trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Herbalife

[[File:Herbalife logo.png|thumb|right|165px|Herbalife logo]]
{{foodnav}}
'''Herbalife''' is a company with a [[multilevel marketing]] (MLM) business model known for selling skin care products, snack foods, and [[diet woo]]. It is also known for legitimizing their business in the public eye by sponsoring sports teams and athletes. 

In 1986, the company settled a case that called into question the medical claims of some of their products and their [[pyramid scheme]]-style business model.<ref>[http://www.mlmwatch.org/04C/Herbalife/herbalife04.html Herbalife Agrees to Pay $850,000 Penalty], [[Quackwatch|MLM Watch]]</ref> [[Nobel disease|Nobel Prize-winning]] scientist Louis J. Ignarro was noted for creating their Niteworks® product (a mix of [[Vitamin C]], Vitamin E, folic acid, lemon balm extract, α-lipoic acid, L-taurine, and L-arginine and L-citrulline), which claimed to be able to increase the functioning efficiency of all the body's major organs. Ignarro's promotion of the product caused a flap when his undisclosed ties to Herbalife were revealed after he co-authored a paper hawking the product in the ''Proceedings of the National Academies of Science'' in 2004.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100920005443/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aFh1K0o4xxQY&refer=columnist_evans Nobel Prize Winner Didn't Disclose Herbalife Contract], Bloomberg News</ref><ref>[http://www.mlmwatch.org/04C/Herbalife/niteworks.html The Dubious Promotion of Herbalife's Niteworks], MLM Watch</ref>

In February 2016, Herbalife agreed to pay a $200 million fine and change its business practices as a result of a legal settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.<ref name=latimes>[http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-herbalife-settlement-20160715-snap-story.html Herbalife agrees to pay $200-million settlement and change its business practices] by Jim Puzzanghera and Melody Petersen (July 15, 2016). ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref> The settlement required that Herbalife track retail sales in the US (which it had previously not done) and require that at least two-thirds of the rewards be based on retail sales.<ref name=latimes/> The settlement did not resolve the accusation by billionaire investor William Ackman that Herbalife has operated as an illegal pyramid scheme.<ref name=latimes/>

==See also==
*[[Nobel disease]]
*[[Nutritional supplement]]
*[[Purity Products]]
*[[Vitamin supplement]]

==External links==
*[http://www.herbalife.com/ Herbalife homepage], start your long journey up the pyramid scheme here.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{stub|food woo}}{{foodbox}}

[[Category:Diet woo]]
[[Category:Multilevel marketing]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoting organizations]]
[[Category:Scams]]

Categories: Diet woo, Multilevel marketing, Pseudoscience promoting organizations, Scams
Herd mentality

{{sources needed}}{{evolution}}
:''Someone: "Moo."''
:''Someone else: "Moo."''
:''Media: "Moo."''
:''More people: "Moo."''
:''A lot more people: "Moo."''

The '''herd mentality''', also known as mob mentality, is an evolutionary adaptation in [[primate]]s that involves copying what other members of one's tribe, clan, village, etc. are doing, presumably for the sake of social cohesion. Due to modern telecommunications, the effect can be planet-wide, although usually it is confined within individual cultures. It is synonymous with Meme Theory.

What the basic principle means is that many people do not think for themselves about various issues, but follow what they perceive as the "herd".

This principle is commonly used by business advertisers, giving the impression that their product or service is used by many and thus influencing consumers to follow the "herd". 

The greatest example of this, however, is [[religion]]. People go along with what people around them think, particularly their parents and family, and are so convinced they are right, without ever thinking for themselves. There are numerous different beliefs, all of which have believers believing they are right, even though someone else who believes something different that contradicts their belief is just as confident about their beliefs.

