Submitted by
Users who Dugg This
Kevin Slane
91 Followers
binaryfragger
83 Followers
binaryfragger
83 Followers
Chuck Smith
52 Followers
Chuck Smith
52 Followers
angrytortilla
139 Followers
angrytortilla
139 Followers
binky79Jul 12, 2010
This is the best xkcd ever!
lethallinkJul 12, 2010
I'm not sure if the next xkcd will be better.
tenaciousg86Jul 12, 2010
Dugg for honesty...
clouds31Jul 13, 2010
Only if binky doesn't say it is.
shawn789Jul 13, 2010
IT MUST! THE BINKY COMMANDS IT!
gottlosJul 12, 2010
You know what... I used to think Binky was annoying and all that... now I just respect him for giving all you all the middle finger.
You protest on you crazy clown sonuvabitch.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
He's a script.
corporateninjaJul 12, 2010
It's a she actually. Only a woman would be this illogically persistent.
atarioJul 13, 2010
Then you'll be heartily digging me for giving you the middle finger.
…………………./´¯/)
………………..,/¯../
………………./…./
…………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
……..(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
………\……………..’…../
……….”…\………. _.·´
…………\…………..(
…………..\………….\…
squ1shJul 12, 2010
Binky must be the beginnings of skynet.
oo7evanJul 12, 2010
One of these days he's going to say it isn't the best ever.
d3mattJul 12, 2010
that's what he's building us up for!
tanethJul 12, 2010
and Digg will collapse from the shock
mugichaJul 12, 2010
I'm never going to give you up Binky.
cjurdaneJul 12, 2010
STOP IT! I will count to 3: 1.... 2........!!
cjurdaneJul 12, 2010
STOP IT! I will count to 3: 1.... 2........!
ikeeel4moneyJul 12, 2010
The Oatmeal rapes xkcd.
atarioJul 13, 2010
It's not a contest.
danielhunterJul 13, 2010
They both suck.
harro65Jul 13, 2010
and cyanide and happiness destroy both of them
morpheousmartyJul 13, 2010
They are not mutually exclusive, The Oatmeal might team up with xkcd and produce a strip of such violent comic power that you will have no choice but to blind yourself so no other comic may sully your eyes after such greatness.
diggmat1cJul 13, 2010
@Atario
YES IT f**kING IS
sil369Jul 13, 2010
whatever happened to cyanide and happiness
i never see it on digg anymore ;(
joecool1986Jul 12, 2010
………………………………..¸„-~~^**^~~–,„¸___¸„-~-‘,¨’,~-,„¸…………………………………
……………………………¸„-“´ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ’, ‘, : :`"-„………………………………
…………………………¸„” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ¸`› ‘, : : : `-„……………………………………
………………………..„” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ,’ ,-‘`, `, : : : :”-„…………………………………
………………………„” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :¯: : ,’ ,’ : : : : :”„…………………………………
……………………..ƒ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ‘, ‘, : : : : : :`¸………………………………
……………………..| : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : `, ‘, : : : : : :'|………………………………
……………………..| : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : `”´ : : : : : :'|……………………………
……………………..”„:¸¸,„„„¸¸,-, : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :ƒ……BURY HIM!
……………………...”„`-~^~-,„”- : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :_ : : „”………………………………
………………………..”„ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :‘,`,¸-“………………………………
………………………….”-„: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ‘„”……………………………………
…………………………….”-„ : :¸„~-„¸ : : : : : : : : : : : : ¸,„„¸ : : : „-“………………………………………
……………………__………| : | · · | |`-„ : : :¸ : :¸ : : ¸„-˜ | | · `„ „-“*~–„¸……¸„–-„¸…………………………
…………………„-˜·:·:`”-„¸„-~”„ :`¸ · ·| | · “-,¸ :¸’ : ‘¸ ¸„-´· · ‘| | · „” “„ ::::::: ¯`”¸” ·:·:·”„………………………
…………………| ·:·:·:„-“ ::::::`”~`„-„’„’¸_¸„-˜¨¯ „ „ :`¨`-„¸ · ·| |„-“¸„-“ :::::::::::: ‘„·:·:·: |`*°~~–-,„¸……………
…………………| ·:·:·’„ ::::::::::::: `”*-„ : : : : : : : : : : :¯`”’˜,„´ ::::::::::::::::::| ·:·:· | ::::::::::::¯¨`”~-„¸……
……………..¸„-“´„ ·:·:·| :::::::::::::::::::”¸ : „-“˜¯`”’”´¯`”’-„ : :„”/ ::::::::::::::::::: ', ·:·:,’ :::::::::::::::::::::: `”-„…
…………..¸-˜ :::: \ ·:·:”„ :::::::::::::::::::,”-„"**¯¯`**~–-“¸„-“,’ ::::::::::::::::::::: ,' ·:·,’ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |…
……….¸„-“ :::::::: ”„ ·:·’, :::::::::::::::::: ’, ¨'`-„¸_ :_¸„-*˜ ;; ƒ ::::::::::::::::::::::,’ ·:,’ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |…
........„-“ ::::::::::::: "¸ ·: \ ::::::::::::::::::: '\ ;;;;; ¯ ;;;;;;;; ,' :::::::::::::::::::::: / ·¸-‘ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ,’…
…..„” ::::::::::::::::::::`-„ ·’, ::::::::::::::::::::`-„ ;;;;;;;;;;;; ,’ :::::::::::::::::::::::,’„„˜¸____ ::::::_¸„- :::::::::: ƒ…
…„” :::::::::::: `”~-„ :::::`-¸’\ ::::::::::::::::::::::`-„ ;;;;;; „-“ ::::::::::::::::::::::::/………..,´¯¯¯ :::::::::::::: ƒ…
