LONDON: A MORI poll this week shows that eight out of 10 Britons think science makes a good contribution to society. Yet paradoxically, only four out of 10 think themselves very or fairly well informed about science. Is this why people ignore scientific evidence in much of their daily lives? Consider the popularity of alternative medicine. Some 40% of general practioners in the UK now offer complementary therapies as part of their services and many are qualified homeopaths. In fact homeopathy is nonsense on stilts. It was founded on the proposition that “like cures like”, for which there is no evidence, and since this involves treating patients with toxic substances that can poison them, a second law was invented, the law of infinitesimals. This states that the more a substance is diluted, the greater the benefit.
Organic food is another case in point. It is promoted by intensive propaganda, assisted by supermarkets that benefit from its premium prices, and its virtues are accepted by restaurateurs and lifestyle magazines. Yet claims made for it have been consistently rejected for lack of scientific evidence. However, its supporters do not need the support of science, claiming “the current tools of understanding that are available to the scientific community are not sufficiently well developed” to measure the merits of organic farming.
Elsewhere, the campaign against transgenic crops is not based on scientific evidence. Although genetically modified crops are now cultivated on over 70m hectares in 18 countries, there has been no evidence of harm to human health or to the environment.
Why are people so reluctant to apply scientific knowledge to their own behaviour? First, trust in experts has declined. Tragedies associated with thalidomide and BSE inspired widespread mistrust, especially in government experts, and a suspicion that they often cover up uncomfortable facts.
Second, the success of science has itself led to increased anxiety. Since vaccination and antibiotics have stopped us dying from so many diseases, people have no experience of smallpox, whooping cough or measles and can afford to believe vaccination is a dangerous interference.
A more serious explanation of the current malaise lies in the rise of the environmental movement and the pervasive influence within it of a dogmatism based on the belief that modern technology adversely affects our relationship with nature. When the huge international success of GM cotton cultivated by 6 million small farmers is denied and the potential benefits of crops like golden rice are ridiculed , it is clear that dogma prevails over reason.
Because the cause, saving the planet, is noble, the new faith has much appeal and support among the media, skilfully exploited by the NGOs. If the new religion spreads, much of the progress that science brings could be jeopardized.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.
