The Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense
An actual periodic table, i.e. the phenomena as you move down columns are related, for the most part, which is a concept lost on many makers of spoofy so-called periodic tables (Or is that tables made of spoofium)
There have been scientific studies that support the efficacy of acupuncture and (God help me because I told my mother it was bunk) magnet therapy (“elements” 60 and 101). This is beyond the placebo effect. They just don’t understand the mechanisms yet.
Pricking someone has a physiological effect. Qi and meridians are garbage.
Magnets might do something , but the magnet therapy charlatans’ explanations are likewise garbage. They claim one polarity heals and the other causes damage, which flies in the face of the dipole nature of the basic field of a magnet.
there was a study done that showed that using toothpicks for sham accupuncture was just as effective as “real” accupuncture. if you check out science based medicine blog, and search, i am sure you can find a post about it. likewise, orac at respectful insolence at science blogs has covered it.
I agree that these things are often “sold” by quacks and packaged in ludicrous ways, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t something valid there. Believe me, I’m not defending pseudoscience at all. I’m just noting that there is some evidence (actually quite a bit, in the case of acupuncture and acupressure) that these things work.