We have lost homeopathy's greatest physicist . Rolland Conte

[John R. Benneth]

We have lost homeopathy's greatest physicist .
The great French physicist and researcher of homeopathic dilutions Rolland Conte passed away July 6th, 2014. He was a noted statistician who made a major contribution to the understanding of the qualities of the materials used in homeopathy.
He was the lead author of the controversial Theory of High Dilutions and Experimental Aspects (1996) with co-authors Yves Lasne, Henri Berliocchi and Gabriel Vernot. Theory is the most incredible book about the physics of homeopathy I have ever read. Conte was considered to be either an egotistical con artist or an unusual genius. In Theory the authors postulated the existence of a hyperproton or "white hole," the opposite of a black hole.
In support of Conte's white hole theory, Professor Michael Kirkman, Director of Academic Affairs at the UKGB International Society of Homotoxicology, writes, "It is of prime importance to evaluate scientifically what is contained in homoeopathic remedies. Due to the dilution-succussion process, the molecules are often diluted beyond existence. A residual wave develops that gives birth to ‘white holes’, ie, absence of matter, which in turn give birth to ‘hyperprotons’. The presence of hyperprotons is indicative of a reorganisation of the constituents of the diluent. They can be detected in the aqueous and biological media by measuring the negative radiation induced by the association of two hyperprotons."
The white hole and hyperproton does not necessarily conflict with current thinking that the mechanics of homeopathic solutions necessitate cavitation of some material phase of the remedy, such as a gas, plasma, aether, isotope . . or perhaps . . hyperproton of the remedy's label.
But Theory was, is more than mere theory. Led by Conte, the authors had rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty putting the homeopathic remedy through test and trial, immersing themselves in the instrumental study of the physical properties of homeopathic remedies. The fruit of their labors revealed unique dimensions of the remedy, most notably radiant qualities in the beta particle range, detected by using beta scintillation. To my knowledge this has never been repeated. Dr. Conte sent me pictures of where they had burned the image of an H and a P, (for Hyper Proton) into x-ray film using homeopathic pellets, showing that they were, in essence, radioactive, a stunning challenge to the antagonist's null hypothesis, the theory that the materials used in homeopathy are inert.
Dr. Conte suffered form Parkinson's. To treat this he wore a bag of homoeopathic pilules of a partiular remedy around his neck.
One of his more notable achievements was the instigation of signal testing of urine for determining the remedy. Only Conte's genius for statistical wave analysis could determine such a thing.
Using NMR the authors reported several influences on potency, such as heat, electromagnetism, UV and gravity. According to Conte et al, moving a potency through the gravitational field affected its quality, making a case for the use of materials of local manufacture and storing them in shielded containers.
When I began my study of the physical properties of homeopathic medicine, Dr. Conte was my major source of inspiration when most homeopaths were insisting such indices didn't exist and didn't matter. Dr. Conte told me to test homeopathy on plants. Given his encouragement I designed two "kitchen" tests, one using balloons placed over the openings of beer bottles that had been filled with solutions of yeast and sugar and either a drop of liquid Staphysagria potency solution or an inert control. The potency solution showed a remarkable ability over the control to sustain a gas output, long after the inert control had died.
I did a second botanical test, inspired by Dr. Conte. It was done on oat seeds also using Staph. The treated seeds grew remarkably longer than the untreated.
Tests of this kind in 1999 were unheard of by most of the homeopathic community. If it wasn't for Rolland Conte I would have never attempted such a thing. Rolland Conte taught me the impossible was possible.
Much of Conte's work was done without double blinding. When I asked Dr. Conte about this he said, "You need both eyes open to study it."
British homeopath and chemist Lionel Milgrom replicated Conte's NMR experiments and found the dilutions to be affected by silica ions from the glass containers. This was taken by many to mean that the NMR was reading the signal of the glass alone, and was not proof of a relevant phenomenon.
One night at about three AM French time I received a call from him on Skype. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was eating cheese and drinking wine. Isaw this as an opportunity to ask him about the silica. He said in that wonderful French non chalance, "you ought to tell the glass manufacturers about that."
It could be seen that in NMR testing there were indices specific to the remedy, not silica. Yet the critics were happy to grasp at anything that might explain the whole thing as a mistake. The truth of the matter was that the silica was acting as an amplifier. This was known from the earliest NMR testing of homeopathic remedies at Hahnemann College (Philadelphia) in the 1960's.
He follows his wife Madeleine and leaves behind him a research foundation in his name.
John Benneth, Homoeopath
PG Hom - London (Hons.)
http://johnbenneth.com
SKYPE: John Benneth (Portland, Oregon)
503- 819 - 7777 (USA)

[John Harvey]

John, thank you for that elegant appreciation of Conte's work. It's heartening to know that he ensured for furthering it a legacy in the form of his foundation, but saddening to hear that he'll do no more.

One quick question: who phoned you at 3 a.m.: Milgrom, or Conte?

Kind regards,

John H.
--
“Those who have evidence to back up their beliefs do not try to censor opposition.”
—Meryl Dorey, Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network, commenting on hacking and threats by admitted vaccine advocates to prevent the Sunshine Coast Healthy Lifestyle Expo from featuring a public talk on vaccination.

[John R. Benneth]

Thanks, John. It was Conte.
In a message dated 7/16/2014 2:19:25 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, minutus@yahoogroups.com writes:
John Benneth, Homoeopath
PG Hom - London (Hons.)
http://johnbenneth.com
SKYPE: John Benneth (Portland, Oregon)
503- 819 - 7777 (USA)

[John Harvey]

Ah. Thanks.

[Tanya Marquette]

So sad to lose such important folks in our lives. They have contributed so much.
WE can only hope that others are there to pick up their baton's and continue the work
forward

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