Photo: Wikipedia
Mr. Sutherland was an imposing figure: tall and heavyset, with dark hair parted to one side and distinctive black-rimmed glasses.
He was my 10th grade science teacher. He spent most of our time talking about how tough life is in the real world. He repeated the mantra of the scientific method: “A hypothesis is a statement using the words ‘if’ and ‘then’. If this is done, then this should happen.”
The scientific method uses objective data to explain natural phenomena. It uses careful observation and healthy skepticism to explain observed results. It eliminates bias by eliminating personal cognitive assumptions that can distort experiments, influence results, and distort reality. The scientific method encourages healthy debate that questions all methods and results.
In retrospect, I realize that on our recent trip to Greece, our taxi driver was probably not the best of his class. He was an older man with unkempt hair and a plump, but affable and well-meaning personality. From the airport to our hotel in Athens, we communicated using Google Translate. He apologized for his constant burping, due to the amount of garlic he had eaten the night before. His driving technique was a bit odd, intermittently speeding up and down for no apparent reason. The cup holder on the dash contained what looked like a Greek energy drink.
He laughed, shook the can and drank it and said it was ouzo. I think he was joking. I asked him what the best Greek food was and he said I should try the goat stew.
The Astor Hotel’s 10th floor breakfast bar offered a spectacular view of the Parthenon temple atop the Greek Acropolis. The Agora, the marketplace directly below the Acropolis, was the commercial and cultural center of Ancient Greece, and it was here that Socrates delivered his informative and thought-provoking lectures.
Socrates was an ancient Greek intellectual from 400 BC who is often considered the father of modern Western philosophy. He developed what is known as the Socratic method of inquiry, a form of interpersonal inquiry that encourages sound questions and answers. He used inductive reasoning to ask a series of logical questions to defend and explain one’s reasoning and conclusions. In other words, Socrates encouraged people to question everything. Socrates is also famous for the quote, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know only one thing: that I know nothing.”
History is full of ideas and theories that were once thought to be true but were later found to be false and inaccurate. The Earth was once thought to be the center of the universe. It was believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. Italian astronomer Galileo proposed that the Earth actually revolved around the Sun. Ancient scientists and clergy considered him a heretic. He was arrested and convicted for fraud and deception, and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life.
Many who offered theories contrary to mainstream views on other topics met less dire fates. Bloodletting was a commonly accepted medical practice for hundreds of years. Mercury was administered as an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. Hand washing between different patients was discouraged. Lobotomies were considered standard treatment for anxiety and chronic depression. Smoking was once recommended by doctors as a treatment for asthma and the common cold. Thalidomide, given as an anti-nausea drug during pregnancy, actually caused birth defects. There are many other examples of ideas promoted as mainstream dogma that turned out to be completely false and harmful.
“Blaming the kettle black” is a classic example of the perpetrator committing the same sins they are accusing the other person of. It’s okay to change definitions and goalposts if it fits your story. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines a hypocrite as “someone who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right, yet behaves in a way that is contrary to those beliefs.”
Questioning and debating theories and practices is the basis of good science. Since when did it become illegal or immoral to do so?
History often repeats itself. Mark Twain, the famous American author and satirist, often said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Thus, statistics are used in dishonest ways to strengthen arguments that fit a particular narrative.
He also reportedly said, “It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them that they’ve been fooled.”
I believe in the scientific method. Truth can only be found if we seek it. The future reveals the past, and time is often the best court of justice.
This article was written by or on behalf of an external columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
