56 | New Scientist | 21 May 2022
and ear seeding, a treatment for
anxiety that involves sticking
crystals on to the ears.Moon confusion
The Woo website also has an article
on the recent “blood moon” lunar
eclipse, but alas, this also had some,
erm, non-science based content.
Things got a little hazy over the
number of shadows cast by Earth,
and there was a stern warning that
people should protect their eyes if
viewing the lunar eclipse – the
author may be thinking of a solar
eclipse. There was also some
unfortunate confusion over whether
the moon and the sun are, in fact,
types of planet.
“Enough science,” the story
exclaims at that point – and judging
by its track record so far, we can
only agree. It then moves into
full-on astrology mode and wewill draw a veil over the rest of
it, on the assumption that it will
be incompatible with the belief
systems of most New Scientist
readers. Feeling mischievous,
Feedback showed the article to New
Scientist’s space correspondent,
who had to go for a little lie down.Best of enemies
Speaking of incompatible belief
systems, Feedback’s hopes were
raised by claims of a new method
for bringing about world peace.
Or at least, a method for helping
opposing sides in the UK’s 2016
Brexit referendum call a truce, and
if it can do that, it can do anything.
The psychologists who came up
with the idea hoped it would
reduce Leavers’ and Remainers’
“affective polarisation”: a polite
way of saying “hating people who
vote differently to you”.
What’s the secret? Oh.
It is meditation. Specifically,
befriending meditation, which
involves listening to and repeating
the statements: “May I be free
from suffering, may I be happy
and healthy, may I have ease of
being.” Then repeating them while
replacing “I” with, sequentially:
a loved one, a stranger, a “difficult
person”, and lastly, all living
beings. Yes, even politicians.
Sadly, the results don’t suggest
that universal harmony is around
the corner. Those who practised
befriending meditation did
score slightly lower for how much
they disliked people who voted
differently in Brexit compared
with a control group, but the
authors admit that: “The effect
sizes in the present study were
small, so it is reasonable to
question whether they have
practical significance.”
At least it worked a little bit.
Feedback’s theory is that all
that chanting about “ease of
being” got so annoying that
participants transferred their
hatred to the psychologists. Or
maybe befriending meditation
does work usually, it just couldn’t
cope with the sheer intensity
of enmity triggered by Brexit. ❚are those aged 10 to 25. It is an
interesting choice of demographic,
because this age group must be, on
average, the healthiest people on
the planet. Alarmingly, the name
of the new channel is “Woo”, which,
according to a handy dictionary, is
a derogatory term for beliefs that
have little or no scientific basis.
The channel, which will make
documentaries, comedy series
and social media content, will
be partly funded by providing
viewers with links where they
can buy wellness products that
are plugged, sorry, “featured”.
Feedback is sure that all the
healthcare products sold through
Woo will have tip-top credentials
and a solid scientific grounding,
but some of the articles on the
pilot version of the channel’s
website may give evidence-based
medicine fans cause for concern.
Topics include psychic healingRelight my fire
An apology is in order, as we return,
reluctantly, to the subject of testicle
tanning, as advocated by US TV host
Tucker Carlson. Feedback’s recent
coverage of this improbable health
advice has occasioned, ahem,
quite the bulging mail sack. Who
knew that New Scientist readers
would get so exercised by the
topic of scrotal sunbathing?
Reader John Keeves writes
to ask if we were mistaken to
ascribe the purported benefits to
infrared radiation, rather than the
ultraviolet part of the spectrum.
After carrying out further research –
which necessitated a thorough
disinfection of our internet search
history afterwards because you
wouldn’t believe the kind of adverts
that started appearing – we can
report that testicle tanning involves
neither ultraviolet nor infrared rays.
It merely uses ordinary red light,
which causes no heating but
visually creates an impressive
fiery glow around the goolies.
The lack of heat is probably for
the best, because Carlson is fretting
about falling sperm counts, so the
aim should be to keep things cool
rather than hot things up.
Another reader, who wisely
wishes to remain anonymous,
believes that Carlson’s foray into
alternative health is a Good Thing
for gender equality. Women have
long had to put up with actor
Gwyneth Paltrow’s promotion of
questionable health activities, such
as steaming your vagina or popping
in a jade egg. Now men are being
told to do ridiculous things with
their private parts too. For any
Carlson fans who do wish to
indulge, reader Tim Mahon has
the perfect soundtrack: Jerry Lee
Lewis’s Great Balls of Fire.True Woo
On the subject of alternative
therapies, Feedback’s attention is
drawn by news of UK television
network ITV’s forthcoming
channel devoted to health – or
“wellness” in today’s parlance –
aimed at Generation Z, whoGot a story for Feedback?
Send it to [email protected] or New Scientist,
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