Skepticism, Science & Pseudoscience

Folks were forever asking me about the "powers" of a mineral specimen and about using them for healing. I had a macro in my email client that sent them a few paragraphs on the stupidity of thinking that minerals could heal you or somehow "manifest" anything.

I suppose it cost me some sales, but I just couldn't listen to that nonsense.

I had one woman write to me about a specimen of malachite I had on my website. It was a wonderful specimen and quite expensive. She wrote that she had uterine cancer and that her "healer" had told her to get a phallic-shaped specimen of botryoidal malachite to heal her. As soon as I understood how she planned to use this specimen, I explained that malachite was toxic if absorbed into the body, which it would certainly do if used as her "healer" directed her. I advise her to seek competent medical care, and refused to sell the specimen to her.

It is the use of woo as a substitute for medical care that is the craziest woo I know of. Period. It can kill you.