eevRANT: Refuting Bullshit - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: photon
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 09:43:36 am
content: Nice beach. I think I can smell the fresh ocean air from here.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 01:33:17 pm
content: There's two real problems:a) The religion/batteroo believerswantto believe.b) Even though they have the Internet, they're not used to checking people's claims.Actually, (b) is the same as (a). Why would you bother checking something youwantto believe?Me? Ilikebeing proved wrong. Finding out I'm totally wrong about something is a good day for me because tomorrow I'll be better. I think that's the real difference between engineers and everybody else.

author: Yansi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 01:36:03 pm
content: Oh dear... I've just seen the "eevRANT" thread. Let's watch! Will be fun.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 01:37:40 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on January 05, 2017, 01:02:26 pmWhy? Brains don't work that way, it would be stressful ("Must not think about Batteriser! Must not think about Batteriser, dammit!!").Maybe making that video was fun for Dave, maybe he felt happy afterwards.

author: Wile E. Coyote
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 01:38:20 pm
content: Hi Dave! Enjoy the family time and soak up as much sun as you can!As for other products that smell like BS, I have my money on the patented Memory Booster!it can be found here:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/memory-booster-increases-your-brain-performance/x/10816405#/I'm pretty sure the only thing you will remember after wearing this out in public are the sarcastic remarks.-WECPS - Wear sunscreen

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 01:44:51 pm
content: Quote from: photon on January 05, 2017, 09:43:36 amYes, dark cloudy sky and not littered with humans lying on towels.Exactly my kind of beach.

author: jpc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 02:06:06 pm
content: At the very least I would like to see a full technical breakdown of the batteroo before you decide to give up on the subject just to see how bad they actually are. As to any additional debunking videos on them, I will enjoy them as I always do enjoy your debunking videos. But if you feel that enough is enough, that's cool as it could be a never ending effort. BS is like lies, it can travel half way round the world before the truth even puts its socks on and is what con men and politicians rely on. For as you say, they aren't going to admit they are con men, they never do, for there is no doubt by now that with all the evidence presented they have to be out and out con men. I think their hope was/is to sell off the company and make a pile of money that way.Anyway, plenty of time to decide so have a great time away with the family, or are you getting electronic withdrawal symptoms already

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 02:24:11 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 05, 2017, 01:33:17 pmActually it's not a problem, it's how the human mind works. We can't do much about this. We simply have to accept this. The only thing you can do is trying to educate people. Not long ago you would have been punished for claiming that the earth is rotating around the sun.

author: IanMac
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 03:09:02 pm
content: Electrical energy savers are a favourite for BS because most of the public have no idea how to calculate the energy used or running cost of an appliance. Thus, the seller can say just about anything they like and be believed.

author: TechnicalBen
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 04:22:07 pm
content: It is about educating individuals. Sadly the majority of those running schemes will not change. Sometimes there is legal ability to change or stop them. Which is great.The majority of people seem to not want to know or consider it to difficult to find out the truth.Thankfully if you or we just look to educate those who want to learn, then a big difference can be made to them. It just may only be a small percentage who do wish to learn though.Also remember, a lot of the time it is about translating ideas from one area of life to another.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 05:46:05 pm
content: Somehow the concept of 'protecting' consumers from scams especially via laws sounds pretty ineffective to me. Educational information is certainly called for either public or private, the expression Caveat emptor is still probably the most effective route to take. Being skeptical is the best human protection mechanism.

author: Alexei.Polkhanov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 07:34:39 pm
content: Quote from: retrolefty on January 05, 2017, 05:46:05 pmAs an engineer I can clearly see if something is bullshit in my area, but when it comes to let's say medical treatment I am totally bullshit unprotected so the only thing I can rely on is doctors credentials. In other words there must be a way to effectively RETALIATE against someone who exploited your lack of expertise in given area. Retaliatory measures must be proportional to the damage caused, it should include things like time I have wasted in result etc.

author: samgab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 09:17:41 pm
content: Dave: You said that Bullshit Debunking videos are popular on your channel. Here's another crazy electrical product to debunk:Zappers!http://www.worldwithoutparasites.com/zappers-c66/http://www.bestzapper.com/Honestly, the horse excrement that some people buy into, SMH.

