"Celestial Drops"

Chris Mooney alert! Wacky Republican science!

The Orlando Sentinel reports on an effort four years ago to eliminate citrus canker, a disease that was plaguing Florida's lucrative citrus orchards:

Researchers worked with a rabbi and a cardiologist to test "Celestial Drops," promoted as a canker inhibitor because of its "improved fractal design," "infinite levels of order" and "high energy and low entropy."

But the cure proved useless against canker. That's because it was water -- possibly, mystically blessed water.

Why the state's enthusiasm for the "infinite levels of order"?

The initial push came from (Katherine) Harris, now a U.S. House representative and candidate for U.S. Senate. Harris, the granddaughter of legendary citrus baron Ben Hill Griffin Jr., said she was introduced to one of the product's promoters, New York Rabbi Abe Hardoon, in 2000.

Hat tip Dave Thomas, whose levels of order are substantially less than infinite, but generally more than ample to meet my needs.

Posted by John Fleck at July 16, 2005 10:10 AM