointing out their flaws is an attack on them.
I think I'm starting to rant now. More bollocks posts please, its more entertaining and less rage-worthy than say - the DailyMails technology section (which btw I read before doing a workout, as the frustration and anger gives me energy).
He may have dodgy hair, but, this.
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