Scientific truth is a changing body. I've lost count of the switchbacks on the good/ill effects of coffee. Ditto alcohol [specifically wine]. I remember the Alar scare of the late 1980's. Alar is a chemical that used to be sprayed on apples to keep them fresher longer. It did absolutely NO harm to humans, but the news story splashed the headlines. Small orchard owners went under that year. Today the big arguments include global warming [yes, we are, but we are also still coming out of the "Little Ice Age" and should be warming! Remember your history lessons--they used to have vinyards in England, and in Nova Scotia!] and evolution. The newest information is often overlooked while old, disproved info continues to spread through outdated textbooks and outdated teachers who teach what they were taught without staying on top of the new discoveries. I remember learning about the moths in industrial England...the story goes that the white ones used to thrive, but after the industrial revolution, because of all the soot, now the black ones tended to live, and the species over time turned alsost exclusively black. It made so much sense to me, that I bought it, hook, line and sinker. Problem: Untrue! Or how about Piltdown man? He has been taught as the missing link between man and monkey for a century almost. Unfortunately after the event of carbon dating, it was found to be a hoax. A man's skull with an orangatang's jaw attached. Still it is taught.
The same holds true medically, all too often. Erica got to teach first aid at Girl's Camp. She was most unhappy with some of the materials they were given with out of date info. She specified NOT clearing someone's mouth before using the Heimlich manuver--it is a good way to get bitten, plus, you run a very real risk nowadays as to what ilnesses the person can be silently carrying. My personal favorite dates way back, but is often still taught to put a spoon in the mouth of a person having an epileptic seizure--particularly grande mal. NOT TRUE! Never in the history of man has there been a verified case of someone swallowing his own tounge. However, he can choke on the spoon, or whatever. If we are going to teach anythin scientific in nature, or read about such, we need to be sure our source has the mst up to date info, or find it!
Real truth does not change, but since scientific truth is based upon previous knowledge, it can and does change as we change and learn ever more.
Plus, we need to be aware of the consequences. DDT was banned were once it had been deemed the salvation of mankind because it was wiping out lage mosquitoe poulations. No more DDT. Lots more mosqitoes, and a greater spread of disease [including West Nile--nothing to sneeze at!] What we really need is lots more common sense. :)
5 comments:
i think you're right, in that, most people (including myself) aren't up to date on the latest discoveries, facts and theories. but it would be virtually impossible to take in all of the new information... if you could though, imagine how big our brains would be. we'd need a wheel barrow just to tote those puppies around! i mean, assuming yours isn't already that big. ;) heh.
Mine is definitely not that big...I just get irritated at all the spouting of knowlege by "experts" who are not :D
I think it's the antiquated textbooks that get me the most. I agree that it's impossible to be on top of all the knowledge, but if we're going to be teaching something, we should at least make sure our facts are straight! That must have been so frustrating for Erica.
Thanks, the textbook thing has been a bugaboo of mine since the time in my health class in college the instructor insisted that you should put a spoon or something in a person's mouth who was having a siezure. NOT TRUE!!! And my authority was my neurosurgeon who told a whole story about it...but I was made to shut up. Who knows more about an ailment? The person who is familiar only through books, or the person who has two grandparents, two brothers and herself has the ailment? And I myself have 7 kinds of seizures, making me fam,iliar with most.
Erica comes by her frustration honestly.
I've never heard of that dude you mentioned for the "missing link" in evolution. BTW, they don't teach missing link theory anymore (at least not to those who major in bio-anthro like me) because the changes took place so slowly over so many years, it's impossible to find a single link. A lot of discoveries made in the early nineteenth century have been disproven because the bones weren't kept properly. I can explain the white/black thing to you if ya want. Anyways...seriously, if anyones confused on evolution, I can totally explain it.
Post a Comment