Important History Lesson
(Unsure who to credit as the author)
"We no longer use asbestos because brave people questioned ‘the science’
Doctors no longer recommend cigarettes because brave people questioned ‘the science’
DDT is no longer sprayed on people because brave people questioned ‘the science’
Pregnant women no longer take thalidomide because brave people questioned ‘the science’
Mercury is not used as a cure, and we understand it now as a toxin because brave people questioned ‘the science’
Billions of lives saved by simple hand washing pre-surgery because a brave doctor called Ignasz Semmelweis questioned ‘the science’, then was put in an asylum and humiliated.
At some point, the people questioning ‘the science’ du jour were shunned. They would have been censored. They would have been ignored, ridiculed, shamed and worse.
But that’s how science works. By questioning and finding and researching and observing and yes, sometimes ‘the science’ is wrong and has to be changed based on evidence.
All of the practices listed above (and there are many more examples) were believed to be safe and effective.
They were only stopped when enough people questioned them and the evidence honestly and bravely investigated.
Questioning the science is not wrong, disrespectful or stupid. It is the intelligent, mature and moral thing to do when you notice something is amiss. It is science itself!”.