author: tpowell1830
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 09:25:49 pm
content: Dave,First off, I think you should do videos that you want to do. If you feel the need to rant or debunk products, then you should do that, after all, it is your vlog.With that said, however, I think that I would rather see more mailbags, fundamental fridays, teardowns and test product reviews. Stick to the fundamentals. That is just my 2 cents.PEACE===>T

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:23:56 pm
content: Quote from: IanMac on January 05, 2017, 03:09:02 pmDone that

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:30:26 pm
content: The subject has been discussed here before many times over and I think your average Joe in the street is unlikely to go Googling stuff whilst standing at a supermarket checkout to verify the integrity or efficiency of a product and is more likely to just chuck a product in his or her basket and worry about it later no matter how questionable the marketing claims. See that’s the thing nowadays, if you buy a gadget and it fails to live up to expectations or doesn’t do what the packet states then you simply return it for a refund, whether you then decided to go broadcasting your experience online about said product is entirely up to you and many don’t bother unless they have some other gripe in relation to the damage that particular product caused or that it let them down in some other way, or additionally that getting a refund was more hassle than it was worth.Genuine online debunkers can only give a heads up and nothing more, at the end of the day it’s entirely up to the customer to conduct their own research and decide whether a product is of value or any good based on their particular requirements. I guarantee that if you were to go and stand in a shopping complex for a couple of hours and ask passers by have they heard about the Batteriser, solar roadway, self filling water bottle or any other dodgy deal their response would be “no, never heard of it, what the hell are you talking about, go and get a real job and stop bothering people”.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:33:22 pm
content: Quote from: samgab on January 05, 2017, 09:17:41 pmIs it just me - or is there an elegant touch of irony in that site name....

author: orion242
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:41:32 pm
content: Would love to see a technical video on the batterpoo myself. So my vote is do both videos.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:49:08 pm
content: Batteries are robust devices that can be used in hundreds of ways. To fully characterise the Batteriser for all possible scenarios could result in many pages of numbers.The best way to keep it simple may be to take a leaf from Australian Fair Trading laws - is the device Fit for Purpose and are any of the claims misleading? If they claim it extends battery life, it has to extend battery life, or you can get a refund. Whether it does a useful job in isolated circumstances is irrelevant. Fair Trading wouldn't apply to fundraising campaign products - they were just a reward for funding their development, but it is the issue when they are sold.Batteroo is not a company that believes in specifications, but these seem to be some of the current important claims from Batteroo:Home Page:QuoteFAQs:QuoteQuoteQuoteWith regards to this last one, there is the question on how the Batteriser behaves in series when one shuts down - does it go open circuit even with a reverse applied voltage? Does it continue to flatten the battery if the other batteries in series are still working? Is it vulnerable to latch up?I love this one from the How Does It Work page linked the the FAQ:QuoteIf you use a Batteriser, then it definitely will suddenly stop working without even a low battery warning. The best cure is to not use a Batteriser so that your "Active Load Device" tells you the battery will soon run out long before it "just stops working".

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 10:59:31 pm
content: BS products will always come back to haunt us. It is like pyramid schemes (Ponzi schemes): once a large scheme is busted, the folks give it some rest for a few years and charge it again. Quite interesting to see how many fall for that every single time.Regarding the videos, I really liked the throwback to your walking/driving rants. This time with a very nice background scenery.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2017, 11:13:08 pm
content: The debunking videos are nice (and necessary) IMHO but don't become some kind of Don Quixote. There is a sucker born every second so BS schemes will always find people they can get money from. Just look at the huge amounts of audiophool products.Oh and the view of that beach makes me wish it was summer already over here!

