Particularly these days, there seems to be a movement against science. A wilful ignorance of facts, evidence and data, in exchange for a confirmation of your own bias, or the advice of an utterly unqualified celebrity you love. It’s bizarre, and worse than that, it’s dangerous. Science exists for a reason; to prove things to the best of our knowledge and ability. Now, I’m not saying science is infallible, because even these days, our understanding of the world is improving and moving on, we’re constantly discovering new things, but it’s a pretty safe bet. Especially when compared to the totally unproven nonsense that tries to discredit it.
So, let’s start off nice and simple. The world isn’t flat. Vaccines don’t cause autism. Aspartame and high fructose corn syrup don’t cause cancer. Climate change is real. And we have been to the moon. You know how we know all this? Science. We have proof. Meta-studies conducted over long periods of time, including a large number of subjects, often under controlled conditions, giving us the most probable result. Maybe not 100 percent certain, but definitely better than PHD-less Jessica Biel telling you she has a feeling.
It’s all harmless though, right? I mean, it’s just people doing their own thing. Except, it’s not harmless, far from it. In some cases, you can be a literal danger to others around you. If you’re not getting vaccinated, because an ex-pornstar reckons they cause autism, you’re putting anyone you come into contact with at risk. And there are so many people out there who are easily swayed, or desperate. Desperate for help, desperate for a quick fix, and hearing some of this shite might convince them to turn away from something proven, that might actually help, to try this crazy new theory. A woman passed away from cancer recently, because she shunned chemotherapy due to social media posts. I’m not saying the chemo definitely would have worked, but it’s one of the proven methods of treatment. And the more people who follow this stuff, or share it, or talk about it, the more validation it gets. Then suddenly, this nonsense is heralded as fact, purely because that many people can’t be wrong.
You really shouldn’t buy into conspiracies, alternative medicines, or pseudo-science, particularly with such little evidence to back them up, and certainly not as a replacement for conventional treatments, methods or knowledge. Beware the snake oil salesman, looking to sell their own particular way, that can “help you more than anything else”. What are the chances of them having found the key on their own? Joe Bloggs in his one bed flat discovered this, and thousands of scientists working on it every day didn’t? Come on. Instead follow actual science, because it’s the surest path we know. Look for things with multiple meta-studies to back them up, because chances are, that’s what we know to be right. For now, anyway. Until next week.
Dan Miller
Body Fuel Personal Fitness Trainer