You may have noticed that there are less comments on this blog after I have instituted the anti-quackometer. Most comments by skeptics begin, end or middle with “homeopathy is just placebo so…” Those have not cut mustard.
Well, this basic negative assumption about homeopathy has been crushed by none other than a Nobel Prize Laureate- Dr. Luc Montagnier in a brilliant set of experiments showing that high dilutions are active.
Skeptics- Perhaps you can hold back on your usual narrowness, denial and malignant processes. As a reminder, they usually consist of the following:
1. Attempt to prove that the experiment doesn’t work by picking it apart and appear an expert on something you know little about.
2. Heap scorn on and malign the character of the experimenter and the scientific team. Spread false gossip about them or outright call them a fraud.
3. Resurrect Benveniste and desecrate his already crucified corpse.
4. Depict homeopaths and anyone who experiments with homeopathy as a murderer.
5. Do some magic tricks.
Well, you can keep the denial going and your narrow view of science and feed the drug machine or you can go- “This is great, something new to learn here”.
Yes, homeopathy is implausible to your narrow view of science but it is one of the biggest blessings to mankind. (Oops, lost you there with that last few words I’m sure= my apologies- I know skeptics don’t use the word blessing and this will provoke an even higher rating on the real quackometer). But anyways, comments welcome here even ones that mention the word placebo…
If this research can be confirmed and repeated then it is indeed groundbreaking. It is quite unlike anything ever published. Indeed, why the research was undertaken and what the background was that led to these experiments being done would be fascinating.
However, before homeopaths can really jump for joy a number of things really ought to be done:
1) The research ought to be published in a quality independent peer reviewed journal. So, far they have not been.
2) The legal mudslinging surrouding these experiments needs to be cleared up. The French appear to be fighting over the corpse of Beinveniste, which is not a pretty sight.
3) Such an important statement needs independent replication. We would not want Bienveniste all over again and another rather forlorn French Nobel winner.
If these things can be done, then it needs someone else to explain what relevance these results have to homeopathy. So far, it is not clear.