author: Sterno
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 01:41:04 am
content: The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is how potentially dangerous these batterizers could be when used in a safety device such as a GPS unit.The batterizer will output 1.5V and the device they're installed in will show a full battery symbol until the battery is totally flat and the batterizer shuts off. It gives a device user a potentially dangerous and certainly annoying false sense of security and confidence in their device.Now consider this being used in a GPS unit (like the one Batteroo used as a demo).Scenario:You head out into the bush, totally secure that your GPS device 's batteries are full and all of a sudden the device dies, WITHOUT WARNING. Depending on how lost/prepared you are could at this point lead to you dying as well.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 01:28:04 pm
content: Quote from: Sterno on January 06, 2017, 01:41:04 amI'd never go out on such a trip without a spare GPS+batteries (and plenty of water and some food).

author: max_torque
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 02:27:37 pm
content: 4 rules for Bullshit Refutation:1) Know when to quit2) You can't save everyone, so don't try3) Stick to facts and occupy the moral high ground (ignore and don't retaliate to personal insults)4) Make sure you go home happy at the end of the dayWhen you can do one of those 4 rules, it's time to give up! (see rule 1)PS, have a great holiday, don't worry, we'll manage without you for a few weeks

author: JiggyNinja
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 05:07:43 pm
content: Quote from: Alexei.Polkhanov on January 05, 2017, 07:34:39 pmThis x10,000.The Batteroo is transparently obvious bullshit to us because we are knowledgeable about this field. We have much more specific knowledge than the average person does about battery chemistry and electrical power conversion not because we're smarter, but because this is our career and/or hobby. To someone without a deep understanding of this field, I can easily see how they could believe Batteroo's marketing. It's just vague and plausible enough to sound reasonable.It's rather like the herbal medicine industry. Unlike a truly delusional form of quackery like homeopathy (as an example), there's nothing inherently insane about the idea of herbal medicine. In fact, many of our medicines are synthesized from chemicals produced by plants and animals. You need to look much deeper into issue before you find out that "alternative medicine" is not tested by the FDA, and why that's such a big deal. The idea itself that herbs can have significant pharmacological effects is not crazy, it's the details of which plants are claimed to have which effects that are unsubstantiated by evidence.Batteroo's marketing is based on the following 3 statements:Battery voltage is reduced as it discharges.Battery powered devices require a minimum amount of voltage to work properly.The Batteroo device boosts the battery voltage to be the same as a fresh battery.All of these things arecompletely true, and everyone here will agree with that. The chain of reasoning that starts with these precepts and ends with "Batteroo lets you use all the energy in a battery" has just enough "truthiness" in it that it's easy to believe if you don't have a deep understanding of the many other ancillary details that make the idea fall apart.It's nice to tell people to "be skeptical", but doing that well is an extremely hard thing to do. It can take years to truly develop of a good understanding of a complex subject. If you haven't been able to do that, they only shortcut you have is to read things that other people have said and try to figure out who you are willing to trust. There is no other feasible way.That is why it is important in a civilized society to hold people to certain standards of honesty, and to have punishments given to those that try to abuse trust and ignorance for personal gain. It is not the victim's fault for being lied to, it is theliar's fault for lying.Don't take your eyes off of the real source of the problem when you race to blame the victim.

author: vodka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 07:22:25 pm
content: Quote from: JiggyNinja on January 06, 2017, 05:07:43 pmThe trouble with the homeopathy is that they say that sell a product 100% natural, but the really is that el 99% is filling and the 1% is naturalto expensive price than if you get the medicinal plant of the country.And the evidencies can give between quotation marks because these are very manipulable according to interests of Lords of World."Before the olive oil was the worst oil on the world , today it is the best of world""Before the pork meat was the worst meat of the world,today the pig is olive tree with legs""Recently, the grease was the enemy public number one, today is the sugar that is more dangerous that the cocaine"

