A thread not for the easily offended

[Tribble]

Ignorance

[lancelot]

!##$%^%&%*^&* my black dog!

[rustypup]

Ignorance

....is the fertiliser of choice when it comes to religion... especially the more extreme flavours which treat their "holy" books as magical healing implements...

<looks pointedly at the xtian "scientists"...>

[Sojourn]

Got to love this cartoon...
http://www.nicky510.com/comic/all-sales-final/

[Tribble]

Hee hee it is good

[KALSTER]

Have any of you guys been clever enough to buy one of these Power Balance arm bands?

"•What is Power Balance?
Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body’s natural energy field. Founded by athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite athletes for whom balance, strength and flexibility are important.

•How Does the Hologram Work?
Power Balance is based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body."

Apparently it is a rampant phenomenon, with a barrel full of world class athletes and celebs buying into the nonsense. A good friend of mine recently bought one for his wife for over R200. Maybe as a new career move I should invent a bogus "energy" product that could cure all sorts of perceived inadequacies? I could make millions!

[ryanrich]

Do you know for a fact that it's nonsense?

One of my head trainers at Jiu Jitsu swears by the thing, and when I wore it to try it out it did seem to make a difference. Probably in a persons head though, but hey, I honestly don't know so can't comment...

[KALSTER]

Well, there have been no scientific studies done at all. In fact, there is no scientific basis for it at all. It is yet another one of those pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo things that use sciency terms like "energy", "resonance" and "hologram" to make it seem legit and to reel people in, like crystals and such. I mean, doesn't it sound like nonsense to you? "The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body." Seriously? These people should be put behind bars for fraud.

If it has an effect, it is the placebo effect, which can be quite potent sometimes.

[doo_much]

LMGA

http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/5316 ... 724307.jpg

[japie_my_skapie]

Have any of you guys been clever enough to buy one of these Power Balance arm bands?

"•What is Power Balance?
Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body’s natural energy field. Founded by athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite athletes for whom balance, strength and flexibility are important.

•How Does the Hologram Work?
Power Balance is based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body."

Apparently it is a rampant phenomenon, with a barrel full of world class athletes and celebs buying into the nonsense. A good friend of mine recently bought one for his wife for over R200. Maybe as a new career move I should invent a bogus "energy" product that could cure all sorts of perceived inadequacies? I could make millions!

But why would anyone find it offensive?

[KALSTER]

But why would anyone find it offensive?

People can find nearly anything offensive. You are basically telling them that they have been had and that it is their own fault for being gullible. It is not posted with the intent to offend though, only because the possibility exists.

[Stuart]

I saw those Power Balance arm bands the other day at my barber's shop. She is selling them too. I didn't ask how much they were.

[ryanrich]

Most I've seen are between R100 and R200. Now THAT I find offensive...

[japie_my_skapie]

So it's almost like that copper armbands that were a hit in the 90's, you know the ones that have been magnetically charged to influence your happiness

[rustypup]

the ones that have been magnetically charged to turn your skin green

FTFY

[KALSTER]

So it's almost like that copper armbands that were a hit in the 90's, you know the ones that have been magnetically charged to influence your happiness

Exactly. It is not a new thing either. The most famous charlatan professing the healing power of magnetic fields was Franz Mesmer in the 18th century.

[Nuke]

One of the guys at work has one, and I played around with it a bit. Didn't do squat for me. But lets not be pessimistic here, I will borrow it for a day and see.

[GreyWolf]

Do you know for a fact that it's nonsense?

Lets have a look, shall we?

...designed to work with your body’s natural energy field.

Last time I checked I wasn't wearing a deflector dish, so I call bs on that one.

based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow

Hmmm. I guess suckers these days will buy anything as long as you define your product in the vaguest way possible.

similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies

Oh well then, that makes it all ok. Is this power band made of Rhino horn by any chance?

[Prime]

http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_dawkin ... heism.html

[fallen_angel]

Regarding the Power Balance arm bands. If it's selling for R100 - R200 it's the generic FAKE and doesn't work. The real deal sells for close to R500 and I have one. Being a golf lover with a messed up back I reluctantly took one as the dealer told me it would assist my swing. Amazingly enough it did exactly what the dealer told me it would. A friend of mine bought the fake one and he is complaining that it doesn't work

[KALSTER]

R500?

I don't quite know what to say man. Wow. I am simply gobsmacked. So the one you paid R500 for is the real one that athletes designed? That's different then.

We started out with a single mission - bring out the best in people by bringing science and nature together.

What science??? Please show it to me!

[fallen_angel]

We started out with a single mission - bring out the best in people by bringing science and nature together.

What science??? Please show it to me!

The "magic" to the bracelet is a very simple explanation... how it works from there is a bit different.

The hologram that everyone is making such a massive fuss about is a Mylar film and works on the same principle as foil paper in an oven... it blocks good energy frequencies and reflect it back into your body. Now the fun part starts... In chinese medicine it's called Qi. Most martial artists will know it as Chi. Now your body has core points where these "good" energies get released ie. the front of your head, wrists, hands, chest and feet. So in otherwords by having the wristband or necklace on you are actually blocking the energy and it starts to resonate back into your body. Easiest way to explain it would be to look at what resonance can do to a solid structure... if 6Hz can wobble a 50 ton bridge what can you do with 7.93Hz?

So there is a bit of science involved but mostly Chinese medicine

[Tribble]

I saw them at my local chemist and wondered how they work. Interesting.

[jee]

Aaah... Fallen-Angel... now you are talking my language Chi is seen as the life force, and the energy points you are talking about are the chakras.

I don't have one, but my one friend has one (she does Bemer treatments) and she swears that it works.

[Tribble]

My physiotherapist uses a Bemer bed. Says it really works. Must admit - not sure if I have felt the benefit from that or her amazing hands.