How To: Debunk Junk Science

One of my favorite things to do, when I'm bored and it's 4am in the morning is to watch infomericals. I love watching the fake excitment and the lies that spew forth from the tv. I play this little game, called catch the lie. Once I see one lie, then I feel happy to know that the informericial is all bull shit.

Well here is a list of reasons not to believe junk science from http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i21/21b02001.htm

1. The discoverer pitches the claim directly to the media.
2. The discoverer says that a powerful establishment is trying to suppress his or her work.
3. The scientific effect involved is always at the very limit of detection.
4. Evidence for a discovery is anecdotal.
5. The discoverer says a belief is credible because it has endured for centuries.
6. The discoverer has worked in isolation.
7. The discoverer must propose new laws of nature to explain an observation.

Now this list doesn't go into the other informercials like exercise bikes and food making products.

Exercise equipment: Well my friend's mom use too buy all those exercise equipment seen on tv, shes an arobic exerciser. We would try this stuff out, most of the time the product is made out of cheap plastic and would probably fall apart if I used it everyday for a week. A good rule of thumb, don't buy any equipment you see on tv, for at least 1 year, by then it would probably be gone and something new, usually an improvment on the old would be out. They always try to tell you that you can take a normal exercise routine and throw it out the door, because this can get the job done in 15 minutes, LOL. Of course, anybody who doesn't work out, if they just take 15minutes a day to work out would improve slightly. My best workouts I've done at the gym would take 1-1 1/2 hours, because I would work multiple groups, targeting them. The best way to know that you are working a muscle is to target it, not work all of them. If you can't spend the time, don't expect great results, but working out 15 minutes a day, can aleast burn off that candy bar or soda you had for lunch. 100 calories in 15 minutes per day would result in 36,500 which is approx. 10lbs a year.

Food making products: Why in the hell would you want a product that only makes one thing? Common, Grill Cheese sandwich makers? WTF??!!!! Most of the time all you need is a pan to do this work, here is a hint how: TURN DOWN THE HEAT. Most people don't know how to cook, because they turn the heat up to high. It's not fast food!!! Second thing to look at is, how often would you use it? How often do you use your george foreman grill? My best bet it is just on your kitchen counter, collecting dust. Cheap Products are the next thing to look at, because products are small and cute on tv, is not a good reason to get it. Most of the time, these things are cheap plastic that falls apart after a few months. Cute = cheap most of the time.

Well there is my rant on informercials. :)