March 13, 2008 9:03am by swood | 
If you have ever purchased that Airborne stuff that supposedly keeps you from getting sick, you can get money back with NO proof of purchase required! You can file a claim online in about 5 minutes.
http://www.airbornehealthsettlement.com
I never understood the marketing for that product. “Invented by a 2nd Grade school teacher!” Like that is supposed to be some sort of worthy endorsement. What sort of expertise does a 2nd Grade school teacher have that a 20-year professional scientist at Pfizer or Merck doesn’t have?
“I teach 2nd grade, but I know more about human immuno-chemistry
than those so-called “researchers” at big name pharmaceutical companies.”
But I digress. Go get your money back.
If a 2nd grade school teacher knows something then they do. Certifications validate what you know. Working in a field longer "may" give you opportunity to know more. Yet any individual truth is truth only because it is truth. You seem to have issues. The bigger issue is why isn’t something like this researched before it goes to market. Not who figured it out.
John, I’m not sure exactly where you stand. Your comment is sort of all over the place.
My point is that the Airborne product marketing uses an "Appeal to Expertise" in order to sell the product. There is nothing wrong with an appeal to expertise in lending support to an argument as long as the expert is valid. It is correct to doubt a random 2nd grade school teacher’s expertise in the field of immuno-chemstry because most teachers at this level are not known for this kind of expert knowledge. But perhaps she *is* an expert in this field. Has she published anything on the subject for peer review? Can she describe the chemical mechanism by which "herbs and spices" are supposed to enhance the human immune system?
Anecdotal evidence is not enough to support a so-called "truth". She may have secret knowledge of a blend of herbs that *appears* to enhance immunity, but such a claim cannot be validated as true until it survives scientific scrutiny and testing that generates reproducible results. And it certainly doesn’t qualify her as an expert.