author: JiggyNinja
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2017, 09:10:31 pm
content: Quote from: vodka on January 06, 2017, 07:22:25 pmI'm not sure if there's a language barrier issue going on here, because I'm not sure how your post relates to mine. Do you know what homeopathy actually is? A properly prepared homeopathic product (I will not call it a medicine or remedy, even in scare quotes) is so highly diluted it would be chemically indistinguishable from the water used to dilute it. You have to be completely delusional about (not just ignorant of) the ways biology and chemistry work to believe that homeopathy makes sense.Homeopathy is a different kind of quackery than the frequent reversals of advice that you are citing, which are most often the fault of shitty, stupid journalists hyping up minor results as revolutionary for click-bait headlines. The same way that shitty, stupid journalists hyped up Batterizer's bullshit without verification for click-bait headlines.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 12:06:01 pm
content: Quote from: vodka on January 06, 2017, 07:22:25 pmWhat's so great about "natural"? I invite any homeopathist to go outside and start eating random plants to see what happens.And if homeopathy science works then surely the pee of the people taking the medicine will leak into the rivers and oceans. That makes every drop of water on earth into an incredibly potent medicine! Why is there any illness left in the world? Why aren't we all asleep from the homeopathic sleeping pills?Fact is: Most people don't even know what "homeopathy" is or what it's based on. To them it's just a pretty word that sounds like "home-made, traditional stuff" when in fact it's a bunch of woo-woo invented by a mad German before we even knew what bacteria were.Just ask them if they eat food at home with traditional Chinese eating tools, or if they believe that western scientists have invented something better than that?Edit: PS: It's a lot less then 1% - usually less than 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001% in fact. Any impurity whatsoever in the preparation will totally cancel out the medicinal properties.As far as I know there's no water on earth that's 10^-40% pure and I have no idea what they use to wash their apparatus before preparation.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 12:34:17 pm
content: Quote from: vodka on January 06, 2017, 07:22:25 pmPhosgene gas is lethal at much lower concentrations (down to only a few ppm). If you want to refute bullshit then do it properly using a scientific method.edit: typos

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 04:31:09 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 06, 2017, 01:28:04 pmSpare batteries? Yes. Spare GPS? No; a waterproofed map, a compass and knowledge of how to use the two together. Weighs less than a spare GPS, works after being dropped, soaked, torn etcetera but not after being eaten by camels or goats (but neither does a GPS).

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 05:00:48 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 12:06:01 pmI think the idea of "natural" remedies as better (in the way many think about them now) came out in the 60's/70's when the Thalidomide disaster was front of mind, as was DDT ("Silent Spring") and any other number of man-made disasters caused by tinkering with biochemistry using industrial chemistry. It's easy to see how someone could view a traditional remedy as "evolution tested" and see that as better than the alternative, which appeared to be "laboratory tested, badly".Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 12:06:01 pmWell, nothing, as they would dilute it several million to one before consuming it.Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 12:06:01 pmA fallacious comparison based on cultural bias and your inability to use chopsticks properly. Chopsticks are cheap, easy to manufacture, easy to clean, more precise and present a lower environmental impact than knives and forks.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 05:36:42 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 07, 2017, 05:00:48 pmRubbish.a) Their main diet (rice) is totally unsuited to being eaten with thin wooden sticks.b) Spoons can be made with bamboo (also knives good enough to cut with cooked food).c) You're going to have to explain the "more precise" part to me over a plate of button mushrooms in oyster sauce.

author: StillTrying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 06:00:01 pm
content: I've often wondered about these hard water things, often sold for a high price on the shopping channels.I thinkmyself.http://www.scalewizard.co.uk/howitworks.htm

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 06:28:42 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 05:36:42 pmYou see, you don't know how to use them. Lift rice bowl, shovel... You'd be amazed at the speed a hungry Chinese teenager can empty a bowl of rice with chopsticks.Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 05:36:42 pmYou can get that last noodle, or last grain of rice out of the bottom of the bowl with chopsticks much more easily than with a spoon or fork. As to the button mushroom challenge, do you plan to wear eye protection? We'll have to stage it atWong Keiso there's no realistic temptation to use Western table accoutrements.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2017, 06:45:51 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 07, 2017, 06:28:42 pmSure I do(I actually learned the skill in the orient...)Quote from: Cerebus on January 07, 2017, 06:28:42 pmLift rice bowl to touch mouth, tilt head back, shovel it in, yes.Bonus points for filling the cheeks like a hamster.Quote from: Cerebus on January 07, 2017, 06:28:42 pmI bet a western spoon (or fork) is even faster

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2017, 01:26:05 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 07, 2017, 06:28:42 pmThe original statement does need to be qualified: Chopsticks are unsuitable for eating rice consistent with Western standards of table manners.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2017, 05:46:23 pm
content: Quote from: mikerj on January 08, 2017, 01:26:05 pmYou do realize that we're both having a bit of a giggle, don't you?

