What To Do With A Box of 'Essential Oils'?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a box of essential oils received as a gift, with participants exploring potential uses for the oils and expressing opinions about an accompanying book titled 'Alternative Natural Healing.' The conversation includes suggestions for practical applications, concerns about the book's content, and humorous takes on the situation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest using the essential oils for scented soaps or perfumes, while others propose alternative uses such as intimate massages or covering unpleasant kitchen odors.
  • Concerns are raised about the book's credibility, with some participants advising against reading it due to its title, while others suggest it might still have some utility.
  • Several participants express skepticism about the claims made in the book, particularly regarding its assertion that it can cure autism, with discussions on the implications of such claims.
  • Some participants mention the potential benefits of certain oils for pest control or as natural remedies, though these claims are met with caution and skepticism.
  • Humorous suggestions include using the oils or the book for unconventional purposes, such as camping supplies or as a conversation starter.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the utility of the essential oils or the book. There are multiple competing views regarding the safety and effectiveness of the oils, as well as the appropriateness of the book's claims.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the unmarked bottle of oil, suggesting it should be discarded if its contents cannot be identified. The discussion reflects a range of opinions on the validity of alternative healing practices and the potential risks associated with them.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring the uses of essential oils, those curious about alternative healing literature, or anyone looking for humorous takes on unconventional gifts.

  • #31
DennisN said:
This is not quite the same, but here's a good and incredibly fun generator which a friend sent me the link to some time ago. You enter two words and it generates punchy portmanteaus and rhymes. My friends and I have exhanged several hilarious examples via the mail.

Here it is: http://www.punchlinedesign.net/pun_generator

I tried "flat" and "earth" just now, and it generated "flatmosphere", haha. That must be the atmosphere on all flat Earth models. :smile: I tried "alternative" and "healing" from this thread but the results were not that fun.

Edit:
I tried to generate punchlines from the words "Physics Forums". Some fun results:
  • onleinstein (online/einstein)
  • discustronomy (discus/astronomy)
  • solid-state debate
:oldbiggrin:
@onleinstein isn't already a username here? ?:)
 
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  • #32
Thanks for all the replies. @Nik_2213 You've given me the idea for the book. Maybe I can incorporate it for my D&D campaign...

I forgot to mention I'm an undergrad Chem, so I could extract the oils for something (except the blend; that looks too time consuming).
 
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  • #33
sysprog said:
Do that enough times and you might be able to see what happens when the probability spikes intersect.

Could this be something like what happens when 2 leptoprotuberances meet in combat?

View attachment 245652

Bullets recovered from the site of the Battle of Gallipoli 1914-1915
Ahh, a probability proof that infinitesimal ≠ Zero!
 
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  • #34
Ignitia said:
Thanks for all the replies. @Nik_2213 You've given me the idea for the book. Maybe I can incorporate it for my D&D campaign...

I forgot to mention I'm an undergrad Chem, so I could extract the oils for something (except the blend; that looks too time consuming).
If I were your academic advisor, I would have to apprise of you of the fact that claiming presented polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ('tars') to be your own extractions, without proper acknowledgment of the fact that your source materials were already 'extracts', and without due and proper credit being accorded to the prior extractors thereof, might be a violation of the contra-plagiarism policies of the venerable academic instititution.
 
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  • #35
Tom.G said:
Ahh, a probability proof that infinitesimal ≠ Zero!
Neato, @Tom.G
 
  • #36
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  • #37
sysprog said:
If I were your academic advisor, I would have to apprise of you of the fact that claiming presented polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ('tars') to be your own extractions, without proper acknowledgment of the fact that your source materials were already 'extracts', and without due and proper credit being accorded to the prior extractors thereof, might be a violation of the contra-plagiarism policies of the venerable academic instititution.

...I was just thinking about separating the solutions, trying an experiment, or testing it with a chemistry kit, not stick a patent on it.
 
