Message-Id: <l03102802b023851b63b3@[153.90.236.25]>
In-Reply-To: <v01510103b0236c2b5932@[205.134.246.15]>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 11:35:40 -0700
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu>
Subject: Re: electronic healing
Burt, I am not sure that my thoughts are wise but here they are. Many
molecules will, if excited with UV light, give off visible light. It is
hard to see how visible light would be produced in sufficient quantity to
kill a cell. UV light can easily. Yet I suspect this also has major
problems in regards to killing a cancer cell. Cancer cells are very close
to "healthy cells" in terms of their chemical makeup, they often just lack
the pathways to tell them to stop reproducing. These may involve a single
protein or messenger molecule within the cell, and it may be altered by a
single amino acid. Otherwise the cells are very close. Chemotherapy often
targets all cells which are dividing and cancer cells divide more often.
Yet again, I imagine there is little difference in UV absorbance between
dividing and dormant cells, they both possess mostly the same molecular
makeup, unless the DNA when coiled were to respond differently. Radio
waves seem much less likely to affect cells. They are very low energy. Of
course people have tried to dry off their dogs in microwave ovens with ill
effects, but it is very hard to see how such energy might distinguish
between two cells which are nearly identical chemically.
You have two excellent examples of the lure of pseudoscience.
People also like conspiracy theories. If either of those therapies would
have worked I suspect we would be using them now. We use laser surgery and
ultrasound imaging. Since the placebo effect is quite real, it is possible
that one could cure someone using nearly anythign; although it certainly
helps if it sounds very technical which those technologies did when the
claims were first made. They also did not design experiments to rule out
the placebo effects, eg. trying to cure people with UV or radio waves of
slightly different frequencies vs the ones that were wupposed to work, or
similar designs. Today people claim to heal with magnets, this never seems
to stop. I remember copper bracelets, laetrile, etc. I just hope it does
no harm like laetrile did by preventing women from seeking useful help. I
am beginning to rant as well as ramble, better stop. Good luck, Eiger