Another Credulous Reporter

My local paper last week printed a typically clueless piece from one Amy Moon, about the pseudoscientific Q-Link pendant that I wrote about nearly three years ago - Q-Link if you want. The maker of this device claims it is “the most advanced personal energy system available today” and that it can “tune your being for optimal living and performance”. Pretty big claims for something that is just a few, small, random, cheap electronic components that are not even connected to each other. But to be fair, it cures imaginary problems so perhaps it makes sense to use an imaginary method.

The article was one of the worst of its kind, offering no critical appraisal at all, instead repeating the Q-Link maker’s crap verbatim. Here are some examples:

A random pick from the alphabet led to the Q. Only later did the founders attach meaning to it.

Because of course, that’s how science works – picking stuff at random and then shoehorning meaning into it.

"We started to think about the Q-Link as being the 'Quantum Link,' " said Gray over the phone from his Larkspur company. "Quantum means an 'indivisible unit of energy,' something that supports the notion of the whole or holistic body."

“Quantum” actually means the smallest amount of a physical quantity that can exist. I suppose that, strictly speaking, this also means “an indivisible unit”, but only indivisible because it is the smallest possible - hardly the same as “the whole body”, which obviously can be divided. I am reminded again how woos love equivocation – using the same word in different meanings in an argument, implying that the word means the same each time. With sleight of hand, “quantum” becomes the same as “woolistic” “holistic” – a veritable masterpiece of equivocation to imply that the smallest unit possible is the same as a whole body. But top marks for use of the word “quantum”. (See the woo credo, #10.)

According to Gray, inside the Q-Link is crystalline matter imbued with frequencies that exist outside of the electromagnetic spectrum.

This just makes no sense. If it is electromagnetic radiation then it must by definition be inside the electromagnetic spectrum. In fact, surely all frequencies must be within the electromagnetic spectrum? In what sense is the electromagnetic spectrum limited to certain frequencies?

This realm of subtle energies is a new area of science and controversial because there is no way to prove the energies exist.

So, how do you know they do exist? And how do you know the Q-Link can affect them?

"What's so interesting is if you look back over the last 20 years at anyone who ever talked about chakras, meridians, 1,000 years ago it was the basis of science."

I think he’s claiming that 1,000 year old thoughts about chakras and meridians, as repeated by current new age bozos, is science. Unfortunately, no. Chakras and meridians were just made up by ancient people who had no knowledge of how the body actually works. Science has moved on from these nonsensical made up entities.

Although there has been some independent research on the supposed effects of the Q-Link that are listed on the Clarus Web site, the scientific evidence is scant. Gray said the company hopes to do more research.

Surely they should do the research before they sell the product? Because if they haven’t done the research yet, how do they know it does anything?

But even ignoring this logical error, I find Gray’s claim that he “hopes to do more research” to be bogus. Their website lists ten studies on the device. As far as I can tell these are the exact same ten studies I wrote about three years ago, with the exact same flaws I wrote about then. Three years and no new studies? No follow up? I suppose they don’t really need to bother. With uncritical free publicity from credulous twits like Amy Moon, why would they need to do any actual science?

Comments

[miller]

They say there's no way to prove these "subtle" energies exist? I suppose that means the pendant has absolutely no observable effect, and is doomed to fail any experiment imaginable. They said it, not me.

[Susan B.]

"In fact, surely all frequencies must be within the electromagnetic spectrum? In what sense is the electromagnetic spectrum limited to certain frequencies?"

Perhaps the frequencies are imaginary? Or better yet, transfinite!

[Yojimbo]

Shirley, if we can use imaginary numbers, they can use imaginary energy.

[DKrap]

Would this work to keep elephants away from your house? Most likely, if you live where I do as there is no free roaming elephant within several thousand miles. This claim is as valid as anything else. Of all the things mentioned, elephants scare me more than anything else. But I still won't buy one.

[sophia8]

There are some interesting comments from somebody at Q-Link, replying to a blogger, here:
http://the-amberlady.livejournal.com/22327.html
One last simple explanation which I find most people, including myself, comprehend. Imagine all humans are 12 string guitars. Most of us have the same 12 strings but do not go out of tune the same way, some may never go out of tune. The Q-Link is like 12 tuning forks, reminding any out of tune string of the optimum note so it retunes. There may be some guitars who only have 9 standard string and 3 non standard, in which case the Q-Link can only re-tune the 9 standard strings, the other 3 strings cannot be changed.
I'm off now to re-tune myself - reading that has seriously loosened my strings.....

[Tom Foss]

A random pick from the alphabet led to the Q. Only later did the founders attach meaning to it.

Because of course, that’s how science works – picking stuff at random and then shoehorning meaning into it.

To be entirely fair, I'm pretty sure that's how we got the name "X-Rays." And the different quark names (up, down, top, bottom, strange, charmed). Of course, in all those instances, they were naming actual things.

"Quantum means an 'indivisible unit of energy,' something that supports the notion of the whole or holistic body."

This is so wrong it's almost funny. Yes, "quantum" supports the idea of the whole, holistic body, since its fundamental principle is that the whole body (and anything else) is composed of gajillions of tiny, discrete particles (quanta) of matter or energy. Quantum physics is about those teensy tiny particles, not the "whole, holistic" anything!

This realm of subtle energies is a new area of science and controversial because there is no way to prove the energies exist.

You know, when they come right out and admit that kind of thing, it really makes our jobs easier.

"What's so interesting is if you look back over the last 20 years at anyone who ever talked about chakras, meridians, 1,000 years ago it was the basis of science."

This doesn't even make semantic sense, let alone the content. Another appeal to ancient wisdom, as is usual. What else was the basis of science 1,000 years ago, pray tell? Humours, demonic possession, geocentrism, alchemy...and what do they all have in common?

It's like they're not even trying anymore.

[Yojimbo]

"It's like they're not even trying anymore."

I, personally, find them very trying...

[Big Al]

This realm of subtle energies is a new area of science and controversial because there is no way to prove the energies exist.

So, they're real energies, but even the most sensitive meter can never detect them.

And therefore, you know this... how?

Talk about a frustrating field of scientific research. "How did you get on in the lab today, darling?" "Oh, just the same as the last ten years: I still can't prove the existence of the phenomena I have a professorship in, but I'm throwing everything I can at the problem. Still, at least the Research Council have voted me full funds to carry on for the next five years. I've put in to buy the SPEAR accelerator when SLAC have finished with it, and CERN have offered to let me use the LHC on alternate Wednesday afternoons once it's up and running." "That's nice, dear. My friends are always so impressed when I tell them you're a scientist!"

When was the last time any scientist said "This phenomenon is so subtle that nobody will ever be able to measure it"? Give up on that fancy LHC, CERN: that ol' Higgs boson is way too tightly packed for mere mortals ever to be able unwrap its secrets.

[Billy Warhol]

Remindz me of Pet Moon Rocks!

;)) Peace*

Interesting Discussion*

[Leopold Stotch]

Wait does that mean my Q-Link Golf edition is fake too? ;-)

[this place is wack]

the people that run this blog and most everyone commenting do not have any idea how reality works in any sense!!
i know what these fools are going to say before i even read their regurgitated modern day know-it-all responses.

[Bronze Dog]

...So, you wasted your time posting a content-free know-it-all response about how we allegedly behave as know-it-alls?

Why don't you grow a spine and try some real criticism? Why waste your time whining about how offensive our style is, when you could be offending with substance?

[Ramel]

"i know what these fools are going to say before i even read their regurgitated modern day know-it-all responses."

The problem with embracing reality is that it does lead to a certain predictibility...