==See also==
*[[Groupthink]]
*[[Goat]]
*[[Meme]]
*[[Sheeple]]
*[[Herd immunity]]

==External links==
*[http://herdmentalitypodcast.com/ The Herd Mentality Podcast] 

==References==
{{stub|evolution}}
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Evolution]]

Categories: Psychology, Evolution
Heritability

{{Biology}}
'''Heritability''' is a [[statistic]] that describes the percent of variance (i.e. variation) in a given trait, in a given population, in a given place and time, that is accounted for by [[genetic]] variation within that population. It was originally supposed to be used in studies of plant and animal breeding in agriculture, so it is much more useful in such settings than when used to describe human traits. This is because agricultural organisms and their environments can be carefully [[Experimental control|controlled]] and manipulated, whereas human genetic breeding experiments and control of environmental factors are impossible (for both ethical and logistical reasons).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DesxAwAAQBAJ Evolution in Four Dimensions], Eva Jablonka & Marion J. Lamb, 2005, A Bradford Book, p. 357</ref><ref>[https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02259514 Heritability: uses and abuses], ''Genetica'', Oscar Kempthorne, 1997, 99(2-3), pp. 109-112</ref> Therefore, any estimate of the "heritability" of any human trait (e.g. [[IQ]]) needs to be taken with more than a few grains of salt because of this problem alone. But the term becomes more meaningless still when one considers that, whether the organism under study is human or not, "heritability" says nothing about genetic determination of a trait at the individual level,<ref>[https://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/block/papers/Heritability.html How Heritability Misleads About Race], Ned Block, ''The Boston Review'', January 6, 1996</ref> nor does it apply to any other population in any other environment.<ref>[https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/inheritance/heritability What is Heritability?], Genetics Home Reference, NIH</ref>

For example, 70 years ago, most people who would have worn ear-rings would have been women, and most people who didn't would have been men. Hence the variation in who wore ear-rings is very largely explained by the variation in who was a woman or not. This means "wearing ear-rings" would be a highly heritable trait with respect to being a woman. Yet it's blatantly obvious that there's no direct genetic cause for wearing ear-rings, and in fact, it's caused by societal pressures.

==See also==
*[[Cognitive differences between sexes]]

==External links==
*[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27906501 The heritability fallacy], Moore & Shenk, 2016, ''WIREs Cogn Sci''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{stub|Biology}}
[[Category:Genetics]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

Categories: Genetics, Statistics
Heroic medicine

[[File:Humorism.svg|thumb|right|165px|"Avatar: The Phlegm-Bender"]]{{altmed}}
{{Sources needed}}
'''Heroic medicine''' was the [[protoscience|pre-scientific]] precursor to modern [[medicine]].

In the 18<sup>th</sup> century, medical opinion had it that the body was governed by the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile) and that ill health was the result of miasms which disturbed the balance of these humours. Balance was restored by means such as purging, sweating and [[bloodletting]] &mdash; dramatic interventions which caused [[Immanuel Kant]] to describe such methods as "the quickest way of ending a conflict; but […] also (in medical terms) a heroic means &mdash; one that endangers life". As well as being dramatic, these interventions also tended to be at least as likely to kill you as the disease itself.

Although the humours were disproved by anatomist Dr. William Harvey in 1628,<ref>[http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/meet-william-harvey-misunderstood-genius-human-anatomy-180953682/ Misunderstood Genius in Human Anatomy: A new video from the World Science Festival tells the story of this medical pioneer] (December 19, 2014) ''Smithsonian''.</ref> it was widely used until the middle of the 19<sup>th</sup> century and is credited with partial responsibility for the death of [[George Washington]].<ref>[http://www.mountvernon.org/research-collections/digital-encyclopedia/article/the-death-of-george-washington/ The Death of George Washington] George Washington's Mount Vernon</ref>

Also, "yellow bile" sounds suspiciously like urine and "black bile" sounds suspiciously like feces.

Humorism (and the associated [[cupping]], bloodletting, and leeching) are still present in [[alternative medicine]] in the [[Unani]] and [[Hildegard medicine|Hildegard]] systems of "medicine".

==See also==
*[[Alchemy]]
*[[Bloodletting]]
*[[Fun:Humeur]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|alternative medicine}}
{{altmedbox}}
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]
[[Category:Alternative medicine]]

Categories: Pseudoscience, Alternative medicine
Herstory

{{gender}}{{historynav}}
'''"Herstory"''' is a neologism "women's history," a variant of the [[Marxist]] "people's history"; while a people's history professes to [[Historical revisionism|reinterpret history]] from the perspective of [[working class|workers]] and/or common men, a herstory professes to reinterpret it from the perspective of [[women]].  Most [[feminist]]s don't use it.

