Who will win this years Bent Spoon award dear reader? Why, the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudo-scientific piffle, I hear you say. Yes indeed. But what a sterling collection of viable candidates there are. Judges face a challenging pile to sort through.

To find out who takes the gong we must wait until the winner is announced at Skepticon XL, which is being held courtesy of Australian Skeptics in Sydney over 23-24 November. To find out more about the Bent Spoon Award you can catch up here. To read up on this years nominations you can visit this page of proud piffle pushers. The predatory pseudoscientific pandemonium includes last year’s winner Ross Coulthart for his straight faced claim that Donald Trump fears for his life, should he reveal what he knows about UFOs/UAP. Coulthart also squeezed in an interview with Uri Geller during which he said:

I strongly believe there is a phenomenon of unidentified anomalous phenomena that is probably non-human, that is engaging with this planet.

Oh my, Ross. A phenomenon of phenomena? Really? There’s also one Cael O’Donnell clutching to the title of Australia’s Number One Medium and using the thoroughly debunked Spirit Box to tune in to so-called messages from the dead. Social media has been seemingly kind to Cael. I suspect Bent Spoon judges might not. For inflicting AstroTash on nightly news viewers, Channel 7 and news director Anthony De Ceglie are also nominated. Pharmacare Laboratories which popped up here recently thanks to claims relating to “clinically proven” Sambucol, are nominated for Adult Vita Gummies vitamin supplements. Marketed as “backed by science, memory and mind, seriously good, and triple immune support”, Vita Gummies for kids have already won a Choice Shonky, whilst the TGA are keeping a close eye on them via compliance reviews.

When you suddenly hear of a “medical wonder” you’re right to suspect it’s anything but. This is exactly the case with photobiomodulation. Sciencey yes, genuine no. Chiropractor Genevieve Dharamaraj claims a red torch light, when pressed against the heads of autistic children is “basically building new pathways in the brain and we can do that with cutting edge technology like photobiomodulation”. Outrageous stuff, and not missed by Media Watch. Another supporting chiropractor Kyle Daigle, sells the lights for US$8,000. Genuine experts label it pseudoscience. All the red flags were missed by channels 7, 9 and radio station 4BC, earning them all a nomination.

Our next nominee is erstwhile “controversial” Catalyst reporter Maryanne Demasi. Thanks to COVID, she has found her calling as an anti vaxxer and conspiracy theorist. Demasi narrates The Truth About COVID-19 Shots, which recounts the baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines are contaminated with DNA, in addition to the usual grab bag of conspiracies. The film recounts the mythical beliefs of ex-barrister Julian Gillespie who sculpted the COVID vaccine court cases in Australia. Demasi focuses in depth on the Fidge v Pfizer case and the anti-vax fallout I’ve blogged about here. Because of that and other pertinent developments I shall revisit the Demasi caper in short order.

In a similar vein we find, unsurprisingly, that Port Hedland Council have also been nominated. The council voted 5-2 in favour of a motion to call for the immediate suspension of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The bogus claim that these vaccines are contaminated with DNA was again a feature here. It was brought forward by Adrian McRae who has a history of anti-COVID vaccine activity. Proving he’s no cooker, WA premier Roger Cook, memorably told the council to “stick to knitting”, suggesting they had “gone off the rails”.

Also from Western Australia, comes the focus on that state’s Cancer Council and the manner in which they offer the complementary therapies reiki and reflexology. This has earned Cancer Council WA a nomination. Due to the seriousness of this issue, it deserves some examination here. Whilst Cancer Council Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, QLD and NSW discuss and provide information on cancer and complementary medicines, they do not have the promotional tone or confusing claims found on the WA site. Let’s break that down a bit.

Landing on the national Cancer Council page or a state’s Cancer Council page and typing “complementary” into the search field yields a variety of results. Some states such as Tasmania, QLD and the NT direct you firstly to the national site’s Understanding Complementary Therapies PDF. It’s a comprehensive resource and goes into appreciating the perils associated with “alternative” therapies and offers hints on how patients should navigate all promised therapies. It is prefaced by:

During your cancer journey you may hear about, or become interested in, complementary therapies. There are many therapies on offer and information about these can be confusing. The information below will help you to make informed and safe choices.

Other states such as Victoria, NSW and SA provide an extensive information page and always direct the reader to the same PDF located on their own server, such as this example in Victoria. Victoria state:

Complementary therapies are said to focus on the whole person, not just the cancer. They include practices like massage and yoga, as well as medicines that you swallow or apply to the skin. Complementary therapies are used with conventional medicines and may help people cope better with the physical and emotional impact of cancer, as well as side effects caused by conventional cancer treatments. There is no evidence complementary therapies can treat or cure cancer itself. 

For example, the impact of healthy diet and exercise during conventional cancer treatment is appreciated today. We see that SA include in their information on complementary therapy; “Some have been scientifically tested and shown to work. Research into complementary therapies and medicines is growing”. Visiting the WA website we read when it comes to reiki, which is the ineffectual practice of moving hands near a patient; “People use reiki to improve physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.” And also:

Evidence: There is no reliable evidence that reiki has any benefits. Anecdotal reports suggest that reiki is calming and relaxing, often helping to relieve pain and anxiety, reduce stiffness and improve posture.

Which tells us for some, reiki has a placebo effect or may induce calmness due simply to belief in energy therapies. Anecdotes can never be regarded to “suggest” anything, which can be better understood with research. In discussing reiki, Understanding Complementary Therapies states on page 9, “There is no scientific evidence of an energy field or that energy therapies have any benefits“. There is also no evidence reflexology has a genuine impact on improving health. Even Cancer Council WA state it is based on a belief. The placebo effect it likely produces is evident in this summary on the same page.

Evidence: Clinical trials have shown that reflexology reduces pain and anxiety and helps improve quality of life, particularly for those receiving palliative care.

Australian Skeptics’ executive officer, Tim Mendham has looked further into the claims by Cancer Council WA regarding use of these therapies and reports also, that reflexology and reiki are no longer covered by the NDIS. There are many potential problems when non-evidence based practices are introduced alongside genuine treatments. The distinction should always be abundantly clear and this is not the case for Cancer Council WA.

One such potential problem brings us to the next nomination. Elle MacPherson has made absurd claims her breast cancer “manifested” due to her emotional and spiritual state. She has further alluded to a holistic cure, despite having had seemingly successful surgery for the cancer. With the current impact of social media this is potentially quite dangerous. Her promotion of dishonest wellness guru Simone Laubscher, who also contends her own cancer was cured with an attitude change, is covered here on ABC’s 7.30 programme.

Finally, channel 7 manage yet another nomination alongside David Miles and his latest impossible rain-making, drought-defying technology, “Atmospherica”. Seven offered no criticism or expert opinion to Miles’ claims that he has a device that generates DNA-like code based instructions to atmospheric pressure systems, permitting him control of “the shape, velocity and trajectory of an approaching event.” Media Watch plonks this porky in its place revealing some great quotes: “PT Barnum style bunkum… technical description…is gibberish”.

So, if you wish to pooh pooh the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudo-scientific piffle, you know what to do.