Name: Anonymous 2018-02-02 10:28
Some fields of science are closer to alchemy and religion, even if they hide behind a veneer of rationality and reason.
It easy to say that in retrospect that earlier science was bunk and obsolete, but criticism of current science as authority wouldn't work.
Science often involves rationalizing existing biases and habits, justifying various stuff as "statistical truths" and brute facts, simplifying complex situation down to few numbers that can be massaged and packaged into a pretty graph.
(Damn i'm sounding like some SJW right now).
Science doesn't admit wrongs easily:
one wrong study(e.g. Fat is evil) can dominate the food and health industry for decades, despite contrary evidence.
Bad mistake in one paper? Spinach is a miracle iron source and people will repeat it for decades.
Cholesterol causes heart disease? lets ban cholesterol.
Oops, its bad cholesterol(LDL) and good cholesterol(HDL).
Oops, it turns out dietary cholesterol does nothing.
https://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/government-finally-admits-it-was-wrong-about-cholesterol-20213
It easy to say that in retrospect that earlier science was bunk and obsolete, but criticism of current science as authority wouldn't work.
Science often involves rationalizing existing biases and habits, justifying various stuff as "statistical truths" and brute facts, simplifying complex situation down to few numbers that can be massaged and packaged into a pretty graph.
(Damn i'm sounding like some SJW right now).
Science doesn't admit wrongs easily:
one wrong study(e.g. Fat is evil) can dominate the food and health industry for decades, despite contrary evidence.
Bad mistake in one paper? Spinach is a miracle iron source and people will repeat it for decades.
Cholesterol causes heart disease? lets ban cholesterol.
Oops, its bad cholesterol(LDL) and good cholesterol(HDL).
Oops, it turns out dietary cholesterol does nothing.
https://www.uncommonwisdomdaily.com/government-finally-admits-it-was-wrong-about-cholesterol-20213