Thread: Why does Homeopathy seem to irk skeptics the most?

Originally Posted by Skepticat

What part of my answer didn't you understand?

The part that didn't answer my question.

Originally Posted by suede

The part that didn't answer my question.

Well focus on the part that did answer your question. Here it is again:

Originally Posted by Skepticat

When it is pointed out to homeopaths that the dilutions typically used in homeopathy mean that you'd have to drink all the atoms in the solar system to get a single molecule of active ingredient, they frequently respond with the hypothesis that water has some kind of 'memory' and can retain an 'imprint' of what's been in it.

This raises the question of how the water knows to remember the ingredient added by the homeopath but forgets everything else that's been in it.

Originally Posted by Skepticat

Well focus on the part that did answer your question. Here it is again:

How does that answer my question?

There are 1.39*10^18 m^3 of water on earth (Source: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html)

A person drinks about 2 liters of water or 6.7*10^25 H2O molecules in one day.

Boring numbers? I disagree.

For example, Einstein drank about 55000 liters of water during his life (4*10^-17 times the amount of water on earth). Every day, we can expect to drink about 3 billion water molecules that passed through Einstein's body at some point during his life. That doesn't make us any smarter (or dumber), but in my humble opinion, it's an astonishing number. Even without all new physics at a subatomic level, the cycle of water and life is fascinating.

I apologize for going slightly off-topic.

Anybody going to be able to explain to me why skeptics bring up the argument that if water retains memory, then wouldn't water retain the memory of gross stuff like sewage, etc? What's the purpose of bringing that up?

Because then surely drinking any water would kill you.

Originally Posted by suede

Anybody going to be able to explain to me why skeptics bring up the argument that if water retains memory, then wouldn't water retain the memory of gross stuff like sewage, etc? What's the purpose of bringing that up?

I have explained it. Although I have explained the answer as simply as possible, you evidently don't understand it. There's nothing I or anyone else can do about your comprehension skills but there is really no need to keep repeating the question. If this is some labyrinthine route to making some point of your own point, you're wasting your time.

Originally Posted by Skepticat

I have explained it.

I should have explained my question better.

I'm wondering why skeptic bring up gross stuff like "sewage" versus any other substance water would come in contact with that would retain its memory if that does happen?

Why don't you skeptics just say this what you said:

"This raises the question of how the water knows to remember the ingredient added by the homeopath but forgets everything else that's been in it."

Do you skeptics bring up the memory of "sewage" as a childish gross factor?

Originally Posted by suede

I should have explained my question better.

I'm wondering why skeptic bring up gross stuff like "sewage" versus any other substance water would come in contact with that would retain its memory if that does happen?

Why don't you skeptics just say this what you said:

"This raises the question of how the water knows to remember the ingredient added by the homeopath but forgets everything else that's been in it."

Do you skeptics bring up the memory of "sewage" as a childish gross factor?

Because it is a good question that has yet to be answered and you have to admit that an awful lot of waste has been added to water over millennia

But if you have an issue with sewerage then use the term "pollution" because there is enough of that in water as well

Originally Posted by suede;

Of all the alternative forms of medicine, it seems like Homeopathy irks the skeptics the most. Why is that? Why does Homeopathy irk you more than any other alternative medicine you think doesn't work?

I tried homeopathy many years ago. It was a pathetic total failure, sad to say.