Shoo!Tag
From RationalWiki
This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline.
Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology.
Remember: just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right.
($29.95? That'll do nicely sir!)
- Are your pets bothered by flies and ticks? Why deal with the problem with noxious chemicals, when with a simple magnetic tag, your animal can raise deflector shields to repel pests!!
Shoo!Tag, as this particular woo product is known, even has the gall to have a science page on its webshite.[1] Apparently it uses "Nature's energetic principles in combination with physics, quantum physics and advanced computer software technology" to "[utilise] the power of the bio-energetic field which surrounds all living things to create a frequency barrier which repels targeted pests for up to four months." Yes, your animal will be using the force to repel insects. Oh, and quantum. Did we mention quantum theory enough?
Contents |
[edit] History
The Shoo!Tag was "ïnvented" by Energetic Solutions Ltd, a company which initially developed homeopathic creams for stress reduction.[2] The company was founded in 2003 by sisters Melissa Mowrer Rogers and Kathy Heiney[2] of Wimberley, Texas[3] and who worked in the "quantum biofeadback [sic] industry".[4]
[edit] Shoo!TAG in their own (mostly) words
[edit] Science!
| “ | Shoo!TAG™'s magnetic strip is encoded with beneficial frequencies and resonances and an electromagnetic charge bearing a polarized energy signature, which when introduced into the bio-energetic field of the wearer produces results. | ” |
[edit] Robust!
| “ | ...the slight magnetic field of a scissors or other household magnets will not cause damage. | ” |
[edit] Hygenic!
| “ | Remember to clean them periodically with a soft, damp cloth to remove accumulated sweat and body oils that can lessen the effectiveness of the tags. | ” |
[edit] Recycle!
| “ | Can I recharge or recycle my tags? As a “green” company, we are very concerned about our environment. Our tags are made with recycled, bio-degradable materials and we use soy-based inks. Spent tags that are not damaged can be returned with a donation and they will be re-encoded and donated to animal rescue organizations; damaged tags will be recycled.[5] | ” |
[edit] Testimonials!
| “ | I notice that both the goats and I reap the benefits of protection while inside my horse's energy field.[6] | ” |
[edit] Does it work?
Probably not.[7] At least the science as the website explains it is complete and utter crap. There really is no wording that effectively demonstrates how much bullshit is contained within those explanations. While electroreception has been observed and has been used to deter animals, this is almost entirely confined to aquatic animals, rather than flies. In addition, fairly high power is needed to deflect animals and the weedy little field produced by a non-powered magnetic strip isn't going to bother anything. However, no trials have really been done on the tag and no RationalWikian has thought about buying enough to launch our own trial (as fun as this would be). However, Santa Fe Sandy, who is quoted above as being quite happy, has made other posts claiming that they're "just not cost effective" and that they "lasted 5 weeks" when they were supposed to last several months.[8][9]
However, there is one very good point raised by a blog commentator:
| “ | If this thing does all that its manufacturers claim, why isn’t it being shipped in container-loads to the mosquito-ridden equatorial regions across the globe in an effort to wipe out malaria? Think about it – who is likely to be the most gullible: pet owners who are poor observers and badly trained in critical thinking (as you have just demonstrated of yourself), or scientifically trained doctors who want nothing more than to stamp out the scourge of a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. | ” |
| —anaglyph, December 1, 2009[7] | ||
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Shoo!Tag website
- An alternate version of the site above
- Austin Business Journal: Startup Energetic Solutions' sales spike (Friday, April 3, 2009).
- A sort-of postive review...
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ http://www.shootag.com/science
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/04/06/story3.html
- ↑ http://www.shootag.com/product_review
- ↑ http://www.thesafepetshop.com/Testimonials.html Statement by Keith Turner, Global Pet Expo, petconnection.com
- ↑ Yes, you can send us even more money if you like!
- ↑ http://www.shootag.com/product_review Sandra J. Koster, proprietor of Santa Fe Sandy's, Winston, Florida
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Old Fish and Lemonade - Does Shoo!TAG™ Really Work? (bonus material in the comments section)
- ↑ YouTube - Shoo!TAG Cost Analyses & Effectiveness Update
- ↑ Shoo!TAG Cost Analyses & Effectiveness Update
