Power Balance bracelets are silicone wristbands that are embedded with two Mylar holograms. On October 21, 2010, the Independent Investigations Group (IIG) conducted a double-blind test to determine whether Power Balance’s claims that the holograms on their bracelets (then selling online for $29.95) work with the body’s “energy field” to improve strength, flexibility, and balance by “optimizing the body’s natural energy flow.” The company’s website also included a tangle of information that attempted to draw connections between Eastern medicine, “body frequencies,” and “positive energy.” The following excerpt, once available on the Power Balance site, gives insight into the company’s rationale behind its product: “Most everything has a frequency inherent to it. Some frequencies react positively with your body and others negatively. When the hologram comes in contact with your body’s energy field, it allows your body to interact with the natural, beneficial frequency stored within the hologram. This results in improved energy flow throughout your body.” (See Harriet Hall’s excellent article about these claims, “Power Balance Technology: Pseudoscientific Silliness Suckers Card-Carrying Surfers,” in the May/June 2010 Skeptical Inquirer; also available online.) The company relies heavily on testimonials from blue-chip pro athletes like Shaquille O’Neal of the Boston Celtics, Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls. Odom and others are paid to endorse the product and do wear the bracelets during games.