.„” ::::::::::::::::::::::``-„¸¸-˜ `”-„:::::::::::::::::::::: `-,„-^˜ :::::::::::::::::::::::::: I………..,’ ::::::::::::::::::: ,’…
/ ::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¸„-~`^*¯¨`-„ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: „“……….,’ ::::::::::::::::::: ,’…
”„ :::::::::::::::::::::¸-” : : : : : :¸ :`-„ ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: „”………¸„~`˜¯¯¨`”*~„¸ ::::: ,’……
–`”-„ ::::::::::::::: ƒ : : : : : : : `¸ ¸ `¸——————————————-˜—¸,„-^”˜ : : : : : : : : : “„ ::„” ——–
;·;·;·`”~–„¸_ ::::: ”¸ : : : : :`» : ¸-“¸„-“ ;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·¸„-*˜ ¸„-~~-„ : : : : : ¸,„-~”~” ·;·;·;·;·;
;·;·;·;·;··;·;· ¯¨`””˜´`”*~–-~´–-^'˜ ¯;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·¯¯¯ ;·¸„-*˜„-~^*”˜˜¯ ;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;
; ;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·; ¯¯·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;·;
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
f**k you.
libertarianslolJul 12, 2010
i came here to digg binky!
headcrabbJul 12, 2010
BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY! BINKEY!
juanfushashiJul 13, 2010
What in this bin could be so valuable that you need a key to unlock it?
atarioJul 13, 2010
Binky sucks and his meme sucks and he should feel bad.
lvaneedeJul 13, 2010
This is the worst comment ever
skillelJul 13, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
crazyeddie041Jul 13, 2010
Dugg for non-4chan-spawned meme.
luckyl21Jul 13, 2010
HOLY S**T HES ACTUALLY RIGHT THIS TIME!!! THIS IS GOLD!!!
favreismJul 12, 2010Submitter
Dugg for the alt text. Homeopathic medicine is a giant scam.
phuzybunyJul 12, 2010
They say that it becomes more potent the more diluted it is... My friend died of an overdose when he forgot to take his pill.
harrypowersJul 12, 2010
Clever.
abk0110Jul 12, 2010
I have diabetes and I became sugar deficient from taking too many placebos. Thank you. thank you.
stait01Jul 13, 2010
Yep, witty.
aquapeteJul 12, 2010
This is the best alt-text ever!
jsrduckJul 12, 2010
I took out a girl once and she told me she was going to transfer to a homeopathic medicine college. I never called her again.
invaderprotosJul 12, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0&feature=player_embedded
mxm111Jul 13, 2010
Can we treat stupidity with pot?
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
To be more accurate to homeopathy's law of similars, he should be giving her a diluted birth control pill to cause the pregnancy.
Jordan117Jul 12, 2010
I thought the whole idea was that diluting a substance makes it stronger?
rizzosbackJul 12, 2010
Correct, but you also use the thing that does the opposite of what you want.
So a homeopathic sleeping pill is caffeine, diluted to nothing, literally, as they dilute it to the point where effectively the substance isn't there anymore.
thuktunJul 12, 2010
Oh, well that's different and makes sense. =P
munikhoJul 12, 2010
Well, i think more accurate would be to give her the diluted semen to make sure she wouldn't get pregnant. The reasoning is to give a bit of the poison so your body creates antibodies against it. At least that's how i always understood it... Does make more sense. (playing devil's advocate here)
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
Yeah, but they say it's because of "quantum energy" because water has "memory".
The guy who made it up was actually a huge fan of the whole vaccination idea but he just extended it to too extreme lengths. I'm not sure the antibody thing works when you bear in mind the sort of thing that ends up in remedies. You're not vaccinating yourself against insomnia with caffeine antibodies, for example.
publiclurkerJul 13, 2010
If I remember correctly, the entire opposites thing in homeopathy is based on the fact that an overdose of quinine (given for malaria) can give you a fever.
oriondrJul 12, 2010
I hope that water remembers being jizzed in.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
James Randi went in front of congress, took an entire bottle of homeopathic sleeping pills, then gave a 4 (actual figure isn't coming to mind) hour speech to congress about how homeopathic medicine is a complete crock.
There is nothing at all scientific about it, and if you use it you deserve the horrible fate you'll eventually encounter.
holygodJul 12, 2010
Homeopathic medicine is like prayer. It gives simple minded people comfort.
zb757Jul 13, 2010
Except prayer is free and more effective than homeopathy at achieving the desired goals.
publiclurkerJul 13, 2010
Free? that depends upon the church.
wolfkeeperJul 12, 2010
Yes, but he later got cancer.
I doubt that's why, but I'm not taking the risk of taking an overdose!
