It’s true! Or is it?

It’s Monday and it’s my solemn mission to give my readers a headache. I’ve been musing about the content of this particular blog over the last few weeks. Being a pharmacist, I’m used to reading any number of spurious claims made by scientists in a bid to big up their research and attract funding– Cancer will be cured in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years etc etc. The latest article I read claimed in its headline that scientists could now explain NDEs ( near-death experiences: lights, floating, the tunnel, finding yourself in paradise or being dragged off to hell by scary monsters etc etc).  Do I need to tell you that having read the actual text, scientists have zero clue about NDEs? Of course not. What they can  do is trigger some aspects of it, not all, in some people, not all,  through oxygen deprivation in the lungs and the brain. They’ve been able to do that since the 80s, so epic fail all round. Another non-story.

It made me think of all the other ‘facts’ we believe in good faith, the belief in which can have serious consequences for us:

• No two fingerprints are the same. Really? Who checked all 10 x 7 billion on earth. The odds may be small but is it absolute zero? Would you bet your murder trial on it? Exactly! Anyway, Paul Simon says he’s checked and they’re all the same, so there 🙂
• No two snowflakes are identical. Really? Maternal (monozygotic) twins are identical in all respects, down to their DNA. It is now claimed that you can tell them apart by searching for mutations in their DNA but you would have to run their entire genomes, all 3.2 billion base pairs, and examine each base pair, hoping to find a mutation that coincides with your sample. Of course, every cell in the human body is in a state of change, so is the genome sample from last month identical to one you run this month?Er, dunno. Monozygotic twins do have non-identical fingerprints, or so we are assured. Please see above……
• If a system as complex as a human being can be replicated exactly, is it really true that something as relatively simple as crystallised water molecules is never, ever replicated? There are approximately one billion snowflakes in each cubic foot of snow alone. Now think of Antarctica…… Of course, what scientists actually say is that it’s improbable that two snowflakes would be identical. What we hear is that two snowflakes can never be identical
• Gravity. Proven constant force? Er, no. No one knows how it works, and it’s not constant across the earth. I have to admit that the fluctuations are very slight, but they are there and are measurable. No one knows if it has been constant all through earth’s existence. I like to think of Tyrannosauri Rex and Bronchosauri free-wheeling in the sky. What a trip.It is thought to be due to particles/waves called gravitons which as of now are hypothetical and have never been measured or observed. Gravity is inferred by its effects. So, if you see a group of young men preening and posturing and generally making asses of themselves, you can infer that there is a spectacularly beautiful woman nearby. Gravity and gravitons made flesh. AlaraApothecary: we explain science in ways that make sense 🙂 And the OS contour map? I included it because contour maps have always reminded me of fingerprints and I love the crazy swirls. As the Billster said:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Keep questioning everything, and never drink the Kool-Aid. Simple rules to live by. Have a fantabulous week.

Save

Save