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2017, 06:37:11 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 08, 2017, 05:46:23 pmCareful, eating while giggling can be hazardous to ones health.

author: kalleboo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2017, 01:45:44 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 05:36:42 pmParboiled rice from the west, yes, but the sticky rice prevalent in Asia is perfectly suited to eating with sticks.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2017, 08:25:40 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 07, 2017, 06:45:51 pmI never mastered using chopsticks well enough to eat rice so I usually ask for a spoon. Then again I wouldn't know a better way to eat Sushi than using chopsticks. BTW many Asian people use their right hand to eat rice if it is too loose to use chopsticks.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 07:45:15 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 09, 2017, 08:25:40 pmIf you mean the typical nigiri sushi you're supposed to turn it upside down and put the fish side on the tongue. It's almost impossible to do elegantly with chopsticks.Real sushi eaters use fingers.

author: Bigwind
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 11:16:34 am
content: Hi Dave, I have followed you for quite a while and am usually a passive viewer. I am sure you have noticed that the smallest, most inconsequential subjects seem to take up the most time and effort. All this rubbish about the batteriser is a prime example. The fact that you feel it is necessary to interrupt your holiday to post a message only goes to support this. The fact that I am writing this, even more so!I have been involved in electronics and engineering for most of my working life (I have been retired for several years now) and it doesn't take a genius to see right through this scam.Can we now drop this subject and return to the interesting subjects you normally give us?I see you Aussies still need to return to your roots to remind yourselves of where you come from. You must be really enjoying your typically English holiday, sea, sand and rain!Enjoy the rest of your holiday and come back with renewed enthusiasm for giving us your great videos!Cheers! as we Brits say.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 11:21:21 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 06, 2017, 01:28:04 pmHarsh but frank, if you go out on a journey where your life could be endangered by getting lost and don't pack a compass, you're an idiot and probably not much loss to the gene-pool.

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 11:25:37 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 08, 2017, 05:46:23 pmOf courseJust saying that the average westerner would be pretty horrified by the eating habits of the Chinese.

author: kalleboo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 12:31:09 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on January 10, 2017, 08:00:58 amIt's eevRANT, in this one case I don't feel bad about going off-topicQuote from: nctnico on January 09, 2017, 08:25:40 pmDon't feel bad about it, the Koreans agree with you and there a spoon is customary for rice, bibimbap, etc.Quote from: Fungus on January 10, 2017, 07:45:15 amHere in Japan, when you eat affordably-priced sushi (bentos, conveyor belt places or something from a pub-style place), most people will be eating nigiri with chopsticks. Eating with your fingers isn't weird, but most people don't do it (how else will you be able to Instagram your meal with sticky fingers?). When you get to more fancy bespoke sushi restaurants, yeah then the fingers come out. I guess the majority of Japanese aren't real sushi eaters.Quote from: Fungus on January 10, 2017, 07:45:15 amIt's not too hard to do if the sushi is made correctly, I do it semi-weekly

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 02:30:41 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 10, 2017, 11:21:21 amYou are right. I don't think that way because where I live you just meet someone or just walk a bit and ring someone's doorbell to ask for directions. It is impossible to get lost. Sometimes I use the sun's elevation and position though to estimate time and direction.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 03:37:04 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on January 10, 2017, 02:30:41 pmYou are right. I don't think that way because where I live you just meet someone or just walk a bit and ring someone's doorbell to ask for directions. It is impossible to get lost. Sometimes I use the sun's elevation and position though to estimate time and direction.Most of us, myself included, live in places where the habitat isn't actively trying to kill us (Australia for instance, killer spiders that hide in toilets, and cute bloody wombats that kill dogs, WTF is that all about?) so it's not something we think about, the only reason I thought of it is a friend who's involved with mountain rescue is always moaning about people on the moors with smartphones for GPS.*UPDATE*Turns out the puppy was found safe and well, the wombat didn't kill it, it just ran away because the wombat scared it and the puppy's mother is recovering nicely from the snakebite but still, toilet spiders...

