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Science-The Dark Side
WHEN I WAS LIVING IN A MOUNTAIN VALLEY outside of Blacksburg, Virginia,
my family enjoyed visiting a retired farmer down the road, Mr. Kinsey,
who always had a funny story to tell. We used to look forward to eve-
nings listening to his stories on his front porch. One of my favorites was
the great potato bug scam.
He told us of his farm days before pesticides, and recounted that
when a potato crop became infested with potato bugs, the bugs had
to be removed and killed, one by one, by hand. One day, Mr. Kinsey
noticed an advertisement in a farm magazine for a great potato bug
killer, on sale for five dollars. Although five dollars was no small sum
of money in those days, Mr. Kinsey figured the bugs were enough of a
hassle to warrant the investment. A short while later, when he received
the great potato bug killer, he opened the package and found two blocks
of wood and a short list of three instructions:- Pick up one block of wood.
- Place the potato bug on the flat face of the wood.
- Pick up the second block of wood and press firmly onto the potato bug.
Scams, tricks and outright deception for personal gain are as old as
history itself, and perhaps no diScipline in our society has suffered more
from this affliction than the diScipline of health. Very few experiences
are as personal and as powerful as those of people who have lost their
health prematurely. Understandably, they are willing to believe and try
just about anything that might help. They are a highly vulnerable group
of consumers.
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