Homeopathy was developed over 200 years ago. Practitioners and patients alike believe in its healing powers. Today, homeopathy is used by some of the most famous and influential people in the world, including pop stars, politicians, football players, and even Prince Charles. However, according to conventional science, they are wasting money.
Skeptical James Randi was so convinced that homeopathy wouldn’t work that he offered a $1 million reward to anyone who could provide convincing evidence that homeopathy worked. For the first time in the program’s history, Horizon is conducting its own science experiments in an attempt to win funding. If they succeed, they’ll not only make an extra million dollars — they’ll force scientists to reconsider some of their core beliefs.
The basic principle of homeopathy is that like attracts like: a disease can be cured with a small amount of a substance that produces the same symptoms. For example, onions cause watery, itchy eyes and are believed to be used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever.
However, many ingredients in homeopathic remedies are toxic when ingested in large amounts. Therefore, homeopaths dilute the substances they use with water or alcohol. This is where scientists suspect — because homeopathic solutions are often so diluted that they may not contain any of the original ingredient at all. However, many people who take homeopathic medicines believe they work. Is there something the science is missing, or is there a more traditional explanation?
