The Woo Woo of The Polygraph, Part 2

Yes, I know I was rambling in the first post.  This is sort of organic.

But back to polygraphs.  That word's been tossed around a lot about recently.  People seem to think they are magic. However, the New Lindsey Graham, who seems to have grown a pair over the last few days, actually hit the nail on the head when he fired back at a protester:

A polygraph is about as reliable as a dunking chair.

Ever hear of Gary Ridgeway?  Better known as the Green River Killer.  Passed a polygraph.  A bookend to Gary Ridgeway that you are less likely to to know: Melvin Foster.   Foster, a cabbie, made the mistake of going to police with some suspicions.  They immediately made HIM the prime suspect.  And he flunked a polygraph.  As a consequence YEARS of time and resources were wasted trying to pin the murders on him while Ridgeway went on killing.

Maybe other names are also familiar:  Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen both went through regular polygraph screenings as part of their jobs at the CIA and FBI.  In fact, the final report of the National Academy of Science on polygraphs stated that they were:

“unreliable, unscientific, and biased” and that in national security matters and for law enforcement use, the level of accuracy drops to such a level that “its accuracy in distinguishing actual or potential security violators from innocent test takers is insufficient to justify reliance on its use in employee security screening in federal agencies."

In other words, flip a coin, roll the dice, use phrenology.  While you're at it ask your local psychic to send my hellos to Aunt Martha.  Oh, wait.  I never had an Aunt Martha.  But they won't know that - it's all woo woo. 

And back around to James Randi, in case you were wondering.  In stumbling around Al Gore's Amazing Internet looking for info on the subject, I found an article written just last year by my favorite skeptical investigator - the quote above is from it.  He's 90 now, and still sharp as a tack.  You can read the full article here.  It actually has some pretty concerning information about the growth of the use of something that is so unreliable.

Oh, by the way, you know that pen a lot of places use to check for counterfeit bills?  It's woo woo, too.

P.S. - Before anyone asks, yes I do know James Randi is both an atheist and a homosexual.  My love of his research and his teaching skills do not mean I'd make him a scout master even though his life shows no signs of having an inclination towards minors.  We could have stopped 80 out of every 100 sexual assaults on children by clergy if that one rule could have been followed.

The Woo Woo of the Polygraph, Part 1

James Randi specializes in exposing woo woo.  A fine conjurer and escape artist, he followed in Houdini's steps and has dedicated his post-stage life to exposing what he calls "woo woo" - the fakes, the frauds, the charlatans that so infest society and that have gotten even worse with the advent of modern media and advertising campaigns.  If you were a Johnny Carson fan, you saw him take on a variety of fraudulent claims.  The likes of Uri Geller, various famous psychics, and nonsense like psychic surgery were all easily exposed by him.  He hates the "faith healer" charlatans the most:  he did excellent work with Peter Popov.  Unfortunately, the psychics, the channelers, the mediums and the faith healers simply found different audiences and they go merrily on fleecing people.  And earning big bucks.

I've been doing a lot of medical exploration when the chemo knocks me down.  I've been horrified at how otherwise intelligent and educated people are still falling for the huckster selling his elixir from the back of a wagon.

Snake Oil Salesmen

Also Purveyors of Quckary

We are surrounded by billion dollar industries that are being boosted by the buying public's willingness to believe in and rely on word of mouth rather than on actual documented scientific studies.  It sounds good, so, HEY, it must BE good!  And that guy with the YouTube video says THOUSANDS have benefited and SUPPLIES ARE ALMOST GONE SO ORDER NOW! They have a "Dr." in front of their name, so they must know.  Yeah.  Right.  Cigarette companies used to hire doctors as "consultants" to push their products, too. They paid them in cartons of cigarettes.  Modern snake oil salesmen like Mehmet Oz and Stephen Gundry take home cold, hard cash.  As do the marketers of fish oil, turmeric, high dose vitamin C, and the other fads du jour.

And people die.  Because someone on the web said do this instead.  Or they are marked for life because, hey, that stuff called black salve that EVERYBODY is recommending is better than going to the dermatologist, right?

I already had a particular antipathy for the nonsense known as homeopathy.  The little problem with it is that there is no way it can work.  A troublesome thing called Avegadro's Number gets in the way.  But, oh my, do homeopathic remedies sell.  Check out the pharmacy and the shelves next to checkout, especially come cold and flu season.

As Randi says, the only symptom that any homeopathic "medicine" can cure is a lump in the wallet and he does the best job I've seen explaining this particular bit of woo woo.  Take 15 to watch.  He's entertaining as well as enlightening.

To be continued...