ChristianKl comments on MetaMed: Evidence-Based Healthcare - Less Wrong

83 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 05 March 2013 01:16PM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 09 March 2013 05:48:19PM 2 points [-]

There are even dozens of scientific studies that support homeopathy. According to a report titled "Effectiveness, Safety and Cost-Effectiveness of Homeopathy in General Practice – Summarized Health Technology Assessment" commissioned by the Swiss government:

Many high-quality investigations of pre-clinical basic research proved homeopathic high-potencies inducing regulative and specific changes in cells or living organisms. 20 of 22 systematic reviews detected at least a trend in favor of homeopathy. In our estimation 5 studies yielded results indicating clear evidence for homeopathic therapy.

There are plenty people out there who can explain you why all those homeopathy studies are flawed, but on the other hand how many double blind controlled trials do you know that show that barbers can create haircuts that increase someone's chances with the opposing sex?

But in general people do buy homeopathic medicine not because they read the report of the Swiss government and belief it. They buy it based on anecdotal evidence. They hear that some friend had success with homeopathy and then the go out and buy it.

The fact that you are ideologically opposed to homeopathy and crystal healing working, doesn't mean that it fails to produce anecdotal evidence.

Comment author: [deleted] 10 March 2013 03:03:21PM 0 points [-]

increase someone's chances with the opposing sex

<nitpick>If that was the only point of barbers, then already-married people, prepubescent children, homosexuals, etc. would never go to the barber's.</nitpick>