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2017, 11:06:38 pm
content: Hey Dave,Nice video as usual and glad your are enjoying your holidays. I think your cow-excrement debunking videos are great! Yes it takes more work (as you say, orders of magnitude), but it is important. Don't kid yourself though, I'm sure you realize by now that you won't necessarily be "swaying" the vast majority of people who fall for this garbage. It will be an uphill battle that you will likely not win anyways. But the fight, regardless how futile, is still worth it... even if it only breaks through to a few.The vast majority of your fans already can smell B.S. a mile away, thanks to your educational videos. Your debunking videos are like preaching to the choir. It may be hard to break through to people being scammed, and you can't compete on marketing budget. The scammers will always be ahead. I'm not sure if you have any statistics on how many of your videos are watched by "regulars" and how many are watched by people interested in say Solar Roadways or Batterizer and just randomly land on your video. If you at least catch some of the general public, in a way "Google-washing" or "Google-Bombing" the terms you are trying to debunk, that can at least help ignite a bit of skepticism in otherwise clueless people.As far as suggestions go on the videos, I'm really happy if you get back into some of the basics again. I know it may seem boring but you must have a huge number of fans who are just beginning to get into electronics and would like to learn fundamentals. I feel like you are a great "popularizer" of electronics, like Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Feynman, and similar educators have had on their respective fields. It certainly makes the next generation excited in the field, and the opportunities today are so vast, the cost barrier to entry is almost nothing. All you need is interest, hard work, and time commitment.Keep up the good work, keep debunking, keep giving us a few basics on simple circuits and why/how they work the way they do, and don't be discouraged that your message is not getting through to the uneducated "sheeple" of the world that keep these scammer's products selling.There are people listening and they are the ones you are focusing on and value what you have to offer.

author: Assafl
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 10:41:30 am
content: Batteroo is a very cheap way to unlearn that we can command physics and chemistry (we can't - they are our lords and we will always obey) and relearn how to use skepticism to identify ludicrous claims - and learn what objective reality means.By helping 1 person learn how to objectively assess a claim (learn, unlearn and relearn) - you have saved a life. It is hard, depressing work - and it has been for at least 2000 years - after all it was the essence of the work of the prophets - and they hated it and many tried to escape (hence Jonah tried to escape by boat and was returned to do his work by a fish or a whale!). Good and amusing metaphor for atheists!Good work - take many breaks. And learn to avoid thinking about the stupidity, and the sheer evil that profits off of the stupidity. (I do some volunteer work in Anti-Semitic and Vaccination Opposition think tanks and responders - hate every minute of it but it is important - As volunteering goes - I always go home depressed instead of feeling elated).“The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”? Alvin Toffler, Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Power at the Edge of the 21st Century“By instructing students how to learn, unlearn and relearn, a powerful new dimension can be added to education. Psychologist Herbert Gerjuoy of the Human Resources Research Organization phrases it simply: ‘The new education must teach the individual how to classify and reclassify information, how to evaluate its veracity, how to change categories when necessary, how to move from the concrete to the abstract and back, how to look at problems from a new direction—how to teach himself. Tomorrow’s illiterate will not be the man who can’t read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn.”? Alvin Toffler

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 02:34:37 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 10, 2017, 03:37:04 pmThe thing about Britain is that everybody thinks it's all harmless - a temperate oceanic climate, the most remote place is only 7 miles (as the crow flies) from a metalled road etc. etc. Get a mere 1000 feet above sea level in the West Highlands or Snowdonia and you can enjoy every climatic condition that Britain can throw at you, all in the space of four hours.I remember one day in early September starting to walk from Kinlochmore/Kinlochleven (elevation around 10m) up around the edge of the Mamores towards Fort William. When we started out it was warm and sunny and a t-shirt and shorts was all you wanted to wear. By the time we had walked around two miles along and 300 metres up the weather had changed to freezing cold torrential rain with the occasional hail and the cloud was dropping to become fog. The weather was bad enough that, on safety grounds, we turned around and walked back down off the hills (we had planned a wild camp that night). When I finally got to take it off, I discovered that the two outside pockets on my waterproof had about three inches of rainwater in them.Quote from: CJay on January 10, 2017, 03:37:04 pmToilet spiders? Ha! It's the dropbears you have to look out for!