==Etymology==
The term is an illustration of its coiners' belief that regular [[history]] is heavily slanted toward men's point of view, a "systemic bias" reflected in the term ''history'', which they seem to have simply assumed was a portmanteau of "his story". It is not.

It so happens that the [[English]] word ''history'' is a loan word, derived directly from the [[Latin]] ''historia'', which is itself a loan word from ancient Greek.<ref>[http://etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=history History]</ref> After all, all Latin-based languages are spelled similarly (and the word itself is feminine!) yet the masculine possessive pronouns are not "his" in those languages. On the other hand, the English word ''his'' is derived from a proto-[[German]]ic root,<ref>[http://etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=his his]</ref> and is not in the least etymologically connected to the first three letters of ''history''. They just happen to sound the same, and only in English. The origin of this term is a testament to the intellectual laziness and self-centered worldview of extremists in any field, who are quick to grab hold of anything that seems to support their point of view but reluctant to examine it critically.

==Well-known herstorians==
*Robin Morgan, who coined the term.

==Herstorians primarily known for herstorical work rather than political activities==
{{crickets}}

==See also==
*[[Political correctness]]
*[[Fun:Portmanteau]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|history}}
[[Category:Gender]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]

Categories: Gender, History, Neologisms
Heteronormativity

{{SJ}}
'''Heteronormativity''' refers to the establishment of [[heterosexuality]] and traditional gender roles as the norm in society. In other words, it assumes that "normal" people are by default straight and everyone else is willfully deviant<ref group=note>Just like how white people aren't white, they're normal, right?</ref> or in self-denial. This can lead to the marginalization of and prejudice against those in the [[LGBT|LGBTQIA+]] community, [[BDSM|kinky folk]], or anyone else who does not identify with traditional [[sexual identity|sexual identities]] or [[gender expression]], including straight people who do not follow [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche|old-fashioned gender roles]] in their relationships. The term was coined by social critic Michael Warner in 1991.<ref>{{wpl|Heteronormativity#Origin of the term|Wikipedia: Origin of the term "Heteronormativity"}}</ref>

Good allies reject heteronormativity.

Bad allies and enemies think "normal" is a much better label than "straight," and go on to say that [[tolerance]] is much easier when you don't have to ''think'' about it. (Bad allies say things like "thinky" is hard and argue for trans*-exclusion.)

A related term is '''cisnormativity''', which assumes that everyone is [[cisgender]] in the natural order; this can lead towards the [[Transphobia|marginalization]] of transgender and non-binary people.

==See also==
*[[Gender binary]]
*[[Homophobia]]
*[[Privilege]]

==External links==
*[http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~jweiss/heteronormative.htm "Heteronormativity"]. ''International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences''.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|sexuality}}
__NOTOC__
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Gender]]
[[Category:Social justice]]

Categories: Homosexuality, Gender, Social justice
Heuristic

{{logicnav}}
A '''heuristic''' is a technique, process, or method for finding a solution to a given problem, or finding an explanation for a given set of circumstances. Typical heuristics are "trial and error", "educated guesses", and "rules of thumb". In [[science]], the heuristic known as [[Occam's razor]] is often employed to interpret the merit of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]].

The word derives from the [[Latin]] ''heuristicus'', which is derived from the Ancient Greek "Εὑρίσκω", meaning '''"to find"''' or '''"to discover"'''. Despite the fancy origins, the word itself was only coined in the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century. However, heuristics themselves have been around for a very long time, probably since the emergence of the capacity for abstract thought. The ability to use heuristics is one of the (many) defining features of sentience.

Heuristics are techniques which have been shown experientially to be superior to non-heuristic techniques (such as [[random]] guessing or considering every possibility). However, it is important to note that employing a heuristic is no guarantee of success for solving a problem or finding the truth of a situation.
{{stub|logic}}
[[Category:Logic]]

Categories: Logic
High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (français)

{{hatnote|This is a French translation of [[High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program]].}}
{{Template:Conspirationnav}}
Le '''''High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program''''' est un projet de recherche conçu pour étudier la ionosphère de la Terre et son impact sur les communications. HAARP est essentiellement un énorme générateur d'ondes radios ELF financé par le Département de la Défense américain et l'Université d'Alaska. Il fut lancé en 1993 et devrait durer au moins vingt ans.