;-)
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
Affirming the Consequent.
Fallacy of the Single Cause.
False Attribution.
Post hoc.
Regression Fallacy.
I think that's the most logical fallacies I've ever seen in a single statement.
clonedJul 12, 2010
A guy at work once bought a used car out of the paper. Ten years later BAM! Herpes.
wolfkeeperJul 12, 2010
LOL @ all the people that didn't get that it was a joke...
cyrixJul 13, 2010
Make stupid post. Get buried. "lol I was only kidding guiz!"
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
Wasn't there that mass homoeopathic suicide pact not so long ago?
itwasonlyajokeJul 12, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCYvOgBaEY8
dutchsaintJul 12, 2010
oh it does work in SOME cases. When I was a little kid and I was crying for any reason, my mom always gave me a glass of water with a few drops of some homeopathic stuff in it. I always stopped crying.
I think it COULD work with things like depression, too. As long as the user believes in it, that is. If you believe in something, it can improve your mood, and if your mood is the thing you're trying to cure, it works.
I'm not saying these things could cure back pain or whatever,~Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
So you're saying that when you were a kid you were tricked into believing that something would work, so therefore it actually works.
Also, depression is a very real physical disease. If you say otherwise I've got a phone number you can call of one of my friends who just got over a suicidal phase. Saying that can be cured with drops of water is like saying you can cure cancer with a laser pointer.
dutchsaintJul 13, 2010
What I meant to say was that people can be tricked into thinking it works, and if that helps in a certain situation, it's good.
As for the second part, note that english is not my first language. I don't always know how an english sentence can be interpreted, which is why I added the "caused by injuries, viruses, ect". What I meant by it was not caused by fear, memories, ect~.
I do agree that me picking depression as an example wasn't the best choice. There are indeed a lot of cases that are far to extreme to be cured by making the patient believe something will cure them. I just don't know any of those people, so in my line of thinking, depression is "just" someone feeling down for a long time. I know that not all depressions are like that and many are much, much worse. Do note the words "some cases" and "could" are in capitals.
I should've mentioned phobias in stead of depressions. Those can (a lot more often) be cured by the patient believing something works. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
speedsteamboatJul 13, 2010
You're literally saying that Homeopathy is a placebo which is the exact opposite of "working."
I can give you sugar pill for anything and tell you its medicine and that would about the same odds of "working" as homeopathy. It's all bulls**t. It's not a legitimate industry, and profiting from lying to people is unethical no matter how you slice it.
carbonetcJul 13, 2010
Maybe you were thirsty.
morpheousmartyJul 13, 2010
DutchSaint, I get what you are saying however a licensed professional like a doctor or psychiatrist has an ethical responsibility to be honest with their patient and could not recommend a cure he or she knows to be just water.
This rule is waived in the interest of medical research to do controlled tests, but even then the patients are told they may be getting a placebo.
dutchsaintJul 13, 2010
@speedsteamboat
Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, but if a sugar pill can help someone to get rid of their acrophobia, then it's working isn't it? The pills itself aren't actually the cure, but the way they are used.
and the funny thing is, before your comment I had no idea there were actually big industries selling homeopathic "medicine". The only way I know about them is because of someone that used to be my next-door neighbor. He was retired, and as a hobby (or however you'd like to call it) he started doing spiritual/homeopathic treatments. I'm not sure if he believed it himself, but I do know his placebos cured a few -including my mom's acrophobia-
Thing is, he didn't charge money. He just felt like he could do some good by doing this. I had never even thought of people claiming to be actual doctors and selling those "medicines", claiming to have science on their side... And yes, I do agree that that is plain wrong.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
Head on! Apply directly to the forehead!
Head on! Apply directly to the forehead!
Head on! Apply directly to the forehead!
amaoicanJul 12, 2010
Is "Head on" from Palm?
johninmtJul 12, 2010
That commercial gave me a headache :(
Of course..that could have been avoided had I purchased some Head On and applied it directly to my forehead!
Closed AccountJul 13, 2010
applied
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
if you want to get pregnant, you have to keep on trying and trying and trying....... hey, i kinda like where this is going
canadianmacfanJul 12, 2010
The real secret to getting pregnant is to not want to get pregnant. Once you are absolutely sure that you don't want a child is when you are most likely to get one.
remf3Jul 13, 2010
In California, the best way to get pregnant is to have absolutely no idea of how to raise one, at least on substance abuse problem and no job or visible means of support. Those people have *tons* of kids.
publiclurkerJul 13, 2010
Except Bristol is from Alaska. Let me guess, Teabagger of just a run of the mill moron.
alexbarnes94Jul 13, 2010
@publiclurker - what did remf3's comment have to do with politics?
thuktunJul 12, 2010
No, the real secret to getting pregnant is (1) do not seek to get pregnant and (2) take insufficient precautions to have one.
I really don't want any more, but since I've gotten a vasectomy, we've successfully avoided another for years now.
bcsteve2Jul 12, 2010
According to the twisted rules of homeopathy, wouldn't diluted semen be used to terminate pregnancies?
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
So Joan Crawford was a homeopathic abortionist?
