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from the apparently-it-DOES-take-a-rocket-scientist dept.
Goop HQ is obsessed with wearable stickers that rebalance energy. NASA and a former NASA scientist are here to bring them back to Earth:
Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle and wellness website really may have stuck their foot in it this time. [...] It all kicked off when an article appeared on Goop promoting stickers. These aren't just run-of-the-mill stickers though. These are Body Vibes stickers that "promote healing."
"Body Vibes stickers (made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses to line space suits so they can monitor an astronaut's vitals during wear) come pre-programmed to an ideal frequency, allowing them to target imbalances."
[...] But wires must have been crossed somewhere as NASA have now come out to say that they "do not have any conductive carbon material lining the spacesuits." In fact, their spacesuits are made out of synthetic materials and spandex, they explained to Gizmodo.
Body Vibes' stickers were reportedly created as a result of top secret research, but Mark Shelhamer, former chief scientist at NASA's human research division, wasn't particularly impressed by this. "Wow," he told Gizmodo. "What a load of BS this is."
Also at Vanity Fair. Here's some background reading on Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. Paltrow was recently named CEO:
Last Monday, the actress turned life-style entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow summoned a small group of employees to her bright Santa Monica office. Goop, the weekly newsletter she founded nine years ago, has grown into an e-commerce empire, and she wanted to discuss the online marketing plan for the company's latest enterprise: pills. In 2014, sales of dietary supplements in the United States reached $36.7 billion, so it makes sense that Goop would expand its stock of wellness wares (Ayurvedic ashwagandha powder; a vaginal-muscle-toning egg made of jade) to include vitamins.
[...] Last year, Goop raised fifteen million dollars in venture capital and moved its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles, in the process losing its C.E.O., Lisa Gersh, the former C.E.O. of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by ledow on Monday June 26 2017, @03:45PM (12 children)
Sigh.
So someone claims some stickers "come pre-programmed to an ideal frequency" and we're arguing over whether they used the same base material in a space suit or not?
I think we've missed the point.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @04:08PM (6 children)
Not really, NASA is a space agency and they're concerned with the use of their name as a sort of endorsement for the product. The FDA and possibly FTC are the ones that would be concerned with that detail.
(Score: 3, Funny) by VLM on Monday June 26 2017, @04:30PM (3 children)
Also the FCC unless the resonant frequency is lucky enough to fall under FCC chapter 18 ISM regulations
Or maybe Chapter 47 unintentional radiators
Based on the description of the stickers they might resonate around the high UHF wireless mic band the whole service lost its Chpt 47 authorization about ten years ago when the 700 MHz band of TV channels was sold off.
I looked thru Gwyneth's wikipedia article and the best title I can find from her films and songs that relates to this topic is her album appearance in "Just My Imagination" Unfortunately the FCC does not appreciate that style of reasoning in any discussions with it/them.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Monday June 26 2017, @04:53PM (2 children)
Duh, it doesn't vibrate/generate anything as mundane as radio waves. These'll be quantum-consciousness waves or some other bullshit.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @05:03PM
Just wait until we start seeing the claims to cure cancer, cleanse "toxins," and connect you to a higher consciousness by using Unruh waves.
(Score: 3, Informative) by VLM on Monday June 26 2017, @05:04PM
Who has a tougher job saying technobabble with a straight face, Geordi Laforge or Gwyneth's lawyers?
Geordi was a trained actor; Lawyers like money. Will be interesting to see how they compare.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Grishnakh on Monday June 26 2017, @05:24PM (1 child)
The FDA and possibly FTC are the ones that would be concerned with that detail.
Nope, sorry. Unfortunately, in the US, you can sell any kind of bullshit you want as a "medical device" or for "healing" as long as you put some disclaimer that says "these statements not evaluated by the FDA" or similar. You can claim whatever you want: your product will heal cancer, make you regenerate your missing leg, etc. It doesn't matter if it's total bullshit; the government won't lift a finger to protect consumers from fraud.
Otherwise, homeopathy treatments would not be sold.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @11:31PM
This goes back to a giant lobbying push a bunch of years ago for deregulation, made by the supplement pill manufacturers.
Mel Gibson (a whore who will do anything for money, apparently) made a commercial for them. [google.com]
I seem to recall Ted Danson (John Becker MD) making one too.
Eventually, somebody figured out that you could produce a bar of completely inert stuff, [google.com] make a commercial for it that made no medical claims, and suckers would buy it by the millions.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Monday June 26 2017, @04:11PM
No, they've gone for the claim that can be easily and conclusively proven false.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @04:38PM
Well, you can totally put a cell antenna or RFID tags into a sticker so it isn't total nonsense. Just mostly, probably, and dont-invest-your-money-ly levels of stupid.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Monday June 26 2017, @04:59PM
Seeing how It's just a decorative adhesive bandage, It's fair to say it does promote wellness.
Also, 0Mhz is, indeed, the ideal frequency for its operations.
Additionally, I have it on good authority[1] that when spacemen get a boo boo, they don't cry but slap an (non-brand specific & EVA tested) band-aid on it like good boys since about the 1960s Mercury missions. And those employ adhesives that contain carbon.
So, Ha!
[1] Mommy
compiling...
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday June 26 2017, @06:29PM
The stickers FAILED the single provable claim they made.
None of the other claims make any sense what so ever, and are therefore neither provable nor unprovable.
They make no medical claims, they are not harmful, there are no provable lies in the advertising EXCEPT this claim about the material. The product was perfectly engineered to avoid any any legal culpability until they made that "same conductive carbon material NASA uses" claim.
The fact that its all mumbo-jumbo new age babble doesn't enter into it, other than proving Gwyneth is in serious need of a bitchslap from her mother.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 27 2017, @11:42AM
Using "NASA" and "spacesuits" to hawk your wares is crossing the line.
Not that anybody ever doubted what side of the line GOOP was on, but this is concrete and prosecutable.
I can hear the discussion at NASA: "We're going to get our funding slashed again and people are selling new-age-hippie-snake-oil-sex-toy crap with our name on it - if we don't do something about it, there's a conservative senator or thirty out there who can get us shut down altogether for being associated with such things... do something about it, NOW!"
🌻🌻 [google.com]