Sydney Morning Herald slips up on shape of water ‘nonsense’

Paul Sheehan was the author of the memorable 4,000-word Wonder Water feature in the Herald’s Good Weekend Magazine in 2002 which asked if a $2.80 bottle of Wonder Water – which had not been subject to proper clinical trials – could combat arthritis, fatigue and osteoporosis and help you live longer.

The bylined author of The Shape of Water, Joanna Webber, is not a Herald journalist. She works for Phi’on Water, which sells empty glass bottles with a “magnetic vortex device” in the lid which claims to turn “ordinary tap water into life-affirming structured water”. The price tag is $340 for two bottles. The relationship between Webber and Phi’on was not disclosed.

EventsDigital ArchiveGuardian Puzzles appAustralia WeekendGuardian content licensing siteThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsFacebookTwitter

AustraliaCoronavirusWorldAU politicsEnvironmentFootballIndigenous AustraliaImmigrationMediaBusinessScienceTechMore

The weekly beast

Sydney Morning Herald slips up on shape of water ‘nonsense’

Amanda Meade

Sunday Life story about the health benefits of ‘structured water’ is withdrawn over conflict of interest. Plus: the Tele’s true love

Get our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcast

Fri 5 Aug 2022 14.28 AEST

In an echo of an infamous “magic water” feature it published 20 years ago, the Sydney Morning Herald has retracted an article which touted the unproven health benefits of “structured water” and was written by the media relations officer for the company that sells the product.

“There was a story in Sunday Life on the weekend about ‘structured water’ which didn’t meet editorial standards, specifically due to a significant conflict of interest for the writer,” the managing editor of SMH sections, Monique Farmer, said the day after the article was published. “The matter is being investigated.”

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT

CONTENT RESUMES ON SCROLL

Paul Sheehan was the author of the memorable 4,000-word Wonder Water feature in the Herald’s Good Weekend Magazine in 2002 which asked if a $2.80 bottle of Wonder Water – which had not been subject to proper clinical trials – could combat arthritis, fatigue and osteoporosis and help you live longer.

The bylined author of The Shape of Water, Joanna Webber, is not a Herald journalist. She works for Phi’on Water, which sells empty glass bottles with a “magnetic vortex device” in the lid which claims to turn “ordinary tap water into life-affirming structured water”. The price tag is $340 for two bottles. The relationship between Webber and Phi’on was not disclosed.

I had a look at the print version of this article. No indication there that it’s an advertorial either. But at least the word “science” doesn’t appear in the headline… pic.twitter.com/oYqSDgOXOs

— Stuart Khan (@stukhan) July 31, 2022\n”,url“https://twitter.com/stukhan/status/1553642702813933568?s=20&t=DTpDASuI0HLFs94llzxoiw”,id“1553642702813933568”,hasMedia:“role”:“inline”,isThirdPartyTracking:“source”:“Twitter”,elementId“ca83726b-23ca-4e3c-96c3-df76210ec375”}}” data-gu-ready=“true” style=“box-sizing: border-box;”>

Webber wrote that “some experts are talking about a fourth phase” of water and quoted Rob Gourlay “an expert in biological research and water-structure science” without disclosing that Gourlay founded Phi’on Water.

“Structured water is also found in natural, pristine flowing rivers, streams, lakes and waterfalls all over the planet, and is essential for the cellular health of not just us, but of all living things,” Gourlay said.

“There are so many health benefits of drinking structured water, including improved hydration and uptake of minerals, increased oxygen, reduced inflammation, and elimination of foreign or toxic pollutants.”

On Friday in The Conversation, a Sydney chemist explained why structured water is “nonsense”. Prof Timothy Schmidt said the companies selling structured water products “use scientific-sounding words that are generally meaningless”.

——
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/aug/05/sydney-morning-herald-slips-up-on-shape-of-water-nonsense

Pure clear water.

Hexagonal water, also known as gel water, structured water, cluster water, H3O2 or H3O2 is a term used in a marketing scam that claims the ability to create a certain configuration of water that is better for the body. The term “hexagonal water” refers to a cluster of water molecules forming a hexagonal shape that supposedly enhances nutrient absorption, removes metabolic wastes, and enhances cellular communication, among other things. Similar to the dihydrogen monoxide hoax, the scam takes advantage of the consumer’s limited knowledge of chemistry, physics, and physiology. Gel water is referenced in the version of the hoax in which plants or animal fascia are said to create or contain a “fourth phase” of water with an extra hydrogen and an extra oxygen, despite the simple reality that this compound is neither water, nor stable—in other words it doesn’t exist in any practical sense.

Ooookay

Ian said:

Hexagonal water, also known as gel water, structured water, cluster water, H3O2 or H3O2 is a term used in a marketing scam that claims the ability to create a certain configuration of water that is better for the body. The term “hexagonal water” refers to a cluster of water molecules forming a hexagonal shape that supposedly enhances nutrient absorption, removes metabolic wastes, and enhances cellular communication, among other things. Similar to the dihydrogen monoxide hoax, the scam takes advantage of the consumer’s limited knowledge of chemistry, physics, and physiology. Gel water is referenced in the version of the hoax in which plants or animal fascia are said to create or contain a “fourth phase” of water with an extra hydrogen and an extra oxygen, despite the simple reality that this compound is neither water, nor stable—in other words it doesn’t exist in any practical sense.

Ooookay

A bit of detergent and my water goes all hexaonal.

dv said:

Sydney Morning Herald slips up on shape of water ‘nonsense’

Paul Sheehan was the author of the memorable 4,000-word Wonder Water feature in the Herald’s Good Weekend Magazine in 2002 which asked if a $2.80 bottle of Wonder Water – which had not been subject to proper clinical trials – could combat arthritis, fatigue and osteoporosis and help you live longer.