Jordan117Jul 12, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0
Also:
http://www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/
knarkjesusJul 12, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0c5yClip4o
iamnobody8614Jul 12, 2010
Wow, that lady really doesn't understand physics.
danedabeanerJul 12, 2010
Is it just me or has he been on a decline lately?
jayskullsJul 12, 2010
I concur.
vegxJul 12, 2010
It's been on a decline for a long time. Now it's genuinely bad most of the time.
mugichaJul 12, 2010
Just you.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
It's not just you. Diggers will bury you because they're the kind of tasteless neckbeards who embrace the forced inside jokes and geek superiority in xkcd, but xkcd hasn't been good in ages.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
vstg005Jul 12, 2010
what? sugar pills don't cure diseases?
drhuntzzzJul 12, 2010
No, they do. It just doesn't matter what sugar pill you take so long as you believe it's going to work. Placebos are sometimes ridiculously effective. Oddly, the effect is never distinguishable from placebo.
tablatronixJul 12, 2010
"Placebos are sometimes ridiculously effective."
Its seems more likely that medicine is ridiculously ineffective. And that the placebo effect has more to do with coincidence than mind over matter. ( I think there was a study of this recently )Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
drhuntzzzJul 12, 2010
I'm familiar with the study. The patients in that study knew there was a pretty good chance that they were getting the placebo. That is more a study of placebo controlled studies than a study of the placebo effect.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo#Clinical_significance
whatupdoc18Jul 13, 2010
they'll help your hypoglycemia
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
If homeopathy were true, we would have suffocated long ago due to the Clean Air Act.
chrysrobynJul 12, 2010
Regarding the alt-text, a true scientist would say homeopathy hadn't been proven. Without a double-blind test with a large enough number of participants, the placebo effect can't be quantified. I think it's probable that most of homeopathy is wrong, but I can't say with certainty there's not a little bit that's relevant. And heck, the placebo effect can help people.
Of course, nobody stands financial benefit from disproving homeopathy.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
These large, double blinded tests have been done. The British Government actually refuses to fund any more because there's been so many already.
chrysrobynJul 12, 2010
That's really good to know about. Is there a place where results are published online?
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
Well, PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) is a good place to start with.
srgordyJul 12, 2010
Ha ha ha! Oh, what a witty and intelligent comic strip! Each is better than the last!
jayskullsJul 12, 2010
/s
There I fixed it.
amaoicanJul 12, 2010
Only if Binky says it is.
srgordyJul 12, 2010
Binky should choke on a fat one.
amaoicanJul 12, 2010
I like to think it would be the best fat one ever... you know, until he choked on the next one.
srgordyJul 13, 2010
ha, you win
wisebinky79Jul 12, 2010
Tell this to the multi-billion dollar flake industry.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
I purchase and consume vitamins.... on the bottle most recently I noticed that vitamins were considered "homeopathic", and they were forced to label as such by the gov't.
I think vitamins are good for you, particularly as a dietary supplement if you body is lacking certain things. Furthermore, I believe that hyper doses of Vitamin C and other substances can give your immune system a short term boost to help prevent getting sick or lessen the length of a cold.
You ahve to be careful as the umbrella of homeopathy is starting to become commercial.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
"I think" and "i believe" aren't really indicators of effective medicine.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
Your right, vitamin C must not in any way help the immune system.
meninostongueJul 12, 2010
If the vitamins are really homeopathic, then there really aren't any vitamins in them... I'd check the content. Either way, any reasonable diet will give you more vitamin C than your body can use. It is a water soluble vitamin, so excess isn't stored. Once you max out, you just pee the rest out.
Vitamins are useful if you have a lack of some due to diet or a medical condition... I tend to have low levels of iron, and can definitely tell when I need to supplement. Now I know the symptoms, but I started by actually getting tested by a doctor, and not by going with a hunch. Taking vitamins under the theory that more is better will be ineffective at best and can actually cause harm. Don't take anything because you think it will work... actually research it and find out the pros and cons.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
Your first statement is VERY wrong.
caeanderJul 12, 2010
I think you need to research what homeopathy is.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
No, I undestand very clearly. You need to first work on your reading comprehension and then thinking skills.
The government forces many vitamin and supplemental manufacturers into labelling their products as "homeopathic" despite their proven effectiveness. Vitamins are mostly found in this category.
one example:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/22433/airbornetm_versus_zicamtm.html?cat=5
Zinc is proven to shorten the symptoms of the common cold. However, the gov't forces zinc products that claim that to be considered "homeopathic".
I don't abide ignorance well, so forgive me if I seem argumentative towards you.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
"You need to first work on your reading comprehension and then thinking skills."
pretty sure you're the one who lacks reading and comprehension skills or perhaps just basic logic. just because the government mandates vitamins be labelled as homeopathic does not alter the implication meninostongue provided. assuming that they are falsely labeled simply means the antecedent of his statement is false, which by itself makes the statement true. assuming that they are not falsely labeled makes the antecedent true and by definition of what homeopathic medicine the consequent statement is also true - thus his conditional is still true.
brainflakesJul 12, 2010
vitamins are in no way homeopathic... unless the brand you are buying are diluted to homeopathic levels in which case they're ripping you off by selling you sugar pills and you should switch to a different brand that actually contains vitamins.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
Wrong you are.
brainflakesJul 12, 2010
How so, Yoda?
