Mark Cuban: Skeptic.

steve s

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steve s
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So I'm watching a show called Shark Tank where people pitch their ideas to a panel of potential investors to see who'll bite. Mark Cuban is one of the investors. Some guy comes out with a wristwatch he designed that contains negative ions that will improve your balance and overall well-being. :rolleyes:

Cuban came right out and yelled "It's a scam." One of the other investors seemed interested as long as he thought he could make money off it. Cuban cut in by saying "If you try to make money off this I'll come over to your house and beat you up." Fortunately nobody did a deal with the guy.

Steve S
 
Cuban's a skeptic, O'Leary was probably the guy who asked about profit potential and there's another guy, Chilton, on the Canadian version (Dragon's Den) who's kind of a hippie leans toward some woo but...

I've seen all of them say a fake product like this sort of thing is always a bad investment.

Chilton survived cancer and has some empathy for people with well intentioned semi-woo like some green technologies that are not necessarily practical.

I'm a fan of the show but definitely not a fan of O'Leary. I suspect he plays up his persona for effect.
 
Yeah, O'Leary was the one who was somewhat interested.

Steve S
 
Cuban has called our every scammer on that show. He reviles the stupid magnetic necklaces and refuses to let his team wear them. A true skeptic, and entirely unapologetic about it
 
Saw that one too, and glad his team doesn't wear them. But do any of the Mavericks wear kinesio tape?

The NBA had a ban on them that was lifted a few months ago:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....low-derrick-rose-others-to-wear-kinesio-tape/

“After a discussion today with Jerry Stackhouse, representing the union, we have decided to allow kinesio tape on an experimental basis so that we can take a fresh look at the possible benefits it might bring to our players,” Tim Frank, NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Communications, told ProBasketballTalk in an email.

While you see a lot of athletes wearing kinesio tape — check out a major tennis match some time — the benefits are unproven. Tests have been inconclusive and some experts are skeptical that it has any benefits, and apparently the skeptics extend all the way to the league offices. It is thought by some any benefit from the tape is a placebo effect.
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Also in that article is a mention that the NBA does allow those dumb magnetic bracelets to be word. Any Mavs wear those?

I can actually slightly defend wearing either of those, purely for the placebo effect. Of course, that's as much defense of any placebo--if players thought having Hello Kitty tattooed on their testicles had a scientific basis regarding improving performance, it would be just as stupid but might also have an effect on performance.

Incidentally I started wondering about kinesio tape last summer Olympics, when the volleyball players would have elaborately curlicued tape of various colors on their bodies.

Probably originally found this from googling, but fyi:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...esio-tape-Researchers-say-evidence-works.html

'It may be a fashion accessory, and it may be just one of those fads that come along from time to time, but to my knowledge there's no firm scientific evidence to suggest it will enhance muscle performance,' he said.

Both scientists agreed, however, that there may be a benefit, in the form of the placebo effect.
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article-2182471-14421568000005DC-987_634x499.jpg
 
Dragoonster said:
Incidentally I started wondering about kinesio tape last summer Olympics, when the volleyball players would have elaborately curlicued tape of various colors on their bodies.
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Those look more decorative. When I first saw it I assumed they were because of some injury or soreness, like a protective or supporting bandage.
 
I've been meaning to start a thread about The Soup host Joel McHale and his skepticism when it comes to psychics, ghosts and cryptids (particularly Bigfoot). He mocks shows like Long Island Medium, Ghost Adventures and (Never) Finding Bigfoot mercilessly.

Looking around the Net, I see Skeptoid has already covered this.
http://skeptoid.com/blog/2013/04/03/skeptoid-celebrity-honorable-mentions/

#corncannon
 
steve s said:
So I'm watching a show called Shark Tank where people pitch their ideas to a panel of potential investors to see who'll bite. Mark Cuban is one of the investors. Some guy comes out with a wristwatch he designed that contains negative ions that will improve your balance and overall well-being. :rolleyes:

Cuban came right out and yelled "It's a scam." One of the other investors seemed interested as long as he thought he could make money off it. Cuban cut in by saying "If you try to make money off this I'll come over to your house and beat you up." Fortunately nobody did a deal with the guy.

Steve S
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I saw a episode where someone was promoting an "emergency food" supply, which it quickly developed he was promoting as an unregistered, unapproved diet pill. While the other "sharks" started asking questions about how they could make money, Cuban started screaming "snake oil" and practically chased the guy out physically. Maybe Cuban could be invited to the Amazing Meeting.
 
At one point Mark Cuban was toying with producing a TV show for Jesse Ventura after Ventura lost his show, but he must have done his research and found out that Ventura's conspiracy theories were a lot of hogwash becuase the project died very quickly.
I cheer for Cuban, though, in his war on the whole "magic necklace/armband" crap, which is widespread in the NBA world.
I live in Sacramento, and yelled loudly (with other Kings fans) when the late,unleamented Maloof's brother took woo money and changed Arco Arena to Power Balance Pavalion.
Thank the GSM we have a new owner and he has made clear that the new arena will get corporate support from a respectable company, not a fly by night scam company.
 
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Bob001 said:
I saw a episode where someone was promoting an "emergency food" supply, which it quickly developed he was promoting as an unregistered, unapproved diet pill. While the other "sharks" started asking questions about how they could make money, Cuban started screaming "snake oil" and practically chased the guy out physically. Maybe Cuban could be invited to the Amazing Meeting.
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They are always looking for speakers, Drop Randi an email and see what happens.
 
Dragonrock said:
They are always looking for speakers, Drop Randi an email and see what happens.
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Just did so. Cuban would be great. A good speaker, skeptic, pro sports team owner, and so on. Many wells would be filled. And considering his bombast I imagine he'd be eager to do it.
 
I love Shark Tank. Its one of my favorite guilty-pleasure reality shows. Mr. Wonderful (O'Leary) is my favorite. I am sure he plays up his on screen persona, but I love his approach and sense of humor. If you have some sort of mass produced, low cost, consumable item, he is the shark you want.

O'Leary to Cuban on one episode: "You realize that if you do this deal, you stand to make hundreds of dollars."
 
I'm also a fan of Shark Tank. It's one of the few reality shows that I watch, and the only one I openly admit to watching. Theatrics and editing aside, it really is interesting to see some of the ideas people come up with. (However, my interest grinds to a halt when someone begins pitching a food item. I don't care that you make an awesome cheesecake. Show me a better mousetrap.)

And yes, Cuban is a true-blue skeptic. I can immediately think of at least three instances when he's called out a scam, and I'm sure there are quite a few more.
 
Cuban really stands out in being willing to question nonsense. On the most recent Dragon's den canada there was a pitch for a homeopathic pill that repels mosquitoes and there were several offers and the person got a deal, if the same pitch was on shark tank I imagine Cuban would have convinced everyone not to invest.

When I looked at their website there is a section on 'what is homeopathy', which states that homeopathy is scientifically based, are there any regulations that stop people making such stupid claims?
 
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