Science illiteracy = witchcraft + quackery.
Where science is allowed to flourish witchcraft, quackery and the supernatural retreat to the safe
haven of the ignorant and science illiterate. Lack of science literacy in our society creates a fertile
breeding ground for pseudo science, witchcraft, magic and the down-right ridiculous explanations of
spirits, ghosts and life after death. Let me take an event that happened in Melbourne on the 29th of
August 2007. It was a lunar eclipse, an event that occurs twice a year somewhere in the world. The
last total lunar eclipse that was visible in Melbourne was in 2000.
But this one was different . A few minutes after the moon
disappeared it emerged bathed in red. Some may say it was
a blood –red moon. In the past, this may have been
interpreted as a sign of God’s displeasure causing high priests
to conduct sacrifices until the Gods were once again
pleased. Fortunately the senseless slaughter may have taken
only an hour for that was how long it took for the moon to
return to its original colour.
Fortunately there is a scientific explanation. Blue light is scattered by the atmosphere, the longer
light travels through the atmosphere the more blue light is scattered and the resulting light appears
red. When light travels through a medium such as water or air it bends (refracts). Red light is
therefore bent towards the moon as shown in the diagram below.
Peter Razos-Science illiteracy the maker of myths and legends
At 9:30 pm on August 21, 1986 a white cloud suddenly and violently erupted from the surface of
Lake Nyos in Cameroon to a height of 120m. Like a mythical sea monster
escaping from the lake, this mixture of water and carbon dioxide swept 16 km
down the adjacent valley where it killed 1700 people and wiped out an entire
village. Surely this event may have given rise to the belief in the presence of a
mythical monster if it wasn’t for the ability of modern science to explain this
incredible phenomenon and better still prevent it happening again.
What happened on that fateful morning was nothing too dissimilar to
opening a shaken bottle of carbonated soft drink. It was a
phenomenon that a year 12 Chemistry student should have little trouble
explaining using Le Chatelier’s principle. The population of an entire village
was quietly asphyxiated due to the chemical and physical properties of carbon dioxide. Properties
such as, having 1.5 times the density of air and unable to support combustion.
How many people would have died a horrible death, during the middle ages, in the hands of
witchdoctors in the course of violent exorcisms, as depicted in the image on the right?
Thanks to science we now diagnose such possessed individuals as
having medical conditions that range from schizophrenia , epilepsy
and other medical disorders, often able to be treated with
medication to address the chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters
in the brain.
Exorcism, although not as extreme, is still condoned by many religions
as a viable alternative for the cure of the Devil’s work. Have we moved
on? Are we more enlightened?
Out-of-body experiences are always put forward as evidence of the existence of a spirit, soul or
metaphysical self by the believers. Scientists have, in the past, associated these out of body
experiences with epilepsy and migraines however the exact cause had eluded science for many
years. A substantial clue came in 2002, during the performance of exploratory brain surgery on a 43
year old woman with severe epilepsy to determine what part of the brain to remove in order to
cure her. Purely by chance the surgeons noticed that when an area of the brain called the
Peter Razos-Science illiteracy the maker of myths and legends
temporoparietal junction (TPJ) was stimulated the patient reported that she was floating above her
body looking down on herself. In other words, she was having an out-of-body experience.
This is plausible as the TPJ processes signals from an array of sensors that combined produce the
sense of embodiment. Signals from the visual and touch sensors, from the inner ear that determine
balance and spatial awareness and from tendons, muscles and joints that allow the brain to
determine the location of body parts relative to each other. Scientists later hypothesised that out-ofbody experiences come about when the TPJ fails to process these signals properly. More evidence of
the involvement of the TPJ in out-of-body experiences has since come to light in carefully controlled
experiments and observations made during brain surgery. The entire article that I am referring to is
found in New Scientist 10th October 2009. But how does the brain construct the view from an
external vantage point? This is not totally alien to us. In recalling a recent event we visualise the
situation or incident from an external vantage point rather from an individual perspective. The brain
already has a mechanism for visualising self from an external vantage point.
I imagine we should now be looking for evidence to support the soul and spirit theories of an out-ofbody experience.
Not long ago we were subjected to advertisements such as the one on the right for Listerine.
A year 9 science student should be able to tell you that influenza is a viral
infection. Viral infections can only be cured by the body’s own immune
system. No amount of antiseptic or antibiotic can help.
False advertising? You be the judge.
How many go to the doctor with a bout of flu only to be bitterly
disappointed when the doctor recommends rest and warmth? Well this is
totally logical considering that the immune system works best when
the body is warm and not stressed. However, we still have this primitive
notion that the greater the invasive treatment the better the cure. It is this
illogical expectation that gives rise to quackery in all its forms and inundates
doctors with patients wanting a quick cure to a problem that will cure
itself. Under this pressure general practitioners are prescribing medication,
antibiotics to be exact, that will have very little impact on the final outcome.
What an unnecessary burden on a cash strapped health care system .
I read a very relevant comment that applies to this situation. It went
something like this. “Medicine is the art of humouring people while letting
nature takes its course”.
Picture this scenario, you have a viral infection such as the common cold
and come to me for a cure. I pull out a plastic patch from my pocket and with
a serious and convincing tone suggest that you hold this in your right hand,
not your left, for two hours every morning for three days. Nature will
take its course and you get better. However, do you contribute your cure to
nature or to the plastic whose name happens to be Razcure? I know
what the answer is and that is why Homeopathy and other pseudo sciences
Peter Razos-Science illiteracy the maker of myths and legends
are so successful. By the way, Razcure will cost you $300 guaranteed to work
or your money back.
But if you think that my scenario is ridiculous and far-fetched wait there’s more. A product is now
being retailed that claims its “Unique proprietary technology optimises your energy field, creating a
harmonic loop that maximises energy distribution...IMMEDIATELY ON CONTACT!”. What is this
product? It is a plastic hologram that can be worn as a wrist band. It also claims to increase core
strength, balance, a wider range of movement and overall wellbeing. Give credit to the
manufacturers, they offer three ways that the product can be tested to measure increased core
strength, balance and range of motion. All of which were tested in my class room in a double blind
experiment with not so surprising results.
I could go on to write several hundred pages but the last item I wish to comment on is the Detox
phenomenon. Detox this and detox that. It is as if we are walking suppositories of toxins that
accumulate over the course of many years to the detriment of our health. What the hell is our liver
doing or don’t we understand the function of this organ? And what are these toxins? No one is ever
specific in their advertisements. Are the toxins heavy metals or pesticides, in which case I agree that
they will accumulate in our bodies with adverse symptoms. Or do they include chemicals such as
chlorine from swimming pools or better still free radicals? I really don’t know. But I do know that
AquaDetox products claim to remove toxins and balance cellular energy. Sure!
I will leave it there and hope that science teachers can enthuse the next generation of consumers
and policy makers in the world of science, which in many respects is the world around us.
Peter Razos-Science illiteracy the maker of myths and legends