Wine Magnets to 'Age' Wine - debunked [link]

From the weekly 'Bad Science' column in the Guardian (UK). I like this column because it discusses/explains the science.

From last week:

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/badscience/story/0,12980,1656827,00.html]
What is science? First, magnetise your wine...[/url] wrote:Back in December 2003, as part of our Bad Science Christmas Gift series, we discovered The Perfect Sommelier, a rather expensive wine conditioning device available in all good department stores (badscience.net/?p=192) In fact there are lots of devices like this for sale, including the ubiquitous Wine Magnet: "Let your wine 'age' several years in only 45 minutes! Place the bottle in the Wine Magnet! The Wine Magnet then creates a strong magnetic field that goes to the heart of your wine and naturally softens the bitter taste of tannins in 'young' wines."

Magnets, for some reason, are magnets for bogus science...ridiculed as such since Mozart had Despina use her magical magnet to cure ills and revive the Albanians in Cosi Fan Tutte ("This is the magnet, the Mesmeric stone that originated in Germany and became so famous in France" -- it sounds more lyrical when sung in Italian).

I do know several people, however, who claim that magnetic vests have helped their backpains...go figure

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:I do know several people, however, who claim that magnetic vests have helped their backpains...go figure

Ah yes, this reminds me of the fad for magnetic bracelets which purpotedly eased arthritic pain...