Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more
Pearls of wisdom
A DECADE after Harry Frankfurst鈥檚 celebrated treatise On Bullshit, we are finally rewarded with a scientific investigation of the subject.
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鈥�On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit鈥� is a in which Gordon Pennycook and his colleagues attempt to identify behaviours that render people susceptible to nonsense.
The authors define bullshit as a statement that 鈥渋mplies but does not contain adequate meaning or truth鈥�. To form a Bullshit Receptivity scale, they used satirical sites such as (a random phrase generator trained on the online excretions of guru Deepak Chopra) to create vapid, portentous-sounding aphorisms, which were then judged by participants for profundity.
The authors found that those who judged this bullshit as profound were more likely to hold a belief in the supernatural, among other variables. 鈥淎 bias toward accepting statements as true may be an important component of pseudo-profound bullshit receptivity,鈥� add the authors. To which Feedback says: no shit!
Softly does it
PREVIOUSLY Feedback discovered that Bombshell, a perfume from Victoria鈥檚 Secret, doubled as an effective mosquito repellent (28 November). 鈥淚 hope the authors included Avon鈥檚 Skin so Soft among the alternative insect repellents they tested,鈥� writes Vera Silberberg. 鈥淎lthough Avon did not intend it as such, it is now marketed as a pleasant smelling and effective insect repellent, much appreciated by walkers.鈥�
Richard Holden concurs: 鈥淥n our travels to midge-ridden west-coast Scotland we鈥檝e always taken Avon Skin so Soft. Leaves hands dangerously slippery but stops the little nibblers nibbling.鈥�
Rumour has it that even Britain鈥檚 elite soldiers, the SAS, make use of the balm 鈥� although whether this is for its repellent or skin-softening properties we don鈥檛 know. Will Bombshell鈥檚 floral tones now join the fragrant arsenal of these fighters?
Unknown unknowns
AN AUTOMATED response from the Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development was sent to Marco Overdale. It reads 鈥淚f your email has been received by the Vehicle Imports inbox you will receive an automated email receipt. If you do not receive this, your email has not been received.鈥�
Marco assumes this email is the response he is supposed to receive, but how would he know if it isn鈥檛?
Through the looking glass
DOES your drinking water lack harmony? If so, the seven wave-form rings of the Amezcua Bio Disc 2 can help, we are told. Spotted by John Boyle, this device 鈥� cleverly disguised as a glass coaster 鈥� will energise bottles of water, improve plant growth, preserve your vegetables and more, when placed nearby.
Shining a torch through the coaster onto your food will make it taste better, with keen to point out 鈥淧hotons 鈥� the concept of the basic units of light developed by Albert Einstein 鈥� and their interaction within and on biological systems is a long established field of scientific study.鈥� Who could disagree?
Birth name
A LONG gestation: fans of nominative determinism should pause to mark the retirement of Richard Bump, who, after 16 years and 2573 manuscripts, is stepping down from his post as Associate Editor for the .
Safety first
READER David Rapley recently acquired a new Epson printer, which came with a thorough warning leaflet. Advice to 鈥渒eep this product at least 22 cm away from cardiac pacemakers鈥� is undoubtedly useful, yet Epson doesn鈥檛 stop there: 鈥淒o not use a telephone to report a gas leak in the vicinity of the leak,鈥� it .
鈥淭his bears no relevance to risks from a printer,鈥� ponders David, 鈥渟o far as I know, they don鈥檛 contain pressurised gas canisters.鈥� He notes that the company鈥檚 slogan is 鈥淓xceed your vision鈥� 鈥� in this case, Epson certainly did.
Silken sounds
WHILST looking for hi-fi components online, Derek Woodroffe stumbled across a unique collection at Studio Z猫y, whose stock can only be described as 鈥渁rtisan鈥�. The , for example, consists of a capacitor wrapped in linseed oil-soaked silk, glued into a wooden cube with beeswax and sealed with vernice bianca, a varnish made of egg whites, honey and sugar 鈥渞umoured to have been used by Stradivarius in his legendary violins鈥�.
The 鈥溾��, meanwhile, is a resistor made with ebony wood and silk, although because it 鈥減asses on the full dynamic range of the signal, while being completely transparent itself鈥�, it may not be the best resistor.
Studio Z猫y warns it will not be liable for any damage arising from the Invistor鈥檚 use 鈥渋n electric devices or elsewhere,鈥� adding 鈥渄on鈥檛 even think of installing them in military or medical machines鈥�.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen many websites that claim to improve your hi-fi with gold cables and exotic components,鈥� remarks Derek, 鈥渂ut this really takes the biscuit鈥�. To which Feedback says: don鈥檛 give them any more ideas.
(Image: Paul McDevitt)