Twenty people did three tests: the Rombergtest (measures the movement of the body’s center of gravity while standing still), a handsqueeze test and a sit-and-reach-test (measure for agility).

Every test was done five times. Once without any bracelet. Once with the Power Balance. Once with the Xtreme Powerbalancebracelet (a dutch copy of the Power Balance, it even has two holograms! ). And twice with a taped over bracelet of which one had the hologram removed.

For every person the sequence of which bracelet to wear was randomised and neither the subject or testassistent knew which of the taped over bracelets had the hologram.

The results didn’t even show a placebo effect, there was just no difference for any of the tests, on average for the twenty subjects, wether they knew or not that they were wearing the original bracelet or no bracelet.

To see the results graph check this link.
http://www.trosradar.nl/index.php?id=printpage&tx_ttnewstt_news=37376&cHash=37376
(Site is from the dutch television program Radar)

You have to know what you are going to say and how you are going to say it.

Maybe use a calm voice and simply inform the potential purchaser that the braclets don’t work and that the company has been forced to retract their claims on their wedsite.

Any other ideas on how this could be handled?

Sad to see these frail old geezers completely duped into parting with their cash in the hopes they could regain some of the mobility they had lost in their old age.

I really wish I’d said something, but I was with my girlfriend’s family and didn’t want to cause a fuss. I feel we skeptics should speak up when we see abuses like this – I really regret not saying something.

“I find that this product gives me incredible powers to avoid scheduled court appearances for bail evasion. I also find it matches my mandatory alcohol monitoring bracelet so nicely – the more bracelet bling the better!
“It also interferes with jewelery store security systems, enabling one to surreptitiously snitch expensive necklaces …well maybe that last one didn’t work out so great, but that must have been because quantum vibes interefered with the holographic energy waves.”

“I’m not sure that this statement makes much sense, BJ.”

Yeah, a little ambiguous, sorry.

I meant that a lack scepticism and understanding and appreciation of science make it possible to believe implausible things and then to conitnue to hold onto them in the face of reasons why it is not so, reasons that you are able to hold at bay because of your lack of scepticism and understanding and appreciation of science.

…or something like that.

“This was not intended to be a factual statement.”’

(For those who missed it: Jon Kyle stated recently that Planned Parenthood spends well over 90% of its budget on abortions. When it was pointed out that it’s actually only 3%, his office released a statement which said…yep, you guessed it!)

I’m not sure that this statement makes much sense, BJ. I think the other commenter referred to coginitive dissonance in the sense that people are unwilling to admit the purchase was a mistake or the product is phony because it would also reflect on them in ways they are unwilling to admit to. Since that person feels that they are not gullible/stupid they would rather ignore the evidence that demonstrates that they were (at least in that instance). Some people would rather feel right than be right

“It makes my votes in the Senate go further,and helps me to be more in sync with my constituency”*

*This was not intended to be a factual statement.”