The bylined author of The Shape of Water, Joanna Webber, is not a Herald journalist. She works for Phi’on Water, which sells empty glass bottles with a “magnetic vortex device” in the lid which claims to turn “ordinary tap water into life-affirming structured water”. The price tag is $340 for two bottles. The relationship between Webber and Phi’on was not disclosed.

EventsDigital ArchiveGuardian Puzzles appAustralia WeekendGuardian content licensing siteThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsFacebookTwitter

AustraliaCoronavirusWorldAU politicsEnvironmentFootballIndigenous AustraliaImmigrationMediaBusinessScienceTechMore

The weekly beast

Sydney Morning Herald slips up on shape of water ‘nonsense’

Amanda Meade

Sunday Life story about the health benefits of ‘structured water’ is withdrawn over conflict of interest. Plus: the Tele’s true love

Get our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcast

Fri 5 Aug 2022 14.28 AEST

In an echo of an infamous “magic water” feature it published 20 years ago, the Sydney Morning Herald has retracted an article which touted the unproven health benefits of “structured water” and was written by the media relations officer for the company that sells the product.

“There was a story in Sunday Life on the weekend about ‘structured water’ which didn’t meet editorial standards, specifically due to a significant conflict of interest for the writer,” the managing editor of SMH sections, Monique Farmer, said the day after the article was published. “The matter is being investigated.”

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT

CONTENT RESUMES ON SCROLL

Paul Sheehan was the author of the memorable 4,000-word Wonder Water feature in the Herald’s Good Weekend Magazine in 2002 which asked if a $2.80 bottle of Wonder Water – which had not been subject to proper clinical trials – could combat arthritis, fatigue and osteoporosis and help you live longer.

The bylined author of The Shape of Water, Joanna Webber, is not a Herald journalist. She works for Phi’on Water, which sells empty glass bottles with a “magnetic vortex device” in the lid which claims to turn “ordinary tap water into life-affirming structured water”. The price tag is $340 for two bottles. The relationship between Webber and Phi’on was not disclosed.

I had a look at the print version of this article. No indication there that it’s an advertorial either. But at least the word “science” doesn’t appear in the headline… pic.twitter.com/oYqSDgOXOs

— Stuart Khan (@stukhan) July 31, 2022\n”,url“https://twitter.com/stukhan/status/1553642702813933568?s=20&t=DTpDASuI0HLFs94llzxoiw”,id“1553642702813933568”,hasMedia:“role”:“inline”,isThirdPartyTracking:“source”:“Twitter”,elementId“ca83726b-23ca-4e3c-96c3-df76210ec375”}}” data-gu-ready=“true” style=“box-sizing: border-box;”>

Webber wrote that “some experts are talking about a fourth phase” of water and quoted Rob Gourlay “an expert in biological research and water-structure science” without disclosing that Gourlay founded Phi’on Water.

“Structured water is also found in natural, pristine flowing rivers, streams, lakes and waterfalls all over the planet, and is essential for the cellular health of not just us, but of all living things,” Gourlay said.

“There are so many health benefits of drinking structured water, including improved hydration and uptake of minerals, increased oxygen, reduced inflammation, and elimination of foreign or toxic pollutants.”

On Friday in The Conversation, a Sydney chemist explained why structured water is “nonsense”. Prof Timothy Schmidt said the companies selling structured water products “use scientific-sounding words that are generally meaningless”.

——
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/aug/05/sydney-morning-herald-slips-up-on-shape-of-water-nonsense

> .theguardian … sydney-morning-herald-slips-up-on-shape-of-water-nonsense

Ya gotta love those newspaper wars.

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

Most of it will be from China. They just don’t respect intellectual property rights.

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

In dehydrated packets.

party_pants said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

Most of it will be from China. They just don’t respect intellectual property rights.

Yep, communists with no moral compass.

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

You lot can scoff, but precise measurement reveals that still water is indeed structured.

Its top surface looks flat, but it is in fact part of a spherical surface with a radius exactly equal to that of the Earth.

Incredible, but true.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

You lot can scoff, but precise measurement reveals that still water is indeed structured.

Its top surface looks flat, but it is in fact part of a spherical surface with a radius exactly equal to that of the Earth.

Incredible, but true.

Pours water into a glass. Why does it turn up at the edges?

Boris said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

You lot can scoff, but precise measurement reveals that still water is indeed structured.

Its top surface looks flat, but it is in fact part of a spherical surface with a radius exactly equal to that of the Earth.

Incredible, but true.

Pours water into a glass. Why does it turn up at the edges?

Because mercury turns down at the edges.

Nature seeks a balance in all things.

Boris said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Peak Warming Man said:

The trouble is in this day and age it wont be long before the market is flooded with fake Wonder Water.

You lot can scoff, but precise measurement reveals that still water is indeed structured.

Its top surface looks flat, but it is in fact part of a spherical surface with a radius exactly equal to that of the Earth.

Incredible, but true.

Pours water into a glass. Why does it turn up at the edges?

You just need to widen your boundaries, then the little deviation from the sphere will become totally negligible.

TATE tells me that Paul Sheehan left the SMH in 2016, and has not been seen since.

Or has he joined up with Rupert’s mob?

The Rev Dodgson said:

TATE tells me that Paul Sheehan left the SMH in 2016, and has not been seen since.

Or has he joined up with Rupert’s mob?

Black ops with the Wagner group in Yemen