The Physics of HomeopathyOverviewOverview

Alexander Tournier PhD

Kuala Lumpur 2011

Homeopathy: A controversial subject

1 Principle of similars – ‘Like cures like’

– Vaccines , anti-allergy treatments

2 Principle of dilutions – Potentisation

– Ultra-high dilutions!

The need for Physics in Homeopathy

Homeopathy NOT Scientific ? ?

Physics point of view

A Clash With Conventional Science

Dilutions Weakening effect

Potentisation

Bio-active Memory

Requirements For Homeopathy

Serial dilutions

Memory Biologically active

?

WATER

Water is simple?

• Density anomalies: ice lighter than water

• Unusual thermodynamical properties

• 15 known phases of water!

• One of the best known solvents

Water remains an intense area of research

Scientific process of discovery

Experiments

Basic Properties

Theories

Animals

Plants

Cells

Animals

Biological moleculesPhysical properties

Effect of Thyroxine 30x on frog metamorphosis

• Tadpoles were treated with Thyroxine 30x

• The number of animals having • The number of animals having entered 4-legged stage was counted

• Experiments were blinded

Gerhard Lingg and P. C. Endler Int J High Dilution Research 2011 10(37)

Effect of Thyroxine 30x on frog metamorphosis

70% measuring point

Freq

uen

cy o

f 4

legg

ed t

adp

ole

s

Results reproduced by 5 researchers in 20 sub-experiments

From C Endler, private communication

Time (Days)

N = 1650/groupp < 0.01*

Freq

uen

cy o

f 4

legg

ed t

adp

ole

s

Effect of Thyroxine 30x on frog metamorphosis

Sealed Vials

Endler etal Veterinary and Human Toxicology. Vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 259-260. 1995

CD

Digitized signals

Sensitivity to EM signals

(micro-wave and mobile)

Thyroxine

Effect of potentized gibberellic acid 30x on wheat seedlings

• Stalk length after 1 wk

• 3 experimental groups:

– Water

– Succussed water 30x

– Gibberellic acid 30x

• Number of shoots > 2000

Effect of potentized gibberellic acid 30x on wheat seedlings

Recent results from Endler’s lab

• Germination rate showed no difference

• Verum stalk length was 8.35% smaller than control (W 30x)

• Statistically highly significant p < 0.001

• Reproduced 4 times

Pfleger et al Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2011) 19, 164—169

Basophil degranulation experiments

• Release of cell contents

• Induced by anti-IgE

• Inhibited by histamine• Inhibited by histamine

• Investigate effect of high-dilution of histamine

• Measured by flow cytometryHuman basophil stained by Alcian blue

Sainte-Laudy and Belon Homeopathy (2009) 98, 186–197

Basophil degranulation experiments6C 15C 30C

Effect of histamine dilutions from 10-10 to 10-120 M

Sainte-Laudy and Belon Homeopathy (2009) 98, 186–197

Reproduced 8 times

Digital homeopathy

Recording

CDReplayReplay

BenvenisteDigibio : Digital Biology

• Coagulation rates are reduced by presence of thrombin inhibitor

Movie

• Use digitized thrombin inhibitor

• Measured by optical densityProf J Benveniste

BenvenisteDigibio : Digital Biology

p < 0.0001

,� water�, � water exposed to water signal

�, � water exposed to digitized signal

Experiments performed by Jamal Aissa (experimenter in Benveniste’s lab)

Jonas, etal (2006). "Can specific biological signals be digitized?". FASEB Journal 20 (1): 23–28.

Results from Montagnier

• Properties of high-dilutions

– Not affected by chemical solvents

– Not affected by digestive enzymes

– Sensitive to freezing– Sensitive to freezing

– Heat

– Have characteristic EM signal

• ‘Cross-talk’

– A blank water sample can ‘pick-up’ signal from active homeopathic sample

Prof L Montagnier

Effect on Enzymatic Reactions

Starch Maltoseα-amylase

Starch MaltoseMerc Cor

30C

1.6 x fasterP < 0.01

Sukul Homeopathy (2002) 91, 217–220

UV Spectroscopy

Group of Roy report differences

UV spectra Nux Vom vs Nat Mur

Rao etal Homeopathy (2007) 96, 175–182

Group of Roy report differences between UV spectra of different

remedies

UV Spectroscopy

Copper Sulfate UV Spectra p < 0.001

Wolf, Wolf, Heusser, Thurneysen , Baumgartner eCAM 2009 May 27

Thermoluminescence

Rey, Homeopathy (2007) 96, 170–174

Summary from experimentsWhat do we know of ultra-high dilutions so far?

• Not just water!

• Work through glass

• Information can be recorded and replayed

• Work on cells and enzymes

Theory: possible explanation

• Stable water structures carrying information

• Electromagnetic effects involved

• Bioactive – therapeutic effect

Water structures- Memory- Potentisation- Bioactive

?

THEORY #1: Quantum Coherence

THEORY #2: Dipole Theory

Quantum Coherence DomainsGiuliano Preparata (1942-2000)

Emilio Del Guidice

QCDQCD

25nm 25nm

High-dilutions ExperimentsA

vera

ge d

om

ain

siz

e

• Recent experiments show that dilutions do not follow standard theories

• Explained by QCDs

Yinnon Yinnon Mod Phys Lett B (2009) 23(16) 1959-1973

Ave

rage

do

mai

n s

ize

THEORY #2Water Dipole Theory

+

Dr Lo

-

+

Atomic Force Microscopy

‘Seeing’ water clustersAFM (Atomic Force Microscopy)

Lo et al. Physics Letters A 373 (2009) 3872–3876

High density Low density

Water ClustersEM (Electron Microscopy)

Gann & Lo Double Helix Water

Conclusions

• There are a few well established experiments which show consistent reproducibility

• There is evidence for the presence of novel water structureswater structures

• These water structures could have all the required properties to explain homeopathy

• Area is still in its infancy and needs a lot more work

Summary from experimentsWhat do we know of ultra-high dilutions so far?

• Not just water!

• Work through glass

• Information can be recorded and replayed

• Work on cells and enzymes

Theory: possible explanation

• Stable water structures carrying information

• Electromagnetic effects involved

• Bioactive – therapeutic effect

Effect of potentized gibberellic acid 17x on dwarf peas

• shoot length stimulation of +11.2%

• p value highly significant p = 0.007

Baumgartner etal Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2008) 16, 183—191

Reproduced 3 times

Predictions from Dr Lo

• Formation of stable water structures

• Due to the presence of charged particles in the water

• 10 Å in diameter or more• 10 Å in diameter or more

• Clusters of such structures could be 100 to 1000 nm in diameter

Plant ‘cross-talk’ experiments

Stephan Baumgartner

Plastic pocket

THEORY #1 Quantum Coherence Domains

Richard Feynman (1918 – 88) Giuliano Preparata (1942-2000)

Emilio Del Guidice

Quantum Electrodynamics

Magnetic Field Coherence domains

EM Properties ofCoherence Domains

• Able to store EM information

• Require an external magnetic field for stability

• Biologically relevant size

• Tend to aggregate

• 25 % volume of water