  • #38
Ignitia said:
...I was just thinking about separating the solutions, trying an experiment, or testing it with a chemistry kit, not stick a patent on it.
I didn't mean to be reproachful -- I was partly just poking fun on account of your being a student -- in truth, I admire the intrepidity of you young folks who are willing to work so strongly to learn, and perhaps to find something new to us all -- and if you do think that you've perhaps found something potentially profitable, please don't be too shy to run a few questions past a patent attorney in exploring your possible claims; it's recently become easier and less expensive to get some important preliminary steps done in the process.
 
  • #39
I would start by listening to the recent "Behind the Bastards" (the podcast) episode about Gary Young who was the con-artist (and baby murderer) who popularised essential oils (and became very, very rich in the process).
 
  • #40
There is this updated version of the classic children's game:

article-4384-1.jpg
 
  • #41
Use the book for heating. Burn it while playing music by Enya.
 
  • #42
DennisN said:
Do you know there's a hilarious Deepak Chopra quote generator on the net? Here it is: http://wisdomofchopra.com/
It makes me smile every time I use it. :smile:
Chopra = Ch(opra). Coincidence?
 
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  • #43
@Rive: I know it is late in the day for this, but do you happen to remember which ones kept the cats out? I happen to like cats, but keep mine in and prefer birds in the garden. Even more important have you found any that keep rabbits out?

As far as the rest goes. I've never heard that aromatherapy really does anything good, but have limited evidence (n=1) that it can cause problems: 1) One can have an allergy to any of the substances used. 2) I personally have gotten migraines from some the scents in the past (and I don't get migraines easily).
 
  • #44
I have no experience with rabbits. I know (?) that male rabbits also using urine as personal marking, but I have no idea how would they react.

Also, I don't think this method would work on your cats: most likely it would just make them proud that their humin is so strong and handsome that the garden is kept clean of competitors.

I don't think that the smell itself really matters (apart from chili, of course: but that's already warfare and not just ownership declaration).
 
  • #45
Well, I wasn't asking about my cats (although it might be interesting to see if one could keep them within one's own garden as opposed to running loose, terrorizing the birds and neighbors), since whenever I have cats, they are kept indoors or on a leash.

I'll have to try with rabbits, but I suspect that with the excess rain we tend to get, any oils will get washed off the plants. . .
 
  • #46
For rabbits try Coyote urine. Available at both Home Depot in the US and Amazon and Walmart where ever they will ship. A Google search finds 3,000,000 more hits.

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. Please let us know how it works.
 
  • #47
Thank you Tom.G, but I probably won't. I don't feel that game and fur farms are humane. I was interested in whether essential oils (the topic of the post). I can tell you that planting spring garlic around my peas seemed to work last year (I had plenty of rabbits, but the peas were not touched), so if there was an essential "garlic" oil, that might work. . .

So far I have never seen a "garlic" essential oil among essential oils despite its many touted beneficial qualities. Maybe the new agers are missing an opportunity?
 
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  • #48
celvet said:
So far I have never seen a "garlic" essential oil among essential oils...
'Essential oils' is a category in itself, with a background and tradition. Maybe you can look for garlic essence instead. It is sold as cosmetic, seasoning, medicine and pesticide (business as usual: snake oil for everything!)

You can look for 'garlic spray' too, as (weak) pesticide: I doubt it would harm rabbits.
Since there are also DIY recipes you might try to mix it with some chili too
If the eye of the rabbits starts to glow red in the dark then tune down the chili o0)
 
  • #49
How funny! I suppose that then, if like Elmer Fudd, you decided to eat the pesky wabbits, they would already be seasoned. . .

As a gardener, I can say that none of the spray-on things work well. They get washed off or the pests (whether vertebrate or invertebrate) adapt. So I think I'll continue growing garlic next to my peas (about the only vegetable item which I am concerned about). Luckily no one has tried to gift me with essential oils so no disposal problems.
 
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