Junk Science

Junk Science

I once heard a creationist elaborate on his reasons why the theory of evolution was hokum. His incredulous interrogator asked how he could deny all the fossil discoveries that supported Darwin’s theory. He replied with the assertion: “Almost every scientific theory I’ve ever heard has later been proven incorrect.” This, unfortunately, is not that far from the truth. Certainly Freud’s theories have been largely debunked and Darwin’s teachings on evolution are coming under increased scrutiny … particularly those concerning the randomness of genetic change being evolution’s driving force. And even Einstein has had some of his postulates enfeebled by more recent experimental discoveries (as of yet however, remarkably few). This assertion about flawed scientific theories is a disturbing fact (even though it does not support the derived assertion of the loopy creationists who voiced it.)

Most of these “failings” of science occur on the theoretical side. Applied science seems to be much more reliable. Certainly, our ability to send a space probe to Mars and run a rover around the Martian landscape for over a year is a remarkable applied scientific achievement. But when theoretical “scientists” take a small number of observations and then extrapolate consequences to a much larger universe (e.g.s, cholesterol-reduced diets, global warming, magnetic cures, damaging silicone implants, etc.) things become problematic. The problem seems to be either these scientists don’t sufficiently emphasize their caveats … or our ratings-hungry media ignore them. So we, the public, are jerked around. First we must eschew butter in favor of margarine. Then we discover that the hydrogenised unsaturated fats in oleo are very, very unhealthy. We are even becoming more subjected to “scientific” papers that use phoneyed-up data to justify their conclusions.

This is all very dangerous. Imagine if the scientists on the Manhattan Project, used today’s standards for scientific proof when building the atomic bomb. We might well have easily annulated ourselves. Even this author, while exposing my ideas under the title “Junk Science,” probably needs to include more warnings in my feeble fantasizing.