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Support Science Not Superstition! Scams and Delusions Exposed!
This amazing New Zealand-based site "seeks to examine and expose dubious claims made in New Zealand" and expose "those that promote bogus beliefs, products or services, whether for profit or otherwise".
So far it contains eleven such exposes, which take the form of lengthy and highly literate essays. The subjects:
* Weather Forecasting by the Moon
Can Ken Ring really predict the weather 20 years ahead merely by observing the Moon? Should you be wasting money on his 'Weather Almanac'? Is his theory scientific or is it all a scam?
* Coley Ellison: Natural Healer
Does Coley really have the power to heal people of almost any disease? Can he heal people anywhere in the world using telepathy or is it all a scam?
* The Rev. Father Francois Laisney: “Shroud of Turin” Apologist
Can Father Laisney really show that the Shroud of Turin was the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ and not a medieval fake? Can he discredit the 1988 carbon-dating results and provide new evidence, or is it all a scam?
* Natural History New Zealand: Transplanting Memories
Does "cellular memory" cause organ transplant recipients to receive the memories, sexual preferences, personality traits etc of the organ donor? Is there even such a thing as 'cellular memory' or is it all a scam by NHNZ?
* Psychic Detectives
Can TV's Rebecca Gibney and her team of psychics provide new leads on unsolved real-life murder cases? Is there a connection with the 'spirit world' or is it all a scam?
* Malcolm McLeod: The Handwriting Guy
Do hidden signs in your handwriting reveal the "real" you? Can a graphologist such as Malcolm McLeod interpret these signs? Can you alter the style of your signature to improve your destiny or is it all a scam?
* Ian Harris: Honest to God Atheist
Has "Honest to God" columnist Ian Harris found a new way to describe how we can all live our lives without religion? Has he devised a legitimate way that God-fearing Christians can reject God and Christ and yet still be Christians, or is it all a scam?
* Agnostics: Sanctimonious Fence Sitters
Do agnostics speak the truth when they say they have no opinion on God, or are they just hiding their real views? Do they do this so as not to offend either believers or non-believers? Is it a valid stance, wedged between believers and atheists, or is it all a scam?
* Jeanette Wilson: Psychic Medium
Can Jeanette Wilson see and hear your dead Granny? Can she pass on messages from 'the other side'? Or is what she does nothing more than a trick designed to take advantage of the gullible, the desperate and the lonely? Can Jeanette really see dead people or is it all a scam?
* Healing with Magnets
Does sleeping on a magnetic underlay or drinking magnetised water have health benefits? Do magnets reduce pain or merely the contents of your wallet? Is Magnetic Therapy a medical wonder, discovered by the ancients, or is it just a scam, a waste of money?
* Ian Wishart: Christian Fundamentalist
Ian Wishart says we should believe every word in the Bible. That Adam and Eve -- the first humans -- were created by God, that Noah really built his Ark, and that Jesus rose from the dead. Can Ian really provide good evidence that the Bible is true, and that atheists are evil killers, or is it all a scam?
From its About Us page:
From scams, cons and quackery to superstition, blind faith and self-delusion, many New Zealanders have been duped into buying products that don't work (and could never work), and following beliefs that make no sense.
We are a small group of likeminded friends who have been confronted with some of these bogus claims and are left wondering why people fall prey to them.
We have also been annoyed and disappointed when our friends, family and acquaintances have been sucked into some wacky scheme or belief, often resulting in a negative affect on their health and/or finances. Not to mention their grasp on reality, of how the Universe really works.
Some may not have the background, knowledge or time to investigate the validity of the claims. Others may simply be too trusting, too credulous and/or lack the ability to think critically, especially since being 'skeptical' is often considered a very negative trait these days.
This website is an attempt to turn the tide. To stop the 'dumbing down of society', the turning away from science and the return to the beliefs of medieval peasants. Each of us has favourite topics that we feel strongly about and will attempt to debunk those making bogus claims. We will be presenting the side of the argument that scammers, con-artists and self-deluded do-gooders don't want you to hear.
While there are many who will confidently (and correctly) exclaim "That product is just a scam" or "That belief is just a myth", few can explain why. On this site we will attempt to explain why certain claims are bogus and why certain individuals should be avoided at all costs. You must not give them any money or entrust your health and wellbeing to them.
No doubt some of these people sincerely believe in their powers and/or mythical beings etc, in the same way that very young children sincerely believe in Santa Claus. However believing in Santa Claus does not make him real. Whether a scam is the result of self-delusion or outright fraud, either way you have been tricked into believing something that isn't true.
When people say they believe in astrology or homeopathy or rave about mediums that proclaim, "I See Dead People", you should reply with, "I See Dumb People."
Authors: John L. Ateo, Rachel C., Jason C., Gordon S.
You'll notice that John's name appears on most essays. This is because John has been chosen to write the essays in their final form, both his own and draft essays or ideas from the rest of us, and format them into web pages. Thus most essays are a collaborative affair. We are not out to build individual reputations as writers, but to expose scams and delusions.
[There is no "John L Ateo" or any other version of this name in any telephone directory in New Zealand.]
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Copyright 2006: theunscrambledweb.com
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