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
Well because the US government forces vitamin manufacturers to label their products as "homeopathic" if they in any way advertise benefit from their product.
EG. You can sell vitamins, but as soon as you advertise them having an ACTUAL benefit then you have to put the homeopathic label on the bottle.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
brainflakesJul 12, 2010
Well they shouldn't be labelling them as "homeopathic", are you sure the gov is forcing them to rather then them using the label to cash in on the alternative medicine fad?
Perhaps they are using the "homeopathic" label so they can make unproven medical claims. Vitamins are simply chemicals that our body has evolved to require but can't make on it's own. A good example is Vitamin C. It's required by all animals, and most animals produce their own Vitamin C. At some point in the past primates and guinea pigs lost the ability to produce Vitamin C through a mutation. Because their diets were already rich in Vitamin C they did not die off so the mutation stuck.
Not having enough of a particular Vitamin causes diseases such as rickets and scurvy and getting enough vitamins are required for general health and well-being, but some vitamin / dietary supplement manufacturers will exaggerate the health benefits of taking them and make claims that aren't backed up by clinical testing.
1hrsleepJul 12, 2010
K1n6
You have put the homeopathic labels on the bottle when you advertise a benefit because homeopathic medicines aren't regulated. Ergo, nobody has to check into the fact that the vitamin C tablets you're taking don't actually cure cancer or give you wings.
The government doesn't FORCE vitamins to be labeled as homeopathic, the manufacturers want to advertise a benefit without being tested.
Now STFU.
brezzzJul 12, 2010
I remember the only homeopathic medicine that was ever given to me that actually worked was eye drops.
subtafugeJul 12, 2010
distilled water mixed with a bit of salt (i.e. saline solution) would work just as well.
sarcasteakJul 12, 2010
I get it.. because its water...
I bet homeopathic solutions would cure my thirst as well...
lvaneedeJul 13, 2010
I lol'd
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
If placebos work and do heal people, why should we stop them?
fritzekJul 12, 2010
Because producers are saying that homeopatics can heal you, but you are in fact getting better because of placebo effect. I think it's a fraud.
If I stole a car from you and you'd be forced to work hard(to get a new one) and end up with a better job, a lot of money and bentley with a driver, I could say that in fact I was helping you. But that doesn't change the fact that I stole your car.
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
I'm not 100% sure that's what it's like.
I think it's closer to say that a guy in a white coat is selling you a bottle of something that he says will make you better. Actually, it turns out that any improvement is all down to you. Therefore what he's selling you doesn't do what he says it does. I think that's how it's like fraud.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
sigmaman2Jul 12, 2010
Because placebos, by definition, don't actually do anything at all. Taking a placebo, and being healed shortly afterward is only a coincidence.
The problem is, those coincidences happens often enough, and the marketing of them is so effective that it keeps gullible people believing in them.
ofoarheffinsakeJul 12, 2010
I should point out that it's something of a fallacy that the placebo effect is simply a coincidence. The mechanisms behind it aren't fully understood, but it is an actual effect, hence the name. It's why you'll often see three controls put in place:
1. Actual treatment
2. Placebo treatment
3. No treatment.
If the Placebo were simply a coincidental thing, then it would have the same effect as no treatment. That is to say, you'd get a random number of people feeling better in roughly the same average amounts.
Most of the time though if you give a group a placebo, they will on average do somewhat better than those given nothing at all.
Just thought I'd point that out.
(None of this changes that Homeopathy is a scam, of course)
cesclaveriaJul 12, 2010
I guess the problem comes when people start believing that placebos can cure anything and only take that.
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
There's also a big problem with homeopaths prescribing homeopathy for things that homeopathy can't do, like stopping you getting malaria or curing cancer/AIDS. And there's the whole warning people away from the "scary chemicals" and towards natural medicine thing that gets caught up in it.
mikeanthony80Jul 12, 2010
http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/magazine/17-09/ff_placebo_effect?currentPage=all
Placebos are actually becoming more effective. Scientists really don't understand what is going on and how this works. I suppose if I believed homeopathy worked, through the placebo effect it may help some sort of pain I have, but seeing as I think it's a load of s**te, it'll never work on me.
The placebo effect affects the gullible apparently (including me I expect in some circumstances).
pyratorJul 12, 2010
Could it be because some people might not actually be ill in the first place.
Could it be that some drugs just don't work, or worse still do more harm than good.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
mikeanthony80Jul 12, 2010
FTA...
"Benedetti often uses the phrase "placebo response" instead of placebo effect. By definition, inert pills have no effect, but under the right conditions they can act as a catalyst for what he calls the body's "endogenous health care system." Like any other internal network, the placebo response has limits. It can ease the discomfort of chemotherapy, but it won't stop the growth of tumors. It also works in reverse to produce the placebo's evil twin, the nocebo effect. For example, men taking a commonly prescribed prostate drug who were informed that the medication may cause sexual dysfunction were twice as likely to become impotent."
Basically, if you believe something will happen, to a certain extent it may happen. It won't stop tumours growing, or anything like that, but it may ease the effects of some pain.
