How do you convince somebody that Homeopathy doesn't work?

Question 1
How do you convince somebody that Homeopathy doesn't work?...  All the evidence is against it. Clinical trials have consistently shown that homeopathic remedies are no better than placebos. The discipline is as flawed and outdated as Creation Science. So how do you persuade somebody it's a load of bull?

Answers
1)   Why would you want to? Even if it is a placebo (and I really do not agree with that) who cares if it works? - Jeroen Wijnands

2)   There are too many people who are just ignorant about anything to do with science. Otherwise seemingly intelligent people carry their ignorance as a proud marker on their sleeve for all to see.

Politicians, broadcasters, business managers all proudly state they know nothing about science or engineering. They don't say the same about the arts, they all feign interest and can BS about arts - just look at people like Melvin Bragg as an example of what I'm talking about.

Once people become proud of their ignorance and speak out about it, then it leads others to follow them. This then leads to the growth of any scammer willing to take money off people just because they sound plausible - even though it's a load of tosh. Critical thinking is not encouraged when it comes to engineering and science, yet if the same ignorance was shown about the arts eyebrows would be raised.

This leads to the growth of the anti-vaxers who are generally celebrities who should know better, faith healing, fake science in alt-meds, religion is also linked in hence the eastern mythical 'medicine'. I don't know what the answer is, just keep plugging away and keep on pushing known science and real knowledge to counteract the kooks and the scammers.

ETA

"Ummm yeah better not tell them about Charles Darwin's experiments about the effects of homoepathic remedies on the flesh eating droseria plant compared to plain water proving homoepathic substances do indeed have something in the water or the fact that Darwin suffered 10 years of extreme ill health and was back to full health after 16 weeks of treatment by a homeopathic doctor. Yeah better not tell those facts i think."

Utter BS!

All of Darwin's work is online now, and we can see exactly what he thinks about it in a letter he wrote after visiting a friend of his.

"You speak about Homœopathy; which is a subject which makes me more wrath, even than does Clair-voyance: clairvoyance so transcends belief, that one’s ordinary faculties are put out of question, but in Homœopathy common sense & common observation come into play, & both these must go to the Dogs, if the infinetesimal doses have any effect whatever. How true is a remark I saw the other day by Quetelet, in respect to evidence of curative processes, viz that no one knows in disease what is the simple result of nothing being done, as a standard with which to compare Homœopathy & all other such things. It is a sad flaw, I cannot but think in my beloved Dr Gully, that he believes in everything— when his daughter was very ill, he had a clair-voyant girl to report on internal changes, a mesmerist to put her to sleep—an homœopathist, viz Dr. Chapman; & himself as Hydropathist! & the girl recovered."

All this came darwin stuff came about from Dana Ullman who is a semi-regular poster on the JREF forums (go and check them out, they are fun) where he gets soundly trashed every time he rears his head. - Nitram

3)   When all else fails, try ridicule. The quacks hate it.

Try:
http://www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/
http://www.bipolarbear.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Homeopathy_Water_has_a_memory1.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/137/325337709_7a7543d4fb.jpg
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:G8dp1PpJf4L22M:http://i726.photobucket.com/albums/ww261/palanski/thirst.png&t=1
http://humour.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Homeopathic-joke.72.jpg
http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2008/3/24/homeopathy1300128508247680312500.jpg

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EDITY: @redangel - thats not true, Darwin experienced many relapses of digestive and skin symptoms throughout his life after his treatment. In any case you have no evidence that the homeopathy helped him; correlation does not necessarily imply causation, we have no idea what his condition was, and Darwin always remained skeptical of homeopathy.

Altie appeal to authority FAIL. - Gary Y

4)   Ummm yeah better not tell them about Charles Darwin's experiments about the effects of homeopathic remedies on the flesh eating droseria plant that prove homeopathic substances do indeed have something in the water or the fact that Darwin suffered 10 years of extreme ill health and was back to full health after 16 weeks of treatment by a homeopathic doctor. Yeah better not tell those facts i think. - ƦєdAиgєℓ

5)   Do an overdose experiment. Take a homeopathic remedy and drink all of it in front of the person you're trying to convince. If there is something to homeopathy as quacks claim, then you should get bad reactions from an overdose. When you end up fine with nothing happening to you, that should hopefully convince someone that homeopathy is just water.

@Red Angel: Great anecdote! However, can it be more valid than the meta-analyses that showed homeopathy is not effective? That's all you alties can give anyway, anecdotes. - angrydoc

6)   You can't convince those who stubbornly believe that homoeopathy works, and scientific data are made up by the conspiring conventional medical establishment. But for those who are willing to step out of their boxes and be open minded you might use a two step approach.
First you have to explain to them that science per se in no way is biased against homoeopathy or any other alternative treatment. It is just a tool one can use too see if there is an effect or not. And then you can go on to present them with actual data. Both of these points are presented in an easy understandable way in a book by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst titled "Trick or treatment". - JLI

7)   Force them to actually take a few chemistry classes.

Seriously, like religion, homeopathy will always exist. Evidence isn't important to these people. It does not matter how much data is presented to them, they are never going to change their position. - Rhianna

8)   There is really nothing to convice.
The only thing you convinced me of by asking this question is that you are spiritually retarded.