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 03:01:58 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 12, 2017, 02:34:37 pmOh it's definitely not harmless, but most of us Brits live in urban areas where the most dangerous thing we encounter is a dodgy kebab.Even the ones of us who do live outside those bits are unlikely to live in bits where there are venomous snakes (which typo'd as snaks but, contrary to popular belief, even a Pot Noodle isn't actually venomous), crocodiles, deadly spiders that lurk under the loo seat etc.Quote from: Cerebus on January 12, 2017, 02:34:37 pmYup, I've done lots of 'wild' bits which could have been pretty unpleasant if the weather and poor preparation came into play.Quote from: CJay on January 10, 2017, 03:37:04 pmToilet spiders? Ha! It's the dropbears you have to look out for!Dropbears?Pfft, I give you Stoffel, escapologist honey badger!:

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 03:41:37 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 12, 2017, 03:01:58 pmAsk any Australian, they'll tell you all about them. Just as, if asked by an Aussie, you or I would explain the rules of the game 'Mornington Crescent' to them.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 03:52:57 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 12, 2017, 03:41:37 pmWell that's a whole different kettle of fish, hardly comparable to fictional nonsense like dropbears, while they may be able to grasp the basic rules the subtleties of the game, such as the Kensal Green gambit or when to play (or even not) any of the Bakerloo strategies can take decades to master.To be really successful any faster they'd need intensive coaching from someone like Mrs Edna Trellis but she so rarely sends letters of invitation these days.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 06:37:19 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 12, 2017, 03:52:57 pmI see we are in complete agreement. Except possibly about the Durham rules,nobodyever agrees with me about them.Don't underestimate the Aussies though, it's quite possible that they may have caught John Arlott's masterclass that was transmitted while rain stopped play, and between cake tastings, during the Test against Australia in, I think, 1977.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 07:24:44 pm
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 12, 2017, 06:37:19 pmWell of course not, they were deprecated in league matches after the "regrettable" incident which lead to the revocation of the Hippodrome's MC licence in 1983.I understand that there is a grass roots movement to have them reinstated and feelings run high whenever they're discussed, but I hope we can be civilised here and at least attempt to be gentlemanly about this, if you agree not to invoke the Turnham Green subterfuge then I won't mention Russell Square and we could indulge in a friendly game, for recreational purposes of course.Quote from: Cerebus on January 12, 2017, 06:37:19 pmWell, now that's a blast from the past and well remembered, I think I have those three days of masterclass archived somewhere, of coure they're rather dated now and obviously make no mention of the more modern rules such as DLR (which I know is contentious) but for nostalgia purposes and as a basic introduction it'd be great.Finsbury Park.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 07:52:42 pm
content: Drop bears.... ha ha!Reminds me of this....

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2017, 08:33:41 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 12, 2017, 07:24:44 pmI wasn't aware of those, thanks for the heads-up.(...also enjoyed a few games of Mornington Crescent in my time)

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2017, 01:07:41 am
content: Quote from: CJay on January 12, 2017, 07:24:44 pmI think we've wandered off topic far enough and long enough. Considering that a full game, with all the diversions on rules etcetera, could rival the Batteriser thread in length perhaps we'd better not. Also bare in mind that everybody apart from the Brits, probably the Kiwis and possibly the Aussies are scratching their heads wondering what the heck we're talking about. It's been fun though...

