| Does science really know what is best for us? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Coffee Cup – Free photo on Pixabay |
Coffee Morning Question Time
Inspired By Nature
Inspired By Nature
| Does science really know what is best for us? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Coffee Cup – Free photo on Pixabay |
Howdy Folks, Earthly Comforts is a broad niche wildlife journaling scrapbook focusing on the countryside, wildlife biodiversity and environmental conservation, flora and fauna volunteering projects, gardening, composting and vermiculture, also known as ‘worm farming and photography too. View more posts
Earthly Comforts
If it’s people who ‘discover’ scientific advances, and people are prone to afflictions of pride, arrogance, etc. and the occasional boosting of numbers to meet quota, I think science must be taken with the proverbial pinch of salt. And a spoonful of sugar (or was that an ad to make something promoted by the pharmaceuticals palatable?).
You get my drift.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Was it not Julie Andrews in the Hills are Alive or something? Although you might be right it def sounds like a pharma company advertising slogan .. like ‘Don’t trust atoms, they make up everything.’ or even If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate. ….
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good morning Rory! I don’t think science know what is best for us, but I do think that we’re not exploring science enough to make it good for us!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Ribana, l agree with that sentiment 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The scientific theories keep on changing all the time and to say that science knows what’s best for us is folly. We can use the scientific studies to plan our lives but should take things with a pinch of salt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very true – so which Sadje is it that answered this question? Probably not medical Sadje 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even the medical research keeps on changing. At one time something is good and the next, it’s bad and vise versa. It a logical Sadje answering you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Logical Sadje is the right one l would say, l think logical is a reality approach.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely agree with you Rory. The world throws a bunch of information at us every day, it’s up to us to analyze and adopt what feels right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Precisely. I think sadly at times some people are looking to attach to themselves a more downtrodden approach to health and a life attitude and so at times select an emotional approach only instead a more realistic and logical trek.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup! That’s the matter in a nutshell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, because what’s best for us is a subjective evaluation that’s likely to involve generalizations and the weighing of relative importance of multiple factors. If “best for us” can’t be formulated as a specific testable hypothesis, then the scientific method isn’t the right tool to answer the question.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Boy, am l glad l asked you this question 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I trust facts over faith, so in that sense I prefer to follow science than any type of religious woo. But science changes as new information appears, so I keep that in mind too. For example, science is always changing its mind about nutrition. Eggs good, eggs bad, eggs good. In this case, I have decided for myself via my own data that eating eggs a few times per week is good for me. But I’m grateful for scientific advances that have vastly improved our lives, even when they don’t get it right every time and for every person. Migraine meds, antibiotics, vaccines, safer childbirth… the list is endless as to how I’ve benefited from science!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Paula, that is an interesting response, would you say on one aspect alone that you trust the Pharma companies and their science more than say alternative medicines?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely, in my particular case. I would be nonfunctional without “big pharma” and I am thankful for allergy meds as well as pain relievers and sumatriptan for migraines. I’m also grateful for the surgery that cured my horribly painful periods. I’m grateful that modern medicine has made childbirth so much safer. I am very suspicious of all folksy type cures for anything…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Folksy as in organic and natural?
LikeLike
Right. I’m sure some are OK, for minor ailments, but if I have a serious problem I want a real doctor!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Got you.
Personally over here if they were more readily available l would support more functional medicine practitioners which is more of an holistic approach of treating the body than the symptoms and not lean more towards the big pharmas.
However they not yet recognised in the UK due to the government supporting the chemical giants.
I think in the next twenty years functional medicines will start to replace the regular approaches that doctors take, but where the conflicts will most assuredly arise is with the chemical companies digging their heels in.
LikeLike
Also! All the vaccines to protect against polio measles mumps pertussis and other diseases that used to regularly claim the lives of children. Flu vaccines for adults. The pneumonia vax, the shingles, vax, etc. I don’t know how we can’t be grateful for all these advances…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those are beneficial medical progressions, but l often wonder how many of the newer issues we face haven’t been further enhanced and made worse by the chemical giants.
The chemical giants need people to be reliant upon them, so much so that do they not indeed need diseases to survive?
LikeLike
Compared to what? Compared to religion? Compared to television? Compared to parents? I trust the scientific method, but what is “best for us” is a subjective determination. That said, I generally trust science to uncover more about our world. And it that sense, it’s good. But at the same time, science can be used to create greater problems when abused, say, by Big Pharma or Big Oil or politicians on the take.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Interesting comment 🙂
Compared to whatever you wanted, Fandango. We often hear in advertising that ‘science knows what is best for us’ l am asking is it.
Do l class religion as a science? No, there is no science to religion. I always found it funny when watching Miracle on 34th Street, the film 1994, when they say that the dollar states, In God We Trust – do we – do you? Probably not.
Do l class television as a science – me personally, no. Do l class parenting as a science? No, that is a behaviour styled on learning and experience and common sense.
I meant science as in the science of science itself – the techie stuff – the finding out the answers to even more techie stuff that is supposedly for our better health and benefits.
However, everyone will have a different interpretation. How one person explores the meaning as a system will be very different from the next person.
I agree science uncovers and explores more, but l don’t trust every ounce of science out there – like Pharma, Environmental and Energies, Disinformations, etc.
Years ago, l remember reading an article that suggested Trust and science don’t walk hand in hand, and science didn’t trust Trust itself [which l found strange reading]—stating that science worked in facts only and didn’t employ folly, belief or faith, which are used elsewhere in other areas of life.
Once a person decides to believe in science entirely without question, only then do they start to trust it completely and without hesitation. I am not there yet.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t trust anyone who decides to believe something — anything — without question. Yet isn’t that what many religions espouse? Believe the dogma, accept the gospel, without question?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting question, Rory, and I love the responses! I say no because science even though by definition is
a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws, it is still subjective. In addition, these studies could have taken place years ago and perhaps due to constant changes no longer applicable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Eugenia, l think something which is entirely fascinating is how so many now apply the terminilogy of science to other forms of learning itself.
Now there seemingly is a science behind everything.
Cover mt in butter and call me a biscuit but l am somewhat old fashioned l think 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see what you mean and perhaps science is becomig a misused and over used word.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe it is easier to use the word science instead of belief, faith and common sense? Maybe it is just the way things are now.
LikeLike
I find these questions you raise most interesting in the responses they stimulate as much as the questions themselves, Rory. 😊
To me, Science, like any other part of this plane, is dual in nature and, also, is constantly evolving. It has made some remarkable breakthroughs and saved many lives in the process, but there is also the opposite side of the coin where it has been deliberately used for the opposite effect.
The topic itself covers such a wide range of subjects – there are many forms of science…which one is best for me?
I feel we must use our own discernment to determine what is best for us and not depend on something or someone outside ourselves to do so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Betty and this is so very true.
I think sadly though as l wrote to Eygenia, is that the term science is being applied to everything these days in so far as subject matter and this in turn propmpts further confusions.
For me science is a set of systems, religion is a set of beliefs, environmentals are a set of actions and so on and yet now we apply science to everything. I used to joke that X wasn’t rocket science and now it appears that X may well be rocket science.
LikeLike
Hahaha … well science is works in progress … they learn every day too. Sometimes they wrong
I had 3 kids… 1994, 2001, & 2006
With each child they tell me to do different things lol
Same with food and things lol
So whatever – grain of salt – use your best judgement with what you believe/know and with the information given
But no – they are not always right. Science is fluid 😘 always learning new things
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, science is fluid 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person