10 years and $2.5 billion. Okay, can we stop now?

[charlie]

They refused to fund my research into crossing yews with geraniums. That's right, they passed on a guaranteed limitless source of YEW-RANIUM. But they have money for this stuff? Fargin' bastiches.

BETHESDA, Md. - Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that almost none of them do.

Echinacea for colds. Ginkgo biloba for memory. Glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis. Black cohosh for menopausal hot flashes. Saw palmetto for prostate problems. Shark cartilage for cancer. All proved no better than dummy pills in big studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The lone exception: ginger capsules may help chemotherapy nausea.

...

However, the government also is funding studies of purported energy fields, distance healing and other approaches that have little if any biological plausibility or scientific evidence.

Taxpayers are bankrolling studies of whether pressing various spots on your head can help with weight loss, whether brain waves emitted from a special "master" can help break cocaine addiction, and whether wearing magnets can help the painful wrist problem, carpal tunnel syndrome.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31190909

[TZ]

1. Next time a woo complains about cancer research or AIDS

research not being funded well shall we point out its cause of THIS FUCKING NONSENSE?

[lizerdbits]

2. Of course not

The problem with this research is:

1) The wrong species was used
2) The wrong dosage was used
3) Something regarding study design was wrong

Therefore, what has worked beautifully for hundreds of years was sabotaged by evil scientists who are in the pocket of teh evul big pharma. :sarcasm:

Nothing will convince true believers that what they think works for them or their friends doesn't actually work.

[progressoid]

3. Wonder if those ginger capsules work for other nausea.

All of the woo around here lately is making me nauseous.

Or is that nauseated?