Who thinks of this stuff?

And, more importantly for modern civilization, who believes it?!

The object in question is a water bottle like any other, except it has the bottom lid you can see here. You're supposed to put the little rocks in the glass bubble so that you can benefit from the alleged healing powers of gemstone water, which are outlined in the upper pic. 

But seriously. Who thought of this?  Who proposed it with a straight face?  Who approved spending money making it?

We got this free with another order, but clearly it was intended to sell. Who buys stuff like this...?  The fate of humankind may hang on the answer. 
 

My ex-wife and her mother. They were essential oil pyramid scheme pushers too. Good berkeleyin riddance.

That's not even the strangest "homeopathic" thing I've seen this month.

Turns out there are people that save their urine to rub on their body and drink to "purge the toxins" and "increase mental clarity".

I'm just going to stay over here in my cave for the rest of eternity, hoping it comes soon.

In reply to RevRico :

But...urine IS toxins...that's the whole point, your body doesn't want that stuff. What is this world.

maschinenbau said:

My ex-wife and her mother. They were essential oil pyramid scheme pushers too. Good berkeleyin riddance.

Essential oils at least have some chance of chemically interacting with your body. 

But these 'healing gemstones' are just rocks in a bottle inside a bigger bottle, and never even touch the water (which is actually good)!  And that's ignoring the fact that they're just rocks like you can find with a scoop and a little velvet bag in any National Park gift shop. 
 

Guys like my boss who actually owns a chemical company. And he still believes in crap like this and buys it regularly.  

maschinenbau said:

In reply to RevRico :

But...urine IS toxins...that's the whole point, your body doesn't want that stuff. What is this world.

What's with this world? Let me tell you.  There was this mystery switch in my house, never knew what it did. One day, I flipped it, and we were all transported to Bazzarro world.  It seems the switch is now stuck. Logic, common sense, doing the right thing.... all out. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro_World&ved=2ahUKEwili9-M1cnmAhVVHs0KHaX4B1YQFjASegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1xr_VoEbSfMPMMpDQWOaaO&cshid=1577031855505

People believing in something in order to gain knowledge, and control over their existence and I will leave it at that.

In reply to Rons :

Ummmm, OK?  It's neither knowledge nor control, but I guess I will leave it at that too. 
 

But it IS knowledge and control.   It's completely FALSE knowledge and just a FALSE sense of control (although you do have allow for the placebo effect)....

People by nature tend to want to understand and have explanation for things (e.g. science, exploration etc.) but sometimes when that explanation cannot be easily obtain (or does not conform with other beliefs) they can create explanations based on flawed science or just simple belief.  Things like this and conspiracy theories are popular expressions of this.

Shoot, when I see this stuff I'm just sad I didn't think of it first.  I do think there are certain people who deserve to get ripped off.

I had a chemistry prof who wanted to invent a skin creme.  He said there was nothing you could put in a jar that cost more than five bucks.  I still have not invented my cold creme.  Maybe he never did either!

"Science adjust its views based on what's observed, faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved." 

From Storm, by Tim Minchin

In reply to thedoc :

My mom said the same thing to me.  You're just mad you didn't think of it first.  

LOL. There is one of those bottles in a cabinet in my kitchen as I type. I don't get it either, but apparently at some point I paid for one.

Carli's mom has water bottles with rocks epoxied to the bottom that cost a fortune and are alleged to do things and align energies and other bullE36 M3 that gullible people fall for because their lives are miserable and they're willing to buy anything to try and get it back on track.  

RevRico said:

That's not even the strangest "homeopathic" thing

I've seen this month.

not trying to  be a pedant but homeopathy is its own special brand of woo/charlatanry and not associated with other types of woo.

I'm not exactly sure if lumping all naturopathic and magical woo in the same category helps or hurts (hopefully hurts) their collective reputations  but homeopathy deserves it's own scorn and rejection.  

Homeopathy is a pre-scientific form of "medicine" that supposes like cures like and dilution makes things stronger. Have a rash? Well poison ivy also causes a rash so if we mix it with water and dilute it to the point that no molecule of the "medicine" remains it will be a very powerful cure.

Yet there are shelves of homeopathic remedies in every grocery store with fancy packaging and high prices and say "all natural" so it makes it seem legitimate and folks believe in it more and more every day.

Anyway pedant mode off. Just saying that that term deserves any criticism it can get on it's own merits and mixing it with other forms of woo makes it harder to separate and point out its lack of logic 

I heard a story on NPR recently: Green Light for Pain Relief

I am not about to heal myself with rocks in my water glass or applying human waste to my body, but you never know what might help someone else deal with their issues. If nothing else, the placebo effect is real.

At the risk of getting too personal and "showing everyone my underwear" as they say I am gonna tell the forum exactly why I am so against all this woo and non scientific treatments. 

The first response most folks have to these woo peddlers is "even if it doesn't work at least it can't hurt to try" well this is my story of how it can hurt. 

The late mrs. K. Balls (pronounced cables everone) was at her chiropractor for back pain and was discussing her anxiety and weakness issues with the "doctor". He offered treatment in the form of NMT or neuro modulation technique.  He was a doctor after all and by golly her insurance also covered the treatment  so she started two years of NMT which consisted of asking her body questions and muscle testing for her bodies response which was subconscious.  He then repeated commands and tapped her back in a pattern and scheduled another appointment. His treatment was supposedly pinpointing organs in her abdomen as the The root cause of her malady. The placebo effect made her drowsy and she felt better off and on.  Her anxiety and weakness kept getting worse  and after a few years of copays totaling around 10 grand I found her on the couch when I got home from work. It was hard to wake her and she was slurring and her face was slack.  I got her to the ER where it was discovered she had been suffering strokes for at least the last 2 years.  

A chiropractor with a fancy, shiny office, some degrees on the wall and that was covered by insurance kept her from seeking real treatment that could have stopped the permanent damage from occurring.  In my mind this is criminal.  I also feel the "doctor" actually believes he helps people and that his treatments work. At least I want to think he believes it, otherwise the only other option would be that he is an inhuman monster that profits from harming people in need of help.

She did pass away a few years later from unrelated liver and kidney failure.  Not actually sure if the loss of that much brain tissue was part of the problem though. 

But anyway that is my answer to the "how can it hurt?" Question. 

Ever since the Pet Rock came out I figured there's a sucker born every minute.

RevRico said:

Turns out there are people that save their urine to rub on their body and drink to "purge the toxins" and "increase mental clarity".

I have some moisturizing cream that contains urea to help soften calloused skin.  It is thorougly processed, though...I'm not going to rub raw pee on my feet.  

Floating Doc said:

"Science adjust its views based on what's observed, faith is the denial of observation so that belief can be preserved." 

From Storm, by Tim Minchin

That is a terrible and inaccurate definition of faith. 

I could leave the title & first line of this thread as is, and replace the picture with about 1000 different things and it would be just as valid.

I don't know who thinks of it.  Often times the person who came up with it/sells/spreads the word it is a strong believer in it.

All medicine is quackery, until it works. 

We have the cleanest, best drinking water in the world where I live. People still buy bottled water.

Did you hear about the homeopath who forgot to take his medicine and died of an overdose? https://www.centerforhomeopathy.com/minimum-dose

Whatever gets you through the day...

A full page in and no-one has mentioned crazy Gwyneth yet?