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Science illiteracy, and one for the "Uh excuse me, did you really say that?" files. 

6/3/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
I stumbled across this gem of science the other day (hat tip to the Curious Wavefunction).  In this piece, a Dr. Mercola, rants against artificial sweeteners.  Now, I'm a water man, my self.  When I want something carbonated I reach for a high mineral content sparkling water, usually of Eastern European origin. However, I really don't think that the amount of various artificial sweeteners that is consumed in the United States, that any serious adverse event could be occulted. That isn't the worst part! The good doctor says Sucralose is closer to DDT than sugar.  It was at this point I began to envision Sterling Hayden telling Peter Sellers, in Dr. Strangelove, how the International Communist Conspiracy was corrupting our precious bodily fluids through fluoridation.   

Take a look, you don't have to be a Ph.D. Chemist to see that the only similarity is that one chlorine atom.  Ye Gods! He claims to be a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.  I have met several who are perfectly normal physicians.  So I don't know what is up with this, but it's scary.  I hope he is just ignorant, and not purposely spreading disinformation.  There is enough chemophobia out there.  Stuff like this has only one cure: education. We chemists have been particularly bad at popularizing our discipline.  We have no Carl Sagan, Neil de Grasse-Tyson, and the like.  Perhaps chemistry lacks the breathtaking awe of the cosmos, but we really need to try.  Who is with me?  If you are a chemist and are interested in trying to get involved in popularizing our discipline, contact me. Email me or fill out the form and let me know.  This level of ignorance is frightening. I really want to take a crack at doing something to popularize our discipline.  This is our call.  Join me!

4 Comments
Brian Robson
6/4/2013 03:09:25 pm

I am a Biological Scientist of the University of Edinburgh, and strongly believe scientific illiteracy is beginning to overtake rational empirical thinking. This state of affairs needs to be counteracted every step of the way!

Reply
Adam Kallel
6/5/2013 01:14:45 am

Brian, obviously, I couldn't agree more. It's getting frightening what people believe. The alkaline water craze was the one that really got me. Drinking a glass of pH 9 water was supposed to make your whole body alkaline, when your stomach acid is 0.1M HCl.

Reply
Joseph Echevarria
6/5/2013 01:50:42 am

I am a chemistry Zero, but I can see the importance of this. I am just saying that I encourage this endeavor and wish you great success!

Reply
Mr P link
9/11/2023 08:00:51 pm

I enjoyed readding this

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    Adam Kallel Ph. D.

    Our CSO sounds off about drug discovery, computational chemistry and history

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