The rise and fog of the scientific method
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scientific method
noun
a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.
Three centuries of hypothesis testing has convinced us that the scientific method yields truth. Once considered heretics, scientists are now the reigning truth sayers. Attach a PhD and a control group to any study, and the conclusion that comes out of it will be viewed by most as fact.
This recent article from Crabby McSlacker explains that this is not always the case… there are conflicting studies all over the place regarding the amount of sleep we should get, when we should exercise, antioxidants, artificial sweeteners, and so on… so how are we to know what’s true?
Part of the problem, of course, is that health reporters and blogs like Cranky Fitness jump all over stories that are weird and counter-intuitive. They make great headlines or post titles… And often, the kind of analysis that might be helpful to a careful thoughtful reader is kind of boring to a more casual reader– so we decide to just leave it out. But it’s not just the reporting of studies that sucks. The studies themselves really are all over the map.
While truth sometimes emerges from science, it’s only after the result of many tests of the same hypothesis. And even then, truth is just a hazy confidence interval around something specific, like “smoking causes cancer” (in x % of smokers), or a diet high in saturated fat leads to hypertension (in y % of individuals consuming z % of calories from saturated fat). But Crabby makes a good point - there are trends in the research that suggests we’ve found a bit of truth… whole foods are good, exercise is good, flossing prevents gum disease… things that have come out of repeat experiments… and more importantly, are obvious from individual life experience…
These things may seem obvious now, but 40 years ago this stuff wasn’t at all clear. So, despite being wrong and annoying sometimes, yay science!
So don’t believe everything you read. But read a lot anyway. And use common sense, both in how you read and how you live. The truth is out there. I’ll raise a glass (of antioxidant rich goji berry juice spiked with green tea and wheatgrass) to that!
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