Of course it's your birthright to be spiritually retarded,
but why bothering other people with it?

Maybe try to find out for yourself why it irritates YOU?
That could be a key to solving your problems. - SmartAss


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Question 2
What is the best hangover prevention?...  In between all the hangover cures existing on the market, which one have you tried that really worked??

Answers
1)   abstinence - Brittany Parrella

2)   Don't drink to start - spudmac19

3)   After I tried this drink Security Feel Better I don't want to try anything else! Works every time! Best anti-hangover! - Kenneth Miller

4)   don't drink more than 3 glasses of wine a day - Nitram

5)   Never drink on an empty stomach. Drink plenty water in between drinks. Know your limit! - Yamaye

6)   Limiting intake of alcohol. Stay moving and eat before you go out or drink. Works. - Vanity

7)   Take 1 gram of vitamin C before you drink alcohol and drink lots of water. - dorothy s


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Question 3
What is the best cure for a cold?...  I am very sick today and need to know what is the best cure for a chest cold.... anyone have an answer?

Answers
1)   ok seriously... drink 2 litres of orange juice.. as many cold and flu pills as you are alloud in a 24 hr period and garlic at least 5 cloves... i finely chop garlic and swallow it with water... or just go get garlic capsules... a warm milk drink with cinnamon grated ginger and honey is nice before bed... - Sugar Baby

2)   you drink a warm-hot water many times n wear long sleeves,put on a jacket make urself rlly2 warm,eat some hot soup it could help to open up ur pores n ur nose if its stuffy u can also drink hot tea,green tea is d best,take a hot bath n relax - maeya

3)   rest
fluids
rest
food
rest - Wocket

4)   I've found pomegranate very effective. As soon as I've eaten one, my fever, chest pain, sore throat and headache have disappeared altogether. While I was lying in bed, I rose and even worked on the computer! The fruit itself is more effective than its juice. - Rose Mary Campbell

5)   Echinacea tea is a commonly-used cold remedy. - Lightspeed21

6)   Chicken soup truly does help, warm salt water gargles, and fresh garlic is a natural antibiotic. Drink tons of water and hot tea w/ lemon (and honey if you like) keep warm, rest as much as possible, chewable vitamin C. Avoid dairy, caffeine. - daffodils are here!


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Question 4
What is good for ear wax?...  

Answers
1)   it feels gross (warning)

but it works and is recommended by doctors. pour a small amount od hydrogen peroxide in your ear. let it bubble in there a few seconds. till your head, let it pour out and dry your ear with a clean towel. it breaks up the wax. do that once a week - jenisisgrafix

2)   a heavy cold. - Nitram

3)   Ear wax should naturally exit the ear channel over time, but you're obviously having problems? Do you just feel its a problem or are you having hearing difficulties? Are you sure it's an ear wax issue?

If ear wax - there is no need to buy over the counter remedies... a few drops of (body temperature) olive oil will help soften and loosen ear wax. You can either keep your head to one side for 20 mins or plug the ear with a bit of cotton wool/tissue to prevent the olive oil spilling out.

All the best ear doctors will tell you NOT to use cotton-buds (Q-Tips) in your ears as this can often compound the wax and make it more difficult to remove naturally, not to mention the damage you can do to the ear drum, etc. - Maryanne L

4)   a while ago i was virtually deaf in one ear due to a build up of wax. so i went to the chemist and asked if they had a syringe, i told her what it was for and she gave it to me free. i went home and filled a bowl with warm soapy water drew the water into the syringe and squirted it into my ear while holding my head on one side over the bowl. this cleared the wax better than any over the counter drops you can buy. i just used a drop of ordinary washing up liquid in the warm water and it worked a treat. this is kind of what they do when you get your ears syringed. - Michelle

5)   Those little ear candles you can buy! - OLLY605!

6)   Either the suggestion for the warm water and liquid soap or the hydrogen peroxide will work fine, I would only additionally suggest a couple drops of oil (either mineral oil such as baby oil, or olive oil) in the ear a couple hours earlier to help soften the wax first. - Tink


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Question 5
what is the fastest relief medine for burning urine (without prescription)?...  

Answers
1)   What on earth are you doing, go a see a doctor.
You'd be a fool not to. - gods are imaginary

2)   lay off anything with citric acid in it... natural yogurt and garlic are great at fixing infections/bacteria/immune system - Sugar Baby

3)   go and see your GP if it's not better after a day or two. Drink water. - Nitram

4)   burning urine is a symptom of a urinary tract infection.
Drinking tons of cranberry juice(as real as possible with little sugar added works best)can help with the pain but if its been a couple of days since that started, you may need medication to get rid of it.
It might also be a symptom of STD.
I would see a doctor soon......
You really don't want anything to be permanently damaged down there. - ckngbbbls

5)   they say Crandberry juice. but ur burning for a reason lol std? - Joe dont go

6)   Take some (15grams) cardomom seeds and make it powder after powdering mix 60 grams sugar in it .take this dose in six parts.take one part morning and 2nd part at evening with fresh water. Use it three days .it will help u. - vicky bansal


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