In some double blind tests quoted in the article, it says that the effects of some drugs were matched almost to the same level as the placebo. This isn't homeopathy being quoted, but an experimental antidepressant. If doctors and scientists can somehow harness the power of the body to fix itself in certain situations by tricking it somehow, I think that would be a great thing. If you didn't have to take actual drugs to cure some minor ailments, there wouldn't be so many side effects and it might be healthier in the long run.
steviesteveoJul 12, 2010
Not to say that placebos are all good - you can actually have side effects from taking a placebo (the placebo response/effect works both ways).
aletheiaphileJul 12, 2010
What it comes down too is people getting rich and not being able to prove they are doing anything of value. For example if a parent of a child with xyz condition convinces another parent with a similar child this or that vitamin will help their child, that's just parents being parents.
What's aggravating is when chiroquackers and homeopaths are paying for the H2 and house in the country by convincing people that a treatment is beneficial or essential when they refuse to submit said treatment to normal scientific study.
So if you want to buy homeopathic whatever and it makes you feel like your doing something, have a blast. Just don't make a living taking advantage of peoples hopes and fears.
brainflakesJul 12, 2010
Because they're just selling you sugar at a massive markup.
meerlingJul 12, 2010
They will sell you something to make you better for $100.
Will you take the placebo with around 3% effectiveness?
The homeopathic remedy with around 3% effectiveness?
The low quality medicine with around 41% effectiveness?
Or the effective medicine with around 70% effectiveness?
I know what I'd choose.
(Please note, all those numbers are just grabbed from the air and do not represent actual statistics. Let's face it, giving a placebo or homeopathic remedy for lung cancer won't even come within 1% effectiveness. Though they can work wonders for minor pains and aches.)
bmanamJul 12, 2010
Because we'll get addicted...
pxtlJul 12, 2010
While this was a small chuckle, 3 single-panel gags in a row?
I mean, I know the author is lazy (they're stick-figures, duh) but single-panel stick figures?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
crackshot91Jul 12, 2010
I WANT MY f**kING MONEY BACK!
*breathes heavily*
sreindlJul 12, 2010
Since when are vitamins homeopathic? Tell any biologist that they're just placebos. I dare you.
pcar951Jul 12, 2010
I would also like to tag on with your comment that higher concentration does NOT equal higher bio availability.
protodonJul 12, 2010
Hmm, so homepathy and holistic are not to be used interchangebly. Good to know.
vegxJul 12, 2010
Take that, easy target to mock.
I eagerly await Wednesday's strip concerning the quality of airplane food.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
He's going safe on this one because the target of his token xkcd smugness (anthropology majors) on the last one got him a ton of backlash.
vegxJul 12, 2010
I didn't read that strip until now.
Incredibly disrespectful and douchey, but I'm sure Digg loved it.
atarioJul 13, 2010
I'm guessing he's not particularly concerned about backlash from anthropology majors.
arizonaicedteaJul 13, 2010
It must suck having to take everything so seriously all the time.
Closed AccountJul 13, 2010
@ArizonaIcedTea:
Here's a quote from this very same thread:
"Shut the f**k up its a joke you worthless prick. Get a life."
-ArizonaIcedTea
Yeah.
sclubdevinJul 12, 2010
xkcd are the math/science/tech majors who don't get laid and therefore must make fun of their social science major counterparts (who do get laid) in order to feel good about themselves.
i respect your scholarly pursuits, but seriously. it's pathetic. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
arizonaicedteaJul 13, 2010
Shut the f**k up its a joke you worthless prick. Get a life.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
Actually, according to the way homeopathy works shouldn't that cause an abortion?
Hint: the belief behind homeopathy is that an extremely dilute amount of a substance will cure whatever symptom it causes in large amounts. ie: the homeopathic cure for insomnia is caffeine diluted up to 50x. (They believe the more dilute it is the stronger it is)
tablatronixJul 12, 2010
This actually makes sense (over long term) when talking about allergies or histamine responses. But fails in most other respects.
bobartigJul 12, 2010
It wouldn't cause an abortion unless semen is considered a "treatment" for infertility in the Medica Materia. But you are correct that the proper "homeopathic fertility treatment" would be a highly diluted solution of something that causes abortions, like maybe R.U. 486, or laminaria (although neither of these are perfect examples).
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
Well, I guess in this situation it would prevent pregnancy, not cause abortion (unless she is already pregnant).
Homeopathy is still bulls**t hokus pokus.
bestenemyJul 12, 2010
The economic stimulus works exactly the same way.
kingmanicJul 12, 2010
If you look at the big picture a recession occurs when economic activity has diminished. Often because the market got ahead of itself and priced things higher than was sustainable or produced more than the demand could sustain. The economic activity decrease usually overshoots what the real level of demand or pricing was and after a period of fear comes back up to over shoot it again.
The idea behind stimulus is that the market takes a while to right it's direction again so you can lend a helping hand by taking some wealth and pushing it towards where you think the real sustainable level of activity is. Ideally you fund it by using a war chest you built up in good times through taxes. you do it before hand slowing growth so it doesn't overshoot too much. Thus you mitigate the highs and the lows. Tax more when times are flying and use those funds to prop up the system when times are slow.
