For the Gullible Man: A New Baldness Calculator

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A new baldness calculator, touted as being very accurate in an article at a British newspaper’s web site that just lost even more of my respect, is little more than an advertisement cloaked in a quiz framed under the guise of science.

It preys, of course, on the nearly universal fear among men that they’ll go bald, a fear I’ve never understood. Interestingly, scientists speculate that since so many men go bald, it must’ve had some evolutionary advantage, such as acting as a sign of physical and social maturity, thereby increasing status.

The web-based program — designed mysteriously for UK men only — asks you 12 questions, including your age, what state your hair is in now, whether you wear a hat frequently, and how often you are stressed out, and where in the UK you come from. Apparently those in London have different odds for baldness than, say, someone from London who now lives in Wales. Yeah, right.

The calculator is, as you’d expect, provided by a company with an ulterior motive: It makes shampoos.

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Skepdude says – I took the test too, and according to them I am likelty to go bald at 55. Oh noooo! I did tell it that I was from Scotland though, so maybe my answer will change if they add NYC to the list. Of course they recommended I buy their shampoo. Pathetic.

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