Bad Science

All through my college years I would go to activities in which we played get to know you games. One question that always came up that I could never seem to answer very well was, “What is one of your pet peeves?” I, like any other human, have little things that drive me nuts, but nothing that I would have called my one true “pet peeve.” Well, recently I finally realized, I do have a pet peeve. So what is it? Bad science.

My choice of college degree and subsequent career probably has a lot to do with that. You don’t spend 4 years (whoops…I mean 5…it took me a little longer than most) studying physics, chemistry, and geology without obtaining some appreciation for the scientific method. Nor do you spend 4 years teaching junior high students the difference between bad science and good science without coming away with some love for the beauty of scientific processes.

So what is "bad science?" It’s when people hear things with scientific terms, so they assume it must be true. It’s when people don’t accept a scientific truth because they just don’t believe it. It’s when people tell me they have done their own “research,” so they must be correct. It’s when people accept testimonials as true science when they don’t bother looking at the facts. It’s when people tell me science goes against their religion when they have not studied nor do they understand the science behind the principles. (Not to say that they can’t conflict, but everyone who has told me it is against their religion is the same religion as I am, and I see no conflict.)  It’s when people think scientists (especially health care professionals) are in it for the money and they don’t really know anything. It’s when people base their information off of what I call “mommy blogs” and have no information from reputable, scientific sources.

So how do we fix this problem? Two ways. The first is understanding what science truly is and the second is knowing how it is different from a belief system. 

Realizing that the average person hasn’t done much science beyond high school chemistry, let’s review what science is. Science, in a basic definition, is a way of knowing about the world around us by gathering data using our five senses and then coming to conclusions based on that data. Typically a scientist will have a hypothesis, perform an experiment, compare it to a control experiment (in the medical world a placebo group is also compared) and then accept their hypothesis as true or false. Nowhere do they “believe” anything, they accept or reject. If their hypothesis proves true, they test it again. If it’s true again, they test it again, and again, and again. If it continues to prove true, another scientist will test it. Once test after test has proven true and no one can refute the hypothesis as false, the results are published and can be accepted as true in the scientific community. These results are not based on a few animal or clinical trials, but on thousands of trials. They are also not based on opinions but on the facts. A good scientist will accept or reject a hypothesis, even if it goes against what he wanted or believed would happen. Any scientific claim that isn’t backed up by data, facts, multiple scientific groups, and thousands of trials is bad science, slandering the name of science all over the world.

Now that we know what science is, let’s talk about how it is different from belief. A belief is something that is based on faith, not fact. It is emotional in nature and is something that you can never be wrong about. Beliefs are personal. I can believe in God, I can believe in miracles, I can believe in answered prayers, but I cannot believe in scientific principles. I have been asked if I believe that God created Adam or if I believe in Evolution. I don’t believe in Evolution, I accept it as true because all the data and facts point to the fact that it is true. We don’t have all the answers, but there is nothing scientifically that proves it to be false, so it is accepted as true. I also believe that God created the world, and that Adam was the first man. I accept Evolution and I believe in God. Scientific principles and religion don’t necessarily exclude one another, but they are not the same thing either. (I actually think they complement each other very well, but that is for another day and blog post.) Any one who gives a testimonial about something scientific hasn’t done science. They are choosing to believe something, which is ok as long as they don’t tell me it is science.

So why my post? I currently live in a state that is overrun with MLM (multi-level marketing) companies. Everywhere I turn I see ads and hear testimonials about revolutionary new products, claiming to be based on sound scientific principles. I am bombarded with people (friends included-who might read this and not like it much-just know you’re still my friend) trying to convince me that these products work miracles and that I should give them a try. If they only cost me a few bucks and were GUARANTEED not to harm me, I’d give them a shot. But with high costs and no real guarantees, I’m a little wary. To those who use them, check your facts with reputable sources other than the manufacturing company. Understand the science behind the product and know the scientific terms and principles used to explain their processes. Know what these products really do and not just what websites claim they do. Check for good science and don’t rely on bad science. Finally, to these MLM manufacturers I say: I don’t want your testimonials. Show me the facts, show me the data, show me your “good science,” and then I’ll pay.