The problem with many stimulus plans is that many governments don't save in good times and actually fan the fire and then when bad times hit they need to take on debt to dig their way out or they try and push the economy to levels which aren't realistically sustainable. America does the former and Japan does the later. Japan is chasing a return to a level activity that their economy can't sustain because of a real shift in their under lying economy. America fans the fire to push the market as high as it can go and consequently the recession after will be worse because you overshot it by so much. The stimulus created is also rife with problems because of corruption, pork barreling, and mis-management.
Canada seems to do it better. Actively slowing things down in good times and keeping the spending going in bad times. They pay off their debt when things are flying and incur it when things tank. They keep a tighter reign on the banks. They dumped stimulus into infrastructure, existing social programs that had a budget shortfall, and into the healthcare system. So while Japan has had 10 stimulus plans and a 20 year long recession; The US still has dramatic unemployment and shaky short term prospects; Canada has basically recovered to pre-recession activity.
bestenemyJul 12, 2010
You're economically illiterate when it comes to the role of artificial interest rate manipulation in a fiat regime. Regarding saving during the boom cycle in order to spend during busts - no government does that, not even your precious Canada. A country goes from zero debt to $50+ billion in 2 years. Sounds insignificant, until you take into consideration the miserably small population compared to its Southern debt buddy. Canadian banks more prudent? Bulls**t! BMO was caught just a month ago laundering $200 million repriced MBS'. No subrime in Canada? Bulls**t as well! Introduced in April 2006 sub-prime standard withing a year grew to 30% of all newly issued mortgages. The program got suspended in 2008 when SHTF in the US.
The problem is not that governments don't spend enough, but that they don't spend at all. They spend all they get and then some. No government has the wisdom as to where the money needs to be invested anyway. Infrastructure projects (aka: roads to nowhere in Japan) always end up in capital misallocation. Tell municipalities there's money for fixing roads and bridges, they'll come up with projects just for the sake of milking the feds for every last penny.
Canada has not recovered. It kicked the can down the road, kept the housing bubble inflated for a bit longer, kept the employment stats slightly elevated though make-work projects and added to oversupply of housing. Meanwhile consumer debt kept on going through the roof, outstanding credit card balances grew faster than in the US and the amount of foreclosures rose along with shadow housing inventory.
The government has pushed the demand for housing and automobiles forward though tax incentives. The HST also made people conduct capital purchases ahead of time. Now that the new tax is in place the real fun will begin. Just watch the housing stats for Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. Watch auto sales as well. Check the stats for May, as well as tax revenue figures for May and June. They tell real story.
honkyoumofoJul 12, 2010
I'm sure you're fun at parties....
Party-goer: Hey look, Katie's doing a keg-stand!
You: Just like Obama with the stimulus package.
Party-goer: Booze is great!
You: Obama loves boozing when writing legislature involving the stimulus package.
Party-goer: Man I'm high!
You: Obama is a Kenyan.
Some may think that last one's a stretch, but not you, inappropriately-placed-s**tty-political-humor-guy.
bestenemyJul 12, 2010
Who said anything about Obama?
aalenoxJul 12, 2010
Tim Minchin: Storm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUQn0HhGEk
stait01Jul 13, 2010
Already had the link copied...
matt9m5Jul 12, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIaV8swc-fo&feature=player_embedded
brainflakesJul 12, 2010
Of course it's not going to work, everyone knows you need to dilute by at least x10,000 times before the treatment becomes effective!
Also see Homeopathic A&E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0
karlhJul 12, 2010
"30x" does not mean "30 times." It's a homeopathic term for ten to the power of negative 30, i.e. the original substance is watered down to 1 part per 1000 billion billion billion.
ninomanJul 12, 2010
I want to digg this twice just for the alt-text.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
The level of ignorance on Digg is starting to get pretty deep.
honkyoumofoJul 12, 2010
^The birth of a troll. A bit unrefined, but you got the basic idea.
k1n6Jul 12, 2010
Very observational of you.
It's almost like the life of star in space. Shining so brightly for a while you would have no idea they will eventually become cold, dark neutron masses that absorb and consume light.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
jeremyadamJul 12, 2010
I work in a health food store and we have a huge homeopathic section, such a ripoff, yet I can't say a word to customers. Also, ear candles are bulls**t.
joot2112Jul 13, 2010
had never heard of ear candles... good god what sort of s**t will they come up with next.
borntolooseJul 12, 2010
A good friend of mine is actually going on to a homeopathic medical school of sorts. I never talked in depth with her about it, but her emphasis was more on avoiding putting unnatural things into your body; eating less processed food, avoiding excessive medicine when you don't need it, coming up with "more natural" cures. The whole dilution principle is eight kinds of retarded and when it comes to serious illnesses, you're asking for problems if you don't take the appropriate medicine in appropriate, tested doses. But as a philosophy for everyday health, its really not a scam. I frankly wish I had seen a doctor more open to alternative cures for a bout of insomnia I had rather than just immediately giving me ambien which I had strongly adverse reactions to. It kinda comes across as new-age bulls**t but there are potential benefits to homeopathic medicine. Just not in diluting medicine, that's just silly.