Certains scientifiques ont critiqué HAARP, craignant qu'un appareil similaire mais utilisant plus d'énergie pourrait être utilisé comme arme et que le véritable but de l'expérience n'a pas été révélé. Il a également été considéré comme un gâchis d'argent, son coût total ayant largement dépassé son budget initial. Principalement, HAARP est une cible populaire des conspirationnistes, qui croient que les ondes ELF peuvent être utilisées pour le contrôle mental ou météorologique -on l'a même accusé d'être responsable des tremblements de terre chinois (2008), haïtien (2011) et japonais (mars 2011).

Son attraction pour les conspirationnistes, son budget énorme et sa nature le rendent similaire au Large Hadron Collider.
==Voir aussi==
{{otherlang
|pagelang=fr
|en=High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program}}

==Liens externes==
*[http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_frequency_active_auroral_research_program Article Wikipédia]
*[http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/ Site web officiel] (University of Alaska)
*[http://www.haarp.net/ HAARP conspiracy homepage]
*[http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4122 HAARP Myths], épisode #122 des [[Skeptoid]], consacré aux mythes de HAARP

[[Category:français]]
[[Category:Théories du complot]]
[[Category:Science]]

Categories: français, Théories du complot, Science
Higher Power

{{religion}}
'''Higher Power''' is a [[euphemism]] for [[God]], the supernatural, or the godhead.

The term was first coined by Bill Wilson, the [[Spiritualism|spiritualist]] founder of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] (AA), and features heavily in AA's sobriety program.

Although a former governor of [[Oklahoma]] once claimed that a Higher Power could be something as corporeal as a tree and members of AA cite other Higher Powers such as doorknobs, closet doors, and toilet seats, numerous U.S. court rulings have held that "Higher Power" is definitely a religious term referring to a supernatural entity, and thus it is unconstitutional to force convicts to attend AA meetings.<ref>http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/jn.html</ref>

In this vein, "Higher Power" sees use as a [[code word]] by [[Christian]]s who are trying to be [[Inclusive language|"inclusive"]] or [[deceit|deceptive]] and thus refrain from saying [[Jesus|which Higher Power they mean]];<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080129-1.html</ref><ref>http://godisnot3guyscom-jeanette.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-message.html</ref><ref>http://www.christianpost.com/Life/Health/2008/10/researchers-do-higher-power-relationships-lead-to-or-out-of-depression-31/index.html</ref><ref>http://higherpowerprayer.com/</ref> however, although these people may sing the praises of "a relationship with a Higher Power", they are not exceedingly enthusiastic about relationships with [[Satanic panic|a certain other Higher Power]].

For additional vagueness or casual convenience, one can abbreviate "Higher Power" as "'''HP'''".<ref>
[http://books.google.com/books?id=-12HgabkIWIC ''A Young Person's Guide to the Twelve Steps''], page 101
</ref>

==See also==
*[[Spiritual but not religious]]
*[[Spirituality]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Euphemisms]]
[[Category:Religious terms]]
[[Category:deities]]

Categories: Euphemisms, Religious terms, deities
Hildegardian medicine

[[File:Hildegard.jpg|left| thumb|200px|St. Hildegard busy writing stuff down.]]
{{altmed}}
'''Hildegardian medicine''' is a system of [[Heroic medicine |humoristic]] [[alternative medicine]] created by St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). It is mostly based on visions Hildegard received from [[God]].<ref name=chicago>[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-03-01/features/0003010127_1_hildegard-bingen-nun ''Medical Miracle Worker''], Chicago Tribune, March 01, 2000, Janet Kinosian.</ref> Hildegardian medicine is quite obscure and currently practiced only by some hundred alternative medicine practitioners, mostly in [[Germany]] and [[Switzerland]], with less than ten in [[France]].<ref name=chicago/><ref name=sl>[http://www.slnaturopath.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35 St Hildegard's Medicine], Sebastian Liew Centre.</ref><ref name=praxis>[http://www.dr-schulte-uebbing.de/seiten/leistungsspektrum/naturheilverfahren_uk.html Praxis Professor Schulte-Uebbing]</ref><ref>[http://www.alternativz.co/knowledge-article/hildegard-medicine-benefits-and-basic-overview/ Hildegard Medicine], Alternativz.co.</ref>

