The Daily Beast reports on an unique approach to Covid-19 infection prevention:
Scientists have started sounding the alarm over a strange new theory circulating online about the novel coronavirus. Basically, it argues that the coronavirus may not really be all that novel. Instead, the thinking goes, it could be an ancient virus hidden in our DNA that does not directly make people sick—until shifts in Earth’s geomagnetic field create a cascade of effects that ultimately activate that latent genetic code and cause COVID-19.
The wildest part: Thanks to its own unique geomagnetic properties, the theory maintains, “nephrite-jade amulets, a calcium ferromagnesium silicate, may prevent COVID-19.” In other words, you may be able to wear a physical piece of armor to ward off the deadly illness.
Unlike the bogus far-right conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and other diseases that have percolated over the years, this idea did not emerge from some secretive digital fringe. Instead, it originated in a peer-reviewed article in Science of the Total Environment (SOTE), a reputable academic journal, thanks in part, its authors claim, to funding“through grants from the United States National Institutes of Health.” (The National Institutes of Health did not respond to a request for comment for this story.)
How embarrassing, not only for the journal (that’s Science of the Total Environment, folks, in case you weren’t paying attention – and, now that I think about it, that sort of title raises a red flag or two for me), but for the peer-reviewers as well.
Either that, or it’s not such a reputable journal. The problem with the phrase peer reviewed is that if you’re self-deluding, and your peers are self-deluding, well, what’s the point? I should like to see some other phrase come into vogue, although I’ll retract my first inclination: expert-reviewed. That could go so wrong, couldn’t it? I mean, a self-proclaimed expert on homeopathy might give a big thumbs up to a study on homeopathy that “proves” it can cure cancer! Whereas those who’ve studied homeopathy extensively would just shake their heads and reject the submission.
But speaking of retractions, following the provided link doesn’t take you to the article, but to a page that seems to suggest the paper’s been retracted, and long time readers know where to go next: Retraction Watch:
The co-authors of a paper that claimed jade amulets might prevent COVID-19 have tried to distance themselves from the work, in a letter to the co-editor of the journal that published it.
In fact, the first author, Moses Bility of the University of Pittsburgh, says of his co-authors:
the conceptual understanding and far-reaching implications of such an unconventional approach and complex idea that employed concepts/frameworks from geology, geophysics, and Condensed Matter Physics may have not been fully clear to them all.
Well, there you go. And heavens forfend that Bility have to review the paper before submission himself! But wait, it gets better:
Elsewhere in the letter, the authors try to distance themselves from their conclusion that jade amulets might protect against COVID-19:
One of the major concerns of the scientific community expressed via the online press or social media platforms includes statements that appear to endorse the use of jade amulets in preventing COVID-19 infection. We did not intend for this to be our message, but we must contend with the fact that it did elicit such interpretation.
For reference, the statement about jade amulets, which appeared in the “highlights” section of the post, does not seem ambiguous:
Nephrite-Jade amulets, a calcium-ferromagnesian silicate, may prevent COVID-19.
But this may be the most telling bit:
In an earlier exchange, Bility accused Retraction Watch of racism for asking questions about the paper.
Sounds like someone was caught peddling bullshit and tried to bluster their way out of their hole.
And that’s your amusing bit for today.
