At what point does the scientific community realize that the current
surge in patent medicines and nonsense medical devices are seriously
eroding the nation's confidence in science?
This is not directly related to ecology, but ecology is science and if
people misuse science to sell products that are medically irrelevant
it certainly must affect all science.
For example, if the average person sees a supposed physician on TV
parading products that "absorb fat out of your body" or send "magnetic
impulses into your joints" or provide the "healing effects of light",
he/she does not necessarily recognize the difference between
commercial claims and scientific ones. Further, if that person is
suckered in to buy this sucker bait, he/she is certain to find, once
any placebo affect passes, that it is shear snake oil. Consequently,
these folks see these advertisements with supposed nutritionists,
phds, MDs, etc. and learn not to believe what they say. Along comes a
scientist claiming extraordinary changes such as climate change, ozone
layer issues, problems with pollution, and endangered species...on TV,
even in commercials. Why should they believe them? It looks and
smells just like that snake oil aunt Martha bought off TV that did
nothing but moisten her skin.
Does anyone else see that a deeper problem exists here? These
products are much more harmful that simply misleading people, they are
more than simply false advertising, they really should not be allowed
to make the extraordinary claims that they do. Some of the products
are harmless, some are dangerous simply in the fact that folks choose
to depend on these prior to seeking real medical advice, but all have
a serious potential to erode the general public's view of the
scientific community.
--
Malcolm L. McCallum
Associate Professor of Biology
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Fall Teaching Schedule:
Vertebrate Biology - TR 10-11:40; General Ecology - MW 1-2:40pm;
Forensic Science - W 6-9:40pm
Office Hourse- TBA
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
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