Feature: Credulous Consumers of Woo

From health and diet to religion and the supernatural, we are bombarded with extraordinary and irrational claims. Whether it's detoxing our bodies, aligning our chakras and unblocking our channels, experiencing the magical properties of magnets and crystals, or belief in supernatural beings, we are expected to accept these claims uncritically, even when they fly in the face of our accumulated knowledge of the world. This series looks at some of the ideas behind the claims, and the consequences, and raises some rational questions. Why are we so credulous? Why is the business of Woo so popular?

Columnists

Bob Lloyd

Articles in this feature

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• CAM Qualifications: Or Are They sCAM?

  Are students of Complementary and Alternative Medicine getting a raw deal?

  News by Bob Lloyd — on Nov 20, 2009

• Placebo: Nice But Not Enough

  Why we can't accept the placebo effect as a treatment, far less a cure.

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Oct 25, 2009

• The Magnetic Illusion

  Why do we spend $1 billion on therapeutic magnets that don't work?

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Oct 20, 2009

• Chiropractors in the Spotlight

  British libel laws make it perilous for science journalists to challenge questionable therapies.

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Oct 15, 2009

• Alt-Med or Big Pharma — False Choice

  Criticizing alt-med doesn't mean supporting big pharma.

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Oct 06, 2009

• Is Science Just Another Opinion?

  What can be proven is what's real.

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Oct 03, 2009

• Why Are We Such Credulous Consumers of Woo?

  Homeopathy, crystals, magnets, food supplements, detox, chakra, Qi, meridians, channels – why are we so gullible?

  Opinion by Bob Lloyd — on Sep 27, 2009