Hildegardian medicine focuses on making sure the humors are balanced through diet, [[Herbal supplement|herbal remedies]] (such as the carcinogenic [[birthwort]]s),<ref>[http://www.avogel.com/plant-encyclopaedia/aristolochia_clemastitis.php Aristolochia clematitis], Vogel.</ref> [[Crystal healing|jewel therapy]], [[detox]]ifying measures such as [[bloodletting]] (which is sometimes to be done before a full [[moon]]),<ref>[http://ingridnaiman.com/subscription_lists/cancer_emails/full_moon.html ''Hildegard of Bingen Bloodletting and Theories of Cancer Metastasis''], Ingrid Naiman.</ref> [[cupping]], [[fasting]], saunas, and hot and cold showers.<ref name=chicago/><ref name=praxis/><ref name=nhg>[http://www.natural-healing-guide.com/Self-Healing-Techniques/Hildegard-Medicine.htm Hildegard medicine], NATURAL HEALING GUIDE.</ref><ref name=sl/> Strawberries, prunes, and leeks are considered toxic.<ref name=nazareth>[http://www.mariedenazareth.com/17276.0.html?&L=0 ''La médecine de sainte Hildegarde''], Marie de Nazareth.</ref> Jewels (such as [[diamond]]s) can be placed on the skin or into water, which is to be drunk; this is supposed to be good for things like loss of vision, epilepsy, and heart pain.<ref name=chicago/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|alternative medicine}}
[[Category:Alternative medicine]]

Categories: Alternative medicine
Hilton Ratcliffe

'''Hilton Ratcliffe''' is a [[South Africa|South African]] [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] and [[mathematician]]. He holds a number of unorthodox views which are at odds with current mainstream science, though he claims reception of his work has been largely positive.<ref>http://www.hiltonratcliffe.com/article006.htm</ref> 

According to his website, he has 'garnered a great deal of respect amongst the global scientific community for his strictly  classical approach to space science'. By his own words, he bases everything he does on observation rather than 'esoteric' theories.<ref name="ratcliff-about">[http://www.hiltonratcliffe.com/about/ About] Hilton Ratcliffe: Wanderer at the Frontier</ref> He is a denier of [[anthropogenic global warming]]<ref>[http://hiltonratcliffe.com/blog/?cat=19 See the "Climate" category] on his blog</ref> and has written a book in support of a [[static universe|static (non-expanding) universe]], which is generally considered to be an obsolete theory among the scientific community. 

Ratcliffe makes much of his friendship with [[Patrick Moore]] who did, indeed, write the foreward to ''The Static Universe'', going as far as to call it a "collaboration".<ref>http://www.hiltonratcliffe.com/Static.htm</ref> However, this appeal to authority falls a trifle flat when it is noted that Moore, in the foreword, is careful to distance himself from Ratcliffe's claims, noting only that  "It is easy to see that a tremendous amount of research has gone into the book" and "before rejecting them the reader must surely examine them very carefully indeed."<ref>http://www.hiltonratcliffe.com/TSU%20book%20reviews.htm</ref>

<!-- According to Ratcliffe's blog, he is best known in the formal scientific community as the co-discoverer of the CNO nuclear fusion cycle on the surface of the sun.<ref>http://hiltonratcliffe.com/blog/?page_id=2</ref> Someone needs to verify how closely this resembles the truth - the blog also mentions Michael Mozina as a co-discoverer, and he has a certain reputation... -->

==Books==
*''The Virtue of Heresy: Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer'' (2008), ISBN 978-1419695568
*''The Static Universe: Exploding the Myth of Cosmic Expansion'' (2010), ISBN 978-0986492624

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratcliffe, Hilton}}
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
{{stub|pseudoscience}}

Categories: Pseudoscience promoters, Global warming denialists, Living people