Science Catches Up … Eventually
As a person with a computer science background, I have been a supporter of science of all kinds for a long time. Science has helped to explain a lot of things for us over the years. Yet I am also intrigued with the “evolution of science”. We all know of cases where science was used to “prove” what we thought to be true, yet actually turned out to be not so true after all.
As examples:
- At one time, we believed that the earth was flat and most scientists supported this theory, and it was therefore accepted as truth
- At one time, we believed that the sun rotated around the earth and most scientists supported this theory, and it was therefore accepted as truth
- More recently, we have seen the limits tested regarding technologies such as computers (always getting smaller which was once seen as impossible), communications (how long ago did the term “wireless” come into our vocabulary), etc. – we once believed that we had already reached our outer limits and many scientists supported the theories, and they were therefore accepted as truth
Through what I refer to as the “evolution of science”, these items that were once accepted as truth have since been disproven. As many of them are so far back in history, we often laugh at the hilarity of what we once believed. But at the time that these beliefs were thought to be true, the people that questioned the beliefs were urged to be quiet, to not disrupt the status quo, and in some cases they were thought of as downright crazy.
In today’s world, we are right in the midst of many of these beliefs. And in many cases a lot of scientists are purported to agree with the theories, and the theories are thus accepted as truth. And any scientists and non-scientists alike that question these beliefs are urged to be quiet, to not disrupt the status quo, and in some cases are presented to be downright crazy.
It would be very interesting to live in the future and look back at this time and to “what we once believed”. Where might some of these topics end up as science evolves to find the truth?
GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
- Originally:
- Developed through science to fulfill the need to “feed the world”, to protect against pests and to feed a growing population
- Scientifically tested in 90-day tests to “prove” their safety
- Eventually:
- Questioned as to their effectiveness to significantly increase yield
- Questioned as to the safety over long term exposure, far exceeding 90 days
- Questioned links to many diseases
- Where will it end up:
- ???
Pesticides (often associated with GMO’s)
- Originally:
- Developed through science to deal specifically with pests, in order to protect the food supply
- Scientifically tested in 90-day tests to “prove” their safety
- Eventually:
- Questioned as to the safety over long term exposure, far exceeding 90 days
- Questioned as to their impact on beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies
- Questioned as to their impact on the degredation of the soil
- One specific pesticide (glyphosate) classified by the WHO (World Health Organization) as “probably carcinogenic”
- Where will it end up:
- ???
Fluoride added to Water
- Originally:
- Tested as an additive to drinking water to help improve the dental hygiene of entire communities
- Scientifically tested to “prove” their safety
- Eventually:
- Questioned as to their effectiveness to significantly improve hygiene
- Questioned as to the safety over long term exposure
- Where will it end up:
- ???
Dental Amalgam Fillings
- Originally:
- Tested as fillings for dental cavities
- Scientifically tested to “prove” their safety
- Eventually:
- Questioned as to the safety over long term exposure
- Where will it end up:
- ???
Vaccines
- Originally:
- Developed as prevention for terrible diseases and conditions such as polio, diphtheria, pertussis, etc.
- Scientifically tested to “prove” their safety, including introduction of the concept of “herd immunity”
- Children in 1950 receive 6 vaccines by the age of 6
- Eventually:
- Seen as a model to create vaccines for many, many, many other conditions
- Vaccine schedule increased to between 25 and 40 (dependent on country) in Canada and U.S.
- Questioned as to the safety and side effects
- Outbreaks deemed to occur in both vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens
- Some vaccines “believed/argued” to have side effects worse than the original condition, and some taken off the market due to extreme side effects including death
- Where will it end up:
- ???
It’s a very interesting time that we live in. There is a lot of debate, and a lot of lining up and taking sides. The truth is that we really don’t know where any of these things are going to end up. Science will continue to evolve. More and more testing will be done. More and more will be learned.
As time marches on, science will get us the answers …. eventually.
Namaste, Ken
Written by Ken
Ken Jaques describes himself as a Health Care Evolutionary, Community Builder, and Speaker. True healing begins when we treat root causes instead of just masking symptoms. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2008, Ken has experienced many facets of the health care system. As “the only patient who ever lost their hair on this low of a dosage of chemotherapy” – as spoken by his rheumatologist – Ken has been on an amazing journal of self-discovery, a journey of true healing. In his blog, Ken shares stories of how his beliefs have changed over the past few years, and how they are still changing. Is it possible that our bodies can heal themselves? Do we really have to live without hope after we receive a chronic illness diagnosis? These are the types of questions that Ken encourages people to ask themselves as they embark on their own physical or emotional healing journey.
Ken is creating a platform to connect People, Patients, Practitioners, Partners and Promoters, enabling a collaborative effort to help shift the focus on health from I-llness to We-llness. Check out the pilot at www.myHealthyCommunity.ca.
“When ‘I’ is replaced with ‘we’, even I-llness becomes WE-llness” ~ Malcolm X
Recent Comments