Homoeopathy in the news again, for the same reason that it's always in the news, i.e. we're spending around £5 million a year on it in the NHS and it doesn't work! After a total of 57 systematic reviews, containing the 176 individual studies, focused on 68 different health conditions, a recent scientific study by the Medical Research Council found there to be no evidence homoeopathy was any more effective than placebo for any condition. In other words a big fat ZERO, no effect, zilch, nada, nothing to see here, yet again.
Of course, devotees of this infamous "alternative" to real medicine will completely ignore this new evidence. As we often see around (complex) topics like GM, Global Warming, fracking et al, it's difficult to use evidence to convince people of truths when they don't value evidence as a way of determining the truth, preferring instead to base their opinions on confirmation bias and "gut-feel". All we seem to get these days from the pro-lobby is tin-foil, conspiracy theory waffle about "big science" and anecdotal stories of "my nan was cured of herpes" or the best one, "you need to be more open minded".. It seems unavoidable to conclude that many people are so open-minded that their brain have fallen out, in any case no one is suggesting that anyone is prevented from taking whatever sugar pills/placebo/body piercings they like, they just need to pay for it themselves or prove it works! (surely if their pills and potions are as potent as they claim then how difficult could it be?)
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