Scientists Race to Develop Political Bullshit Detector, All Dials Pegged at 11

New Scientist today is summarzing the world of political spin detection software—behavioral scientist Paul Ekman claims he can analyze a speech's text for words that indicate untruths and deception. Others look to analyze the tenor of the voice, and facial recognition to spot lies is becoming more of a reality. But unfortunately, much of the bullshit detector tech here seems like it may be drowning a bit in the selfsame goo. More »

Glowing Mountain Dew Trick is a Hoax

More »

Dreamliner's Carbon Composite Body Unsafe? Wired Science Calls Bullshit

We told you the other day about Dan Rather's TV blather about how the Boeing 787 Dreamliner "could be unsafe" because of its carbon composite airframe, but now there are lots of experts disagreeing with that report. Aaron Rowe at Wired Science calls it "a cheap shot at Boeing," and chides the mainstream news media for following along like sheep without questioning Rather's assertions. In Rowe's scathing and carefully reasoned article, he pretty much exposes Rather's claims as nothing but scaremongering poppycock. More »

Cow Pie Clock is What All Gadgets Would Be if the Midwest Ran the World

I'm not even sure what to say about this one. The Cow Pie Clock is a clock and, well, it's made out of real cow shit. Yes, a pure, 100% authentic pile of Utah cow droppings with a clock mounted on it. If you're disgusting and/or insane, you can buy one online for $40-$50. Just look how happy this lady is with hers! You can't go wrong! [Product Page via Nerd Approved]

Bullshit Button

Although this bullshit button is quite similar to Staple's Easy Button, and both are actually available for purchase, the bullshit button actually does something useful. See, whenever your buddies make some outlandish claim, just slam on this button and it'll pop out one of five "clever" sayings. More »

Furutech Demag Spins Their Demagnetizing Bullshit Again

Remember the Furutech DeMag demagnitizer for your CDs and DVDs? It claimed to get rid of "resolution-sapping magnetic interference" from your optical discs, which we called total bullshit to back in November. Well, somehow they're in the news again. More »

Rumor Smashed: iPhone Not on Cingular for $299/$399

Really? We weren't clear enough that the whole iPhone on Cingular subsidized for $299/$399 was a fake that some websites are actually thinking that it's real? Really? C'mon. Really? More »

Another Flying Car Tries to Get Your Hopes Up

From the wishful thinking department comes this video that claims that the X-Hawk flying car will be ready to take off by 2010. OK. Are you sure that's based on actual fact and not because you taught yourself how to make mediocre 3D videos on your home computer? Perhaps the X-Hawk can also help if a UFO attacks your city. Don't worry, if it doesn't work out SimCity 3000 will let you revert to an earlier saved game! More »

Expertise 3P Screen Mist Chases Away Those Killer Electro-Waves

You never know when your brain might be fried by those harmful electromagnetic waves, swirling around us and ruining our lives, electron by electron. That's why you need this extra special Expertise 3P Screen Mist from Clarins. It'll protect you from all those electronic creepy crawlies, and the stuff makes you look younger, too. This from the company's breathless press materials:

An ultra-sheer screen mist containing a pioneering combination of plant extracts capable of protecting the skin from the accelerated-ageing effects of all indoor and outdoor air pollution but most significantly, the effects of Artificial Electromagnetic Waves.

It's hard to believe there are enough suckers in this world to buy into bullshit like this. Sadly, chumps will snap up this innocuous liquid by the caseload. Oh yeah, it's $40 for a 3.5 oz bottle. Let's just call it a stupid tax. – Charlie White More »

Latest Mac Vs. PC Propaganda Buries the Hatchet, But Not Really

Never content until we've covered Apple's every move and shown all of their television commercials here, now we're showing you the latest one that hides its subtle brainwashing under the guise of the "happy holidays" mind virus. And what holidays are those? I think the Santa hats give it away. Enough already of this total bullshit. – Charlie White

Enviga Fat Burning Tea: Snake Oil Scam, Just as You Predicted

Hopefully you didn't get too excited about our recent post about Enviga, the Coca-Cola Company green tea that apparently claims to burn more calories than it contains. Our Consumerist pals are the ones with the whole truth, and they found that the research behind this claim is bogus. Studying the fine print, they discovered the study only had 32 people participating, and all were of normal weight. Plus, the results showed no difference in fat burning between the ones who drank this swill and those who drank up a placebo version of it. More »

Fearmongers: Cellphones Add to Lightning Death Risk

British doctors warned cellphone users not to use their handsets outdoors during a thunderstorm, lest they be struck down by a bolt of lightning. Citing anecdotal evidence of a 15-year-old girl using a cellphone when she was struck, along with three other fatal cases of lightning striking cellphone talkers in China, South Korea and Malaysia, a spokesperson for the doctors stirred up fear of the almighty wrath of the lightning bolt:

"This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to highlight the risk of using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather to prevent future fatal consequences from lighting strike injuries."

Apparently any metal object, including a cellphone, that's in contact with your skin as you're struck by lightning disrupts what's known as a flashover, where you're saved because the electricity passes over your skin on its way to the ground. So if you hear thunder, step away from the cellphone, folks—there's a 1-in-83,930 chance of being struck by lightning. However, be more afraid of the death penalty, where your chances of being executed are 1 in 58,618. But you can worry less about an asteroid impact, where you have only a 1-in-200,000 chance of an asteroid grinding you up into hamburger. Comforting thought. – Charlie White More »

Caffeine-Laced Pantyhose for Weight Loss

Now you can wear your coffee and drink it, too. Slim Fit 20 pantyhose have embedded caffeine microcapsules that are released by body heat, mainlining that java mojo right into your bloodstream and boosting your metabolism. That way, so the fantasy goes, you can burn fat right off those thunder thighs, using this effortless and miraculous method. The manufacturer of this product also claims that if you wear these tights every day you can lose around an inch from your thighs after just one-to-four weeks, and also get rid of cellulite and that horrific "orange peel" effect. Of course, caution the snake-oil salesmen, this may not work for everyone. More »

Skinny Water Slims Down Nothing but Wallets

Skinny Water allegedly has some powerful juju inside, Croatian Artesian water fortified with a substance called Super CitraMax, or for you scientists out there, hydroxycitric acid. More »