Rise and Fall of Pseudoscience

World views believed since antiquity. Had thousands of years of history but were denied by scientific progress.

Elementa "The Four Elements"The architect of a beautiful worldview explaining all matter through earth, water, fire, and air紀元前450年頃 → 18世紀Wuxing "The Five Phases"The Eastern sage who taught the cycle of all things through Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water紀元前300年頃 → 19世紀Humor "The Four Humors" IsmThe veteran HR director who sorted humans by four fluids紀元前400年頃 → 19世紀Spontane "Born from Nothing"The ultimate slacker who believes things just pop into existence紀元前4世紀 → 1859年Alchemist "The Philosopher's Stone"The ancestor of all elements who never abandons the dream of transmuting gold古代 → 18世紀

Substances and forces that never existed. Phlogiston, Caloric, Aether, Orgone Energy—concepts that were intuitively plausible.

Phlogiston "The Burning Spirit"The bodiless hothead, oxygen's eternal rival1667年 → 1770年代Caloric "The Heat Substance"The gym-bro consultant who believed heat was a substance1770年代 → 1850年代Aether "The Invisible Medium"The transparent ruler who claims to fill all of space17世紀 → 1905年Élan "The Vital Force"The spiritual founder who trusts "life force" over data1907年 → 20世紀半ばOrgone "The Cosmic Box"The recluse in a box claiming "Cosmic energy cures everything"1930年代 → 1950年代

Claims dressed as science but not science. Phrenology, Mesmerism, Blood-type personality, brain myths, Lysenkoism, Graphology, Biorhythms, Alpha Wolf myth.

Mesmer "The Animal Magnetist"The self-proclaimed charisma who heals all with invisible magnetism1770年代 → 1784年Phrenology "The Skull Reader"The creepy headhunter who reads your soul through skull bumps1796年 → 19世紀後半Bloody "The Type Caster"The veteran fortune teller who explains all humanity with four blood types1927年 → （未だ民間信仰として存続）TenPercent "The Dormant 90%"The hyped-up self-help guru screaming "Awaken the other 90%!"20世紀初頭 → （自己啓発業界では未だに現役）Half&Half "The Split Thinker"The Asura baron who splits humanity into logic vs. intuition1960年代 → （ポップカルチャーでは未だに現役）Lysenko "The Ideological Farmer"The authoritarian who barked "Rewrite genes through sheer willpower"1930年代 → 1960年代Grapho "The Handwriting Detective"The neurotic detective who claims "The length of your T-bar reveals your aggression!"19世紀末 → （欧州HR部門の一部で未だに生存）Biorhythm "The Triple Wave"The retro surfer riding "life's three waves"19世紀末 → 1970年代（ブーム崩壊）AlphaMale "The Dominance Myth"The tragic dominance-posturing male who screams "I'm the Alpha!" but was denied by the original author1940年代 → （ネットスラングとして未だに現役）

Incorrect theories about life and disease. Preformationism and Miasma theory.

Homunculus "Preformed" MinimusThe tiny man who believed perfection exists from the start17世紀 → 19世紀Miasma "The Dark Fog"The edgy dark hero who sees disease in stagnant air古代 → 1880年代

Modern scientific errors caused by confirmation bias, contamination, and data fabrication. Includes Red Mercury fraud and subliminal advertising hoax.

N-Ray "The Yes Man"The phantom of confirmation bias who shows you what you want to see1903年 → 1904年Polywater "The Elite Water"The elite fraud who claims to be "evolved special water"1961年 → 1973年Cold Fusion "The Dream Reactor"The startup CEO who dreamed of infinite energy in a glass1989年 → 1989年Memoria "The Water's Memory"The sentimental poet who cries "I remember" even after all substance is gone1988年 → 1988年Phantom-Og "The Forged 118"The credential-forging elite eternally awkward around the real Oganesson1999年 → 2001年Stappy "The Stimulus Star"The former genius idol who promised rebirth through stimulus2014年 → 2014年Red Mercury "The Phantom Substance"The shadow broker whispering "nuclear weapons, palm-sized"1980年代末 → 1990年代Subliminal "The Hidden Persuader"The 50s ad man who whispered "Control the subconscious in 1/3000th of a second"1957年 → 1962年（本人が自白）

Cases where blind faith from ignorance caused real harm. Radioactive quackery.

Radiumia "The Glowing Healer"The dangerous beauty advisor who believed in radioactive miracles1900年代初頭 → 1930年代

Concepts hypothesized to explain cosmic or terrestrial mysteries but proven wrong. Planet Vulcan, Martian Canals, Expanding Earth, Hollow Earth.

Vulcan "The Phantom Planet"The invisible ninja planet racing beside the Sun1859年 → 1915年Canali "The Martian Architect"The romanticist of Martian civilization born from mistranslation and optical illusion1877年 → 1960年代Expand "The Growing Earth"The portly middle-ager who proudly swells, claiming Earth inflates like a balloon19世紀末 → 1960年代Hollow "The Inner World Explorer"The classic explorer who romantically proclaims "There's a giant hole at the North Pole!"17世紀 → 19世紀〜20世紀初頭

Modern healthcare and beauty business scams wearing the skin of science. Exploit real element names and properties, preying on consumer anxiety. Hydrogen Water, Blood Cleansing, Germanium Bath, Spatial Sterilization Badges, Transdermal Toxicity, Game Brain.

Sui Sowat "The Fizzy Influencer"The wellness influencer whose contents vanish the moment you open the cap2010年代 → （ブーム沈静化、一部残存）Ozonika "The Blood Beautician"The cosmetic doctor who turns grade-school science into a magic trick with premium pricing2010年代後半 → （医療界から批判、一部残存）Germani "The Detox Bathhouse Master"The retro bathhouse owner who demoted an IT-elite element to bath salts2000年代 → （効果否定、一部残存）Badgio "The Barrier Badge"The scaredy-cat whose barrier vanishes with a breeze2010年代 → （消費者庁から複数回措置命令、一部残存）Keihidoku "The Skin Panic Preacher"The complainer who demonizes chemicals while completely ignoring skin barrier function2000年代 → （科学的に否定済、マルチ商法で残存）Gemuno "The Brain Wave Alarmist"The 2000s PTA president condemning youth with a broken EEG machine2002年 → 2010年代（学術的には即座に否定）