beergoddJul 12, 2010
Poopiest...xkcd....ever. Oh wait, they're all poopy.
borntolooseJul 12, 2010
A good friend of mine is actually going on to a homeopathic medical school of sorts. I never talked in depth with her about it, but her emphasis was more on avoiding putting unnatural things into your body; eating less processed food, avoiding excessive medicine when you don't need it, coming up with "more natural" cures. The whole dilution principle is eight kinds of retarded and when it comes to serious illnesses, you're asking for problems if you don't take the appropriate medicine in appropriate, tested doses. But as a philosophy for everyday health, its really not a scam. I frankly wish I had seen a doctor more open to alternative cures for a bout of insomnia I had, rather than just immediately giving me ambien which I had strongly adverse and potentially life-threatening reactions to. It kinda comes across as new-age bulls**t but there are potential benefits to homeopathic medicine. Just not in diluting medicine, that's just silly.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
kingmanicJul 12, 2010
Homeopathy has nothing to do with life style. It has only to do with a bulls**t dilution principle. The life style principles your friend is learning is just lifestyle principles bulls**t salesmen are also teaching. The benefits of homeopathic medicine are entirely placebo and lifestyle additions related to having a slightly more eastern lifestyle.
There is not difference from real effective natural medicine and real effective western medicine except dosage and purity. The reason why doctors are skeptical of alternative medicines is because a lot of it has been proven to do nothing except trigger the placebo effect. A few have been shown to do something through a recognized mechanism but the mechanism is often much different than what proponents say it is.
The lifestyle isn't something homeopathy came up with. It's basically random things your mother could tell you if your mother was from a healthy ethnic minority (mine is Chinese).
What would my mother tell me about insomnia- stop taking caffeine, don't watch TV before bed, go to bed earlier, don't play video games or use the computer before bed, and eat better. Thats not alternative medicines thats just really old life style advice.
What would my mother tell me about a cold: Get plenty of sleep, drink a lot of hot fluids, don't go anywhere or stress yourself out, eat well, and treat you symptoms with the right cough syrup so you can sleep.
What would my mother tell me about cancer: go to the f**king doctor!
okinaJul 12, 2010
Chinese people are more like an ethnic majority.
borntolooseJul 12, 2010
I'm not really agreeing with homeopathic medicine here. There aren't many people in homeopathic medicine that I'm aware of, so when talking to the one person I knew who was actually involved in it, it was described as the lifestyle being just as important. So perhaps in definition it only has to do with the dilution principle (which is unarguably bulls**t) but in practice, if this friend was to be my doctor (which she never would be, but still) the other lifestyle things would be heavily tied into it. I go to a, accredited university and obviously homeopathic medicine isn't an option for a major. I can't remember her's, but it was tied heavily into nutrition, exercise, that whole lot. I don't know, I only have this one person to go off of. Maybe other homeopathic followers stick to the dilution thing.
What I was saying, and again this is only based off my experience so its not speaking universally about every homeopathic "doctor," is that someone in this profession could be more open to other solutions to problems, outside of diluting the medicine my actual doctor prescribed. My insomnia was not something so simple that my mother could fix, regardless of her ethnic descent; I don't drink caffeine, don't have a TV in my room, haven't owned a gaming system since PS2, exercise regularly, eat.. s**tty but still. It was much more tied into deeper problems that my doctor just kinda threw drugs at. Maybe I need a better doctor. Between my primary physician, who gave me the medicine that could have killed me, or the friend of mine who tied lifestyle directly into her view of homeopathic medicine, I would have been much better off with the later, that's all I'm saying. I mean really I should have just seen a shrink, but that's not the point I was making.
skillelJul 13, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
whatupdoc18Jul 13, 2010
take melatonin if you're still having sleep problems. It's a natural hormone your body makes before you go to sleep but taking it sublingually or however can help you out. You might have heard people taking it for "jet lag" but really it's just to get you to fall asleep.
crazyeddie041Jul 13, 2010
"The whole dilution principle is eight kinds of retarded"
So what you're saying is: homeopathy is eight kinds of retarded.
Closed AccountJul 12, 2010
I think it's funny how people who complain about big pharma don't complain about big placebo.
ymegJul 13, 2010
There is a pretty large skeptic groups that regularly attacks this kind of bulls**t.
wrath017Jul 13, 2010
This f**king sucked. A link to Wikipedia's homeopathy page would have been much more entertaining than this piece of crap comic.
aserer511Jul 13, 2010
don't exactly get it, but funny none the less
danconiaJul 13, 2010
Why doesn't he just f**k her?
lvaneedeJul 13, 2010
Because that would make sense!
brainrazerJul 13, 2010
Got a hearty laugh from me good sir :)
taintedloveJul 13, 2010
Homeopathy may be no better than a placebo, but let's remember that there is a statistical significance to the placebo effect.
ausjpJul 13, 2010
There is... but when there's no statistical significance between a placebo and homeopathy (which is all that has ever been demonstrated when homeopathy undergoes the rigor of real science), there's little point paying for an expensive placebo.
It is a scam. Woo-pushers endanger lives.
taintedloveJul 13, 2010
Exactly .But also if people aren't buying something to take for some condition, they won't get the (limited) benefit of the placebo effect.