When I was surfing recently, I came across a link that I couldn't resist clicking. It claimed to possibly be the answer to all disease! (http://www.stcleader.com/).

It's where magic happens!
What I found was a Korean company called STC (Science Technology Customer). The first page claimed: It's more than life science... It's where magic happens! That magic shows two scientists - one thinking and the other transferring a solution. The one in the lab caught my attention for a couple of reasons: 1) he was not wearing safety glasses (okay, a lot of us do that), 2) he was not wearing protective gloves, and worst of all 3) he was dispensing the solution from the stock (something I tell my techs on the first day of the job not to do). Okay in case this is just marketing people run amuck, I decided to look closer.

What is it? It is energy water...
Health supplements and skincare products formulated to incorporate the characteristics of this Extraordinary Energy Water...also referred to as the "Water of Mystery" (I thought it was science - oh no it's magic...). STC, claims to use Molecular Correction Medical Science Technology to produce the energy water. It would have sounded more convincing if they would have just said "Molecular Correction Technology" but I guess they had to put "Medical Science" in there somewhere... They claim it is a far more compatible form of water for the body to utilize, thus helping promote normal cell growth (maybe I could use it in my cell culture experiments...

The PseudoScience gets worse...
They then have a discussion of how the body is 70% water and that it is necessary for metabolism and nutrient flow. Then they state that liquid water and ice have different molecular structures and that somehow this molecular structure of ice is responsible for the preservation of foodstuffs. The thrust of the argument comes later in the page when they claim that H₂O is converted to H₃O.OH and that when we get sick the H₂O cannot be converted into H₃O.OH. This is the strenght of the energy water, which is H₃O.OH. This miraculous conversion takes place by the addition of a special type of salt crystal to normal water and allowing it to sit for 24 hours. They do caution that people with kidney problems should not take energy water (makes you wonder if it is more than just sodium chloride)...

What's my point????
Ok, I will get to the point of my ranting...

Fight the good fight against pseudoscience...
Scientists are mostly passive by nature. When this kind of thing is mentioned among people at a gathering, don't just shake your head and move to the next group! Let them know that this is total BS!

Also, if you see something wrong in the media (they commonly get science wrong), write a letter!

Get involved in your local school system or in the educational process somehow.
I volunteer at the regional science fair here in silicon valley every year and try to encourage several of my co-workers to do the same and I encourage my company to employ students over the summer. Also, during engineering week my wife goes to classrooms around the area to talk about being a civil engineer. Pretty sad that one 10 year old girl came up to her after and said "I didn't know women could be engineers." If you know someone in the education profession, ask them if they would like someone to come and talk about what a scientist does (or even a field trip tour of the laboratories if feasible).

I think it is the duty of all of us that are employed in the sciences...

(I'm getting off my soapbox now...)

theLabRat