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 13, 2017, 01:22:04 am
content: Here's one Aussie who's not scratching their head.I've sat in on 3 or 4 games - but haven't participated as yet. The rules do have an anguished elegance about them.It doesn't translocate to the Antipodes particularly well and one attempt at a local adaptation just didn't have the same feel.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 13, 2017, 03:50:36 am
content: I've heard that if you get four Yorkshiremen playing a game, it can be enthralling and unforgettable. Never had the opportunity myself - has anyone else?

author: SpaceCow
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 07:58:02 pm
content: I would prefer less of the bullshit-refuting than more. Occasional videos are fine, particularly if the bullshit is interesting, but doing it for the sake of justice or whatever just doesn't ring with me as a fan. I'd rather just get more creative and educational content which allow me to identify bullshit myself rather than you telling me. I really don't think this stuff like the Batterizer deserves so much time and effort. Yes, it was interesting to see how far the bullshit could go, but by now it is just kinda exhausting. We're never going to win the crusade against bullshit in the world, so I'd rather we not spend so much time trying.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 11:16:21 pm
content: Quote from: SpaceCow on January 14, 2017, 07:58:02 pmI like to think that every debunking video I do provides the tools to help people detect the BS themselves. Indeed, my original Batteriser video was a tutorial of sorts on how to debunk a product.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2017, 11:31:12 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on January 12, 2017, 03:01:58 pmI remember having a British Rail pie which came close back in the day----apparently the training course didn't include the fact that you needed to remove the "Gladwrap" before putting the thing in the piewarmer!QuoteI can understand Brits,but Americans also recoil in horror---this from a country which has land animals which caneatyou!

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2017, 03:37:48 pm
content: I don't know whether"Calling Bullshit in an Age of Big Data"is a serious suggestion for a course at the author's university or just a very well executed spoof. Indeed, I think that's half the point of it. Either way it's worth a look.Make sure you read theseconddisclaimer at the bottom of the home page properly, all the the way to the end.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 08:37:21 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on January 15, 2017, 03:37:48 pmI'm guessing it's a bit like the Penn and Teller TV program of the same name.Penn and Teller have to beverycareful not to call anybody a "liar" or a "con artist" or anything else with a legal definition. Calling them "assholes", "cocksuckers", etc.? Perfectly fine.That's one of the reasons there's so much creative profanity in the show (the other reason is that they enjoy it).

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 10:01:16 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on January 14, 2017, 11:16:21 pmI have to agree, give people the tools to refute bullshit and there will be less bullshit to refute, your videos give good technical reasons why these things (solar roadways, batterizer etc.) are at best dubious, at worst scams so that people can develop their own critical thinking skills, keep 'em coming please.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 10:06:42 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on January 14, 2017, 11:31:12 pmI can understand Brits,but Americans also recoil in horror---this from a country which has land animals which caneatyou!Well the 'merkin's problem with Aus is that you guys haven't worked out a way to print warnings on the wildlife yet so they've no idea who to sue, when was the last time you turned over a Taipan and read:'Caution, bites may cause agonisingly slow death'or'Warning, animal may disembowel you'on a cassowary?

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 10:46:58 am
content: Quotethe warning signs are at airport if you try to remove animals from Australia

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 12:53:24 pm
content: Quote from: jonovid on January 16, 2017, 10:46:58 amYeah .... don't try that. You'll get a rather bad experience - whether it's border control or ordinary Aussies who catch you.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2017, 11:56:27 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 16, 2017, 08:37:21 amPerhaps you're not old enough to get the Carly Simon reference (a variation on lyrics from "You're so vain") at the end of the disclaimer which makes it clear that the disclaimer is more than a little tongue in cheek. Anybody who listened to the radio in the 70's would know that song.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 12:15:21 am
content: Quote from: CJay on January 16, 2017, 10:06:42 am"Fangs may be sharper than they appear.""Petting may lead to loss of limbs.""Caution, contents extremely angry.""Contrary to your grandmother's advice this animal WILL eat things bigger than its head.""When boxing, this kangaroo has NO idea who the Marquis of Queensbury is, let alone what his rules, or any rules are."

author: Assafl
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2017, 08:40:30 am
content: Quote from: Fungus on January 12, 2017, 08:33:41 pmBig thank you for posting this!What an amazing little film. Especially the narration: "What is it about this unobtrusive game? What is its magic? For magic it must surely be that makes men sit and watch and dream of past occasions and of wistful yearnings never quite fulfilled."Why can't we have a Sir Ralph Richardson successor narrate ANYTHING with such eloquence today? Is eloquence dead?