Credit: iStockPhoto
So why do so many otherwise clever people believe in paranormal events, or the benefits of fringe medicines and the dangers of infant vaccination – despite there being no real evidence to support their beliefs?
In Australia about half the population believes in ESP (extra-sensory perception, such as telepathy) and one third believes in UFOs as evidence of extraterrestrial visitation. Other surveys indicate that about 80% of the population hold at least one paranormal belief – which includes astrology.
And a 2005 survey published in the Medical Journal of Australia stated that half of all Australians are using alternative medicines – and one in four are risking their health by not telling their doctor they are doing so.
We’ve probably all met somebody at a party trying to convince us of the benefits of the latest alternative therapies, which is harmless enough.
But it does become an issue of societal concern when we see fringe beliefs, based on non-scientific values, leading to people dying from putting their trust in natural therapies or faith healing when Western medicine could have saved them.
A U.S. National Science Foundation study found that almost nine in 10 Americans agreed that there were some good ways of treating sickness that medical science did not recognise, while four in 10 Americans had used alternative therapies. This is similar to Australian data, where such beliefs are more common among well-educated, upper middle-class women.
The issue most under the spotlight here is infant vaccination and belief in its link to autism or other nasty side effects, an erroneous belief which has persisted despite the original study by Andrew Wakefield, linking vaccinations with autism, being discredited and retracted by The Lancet in February 2010.
In addition, his co-authors withdrew support for the study's interpretations, other researchers were unable to confirm or reproduce his results, and there have since been revelations about undisclosed financial conflicts of interest on Wakefield's part.
The reasons for the persistence of this belief in vaccination being linked to autism – despite the evidence – are complex. But it is also very important to understand why it persists if we believe that there is a need to counter the growth in anti-science in society.
Ben Goldacre - the British doctor and author of the Guardian column, book and blog called Bad Science - coined a phrase that is crucial for us to examine: "Why clever people believe stupid things".
In the U.S., where the anti-vaccination movement has really taken off, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that one in five Americans believes that vaccines can cause autism, and two in five have either delayed or refused vaccines for their child.
And in Australia, according to the Australian General Practice Network, vaccination rates have been dropping over the past seven years to the point that only 83% of four-year-olds nationally are covered — which is below the 90% rate needed to assures community-wide disease protection and prevent outbreaks of fatal, but preventable, diseases.
In some areas, usually where there are high pockets of alternative lifestyles – such as southeast Queensland, the northern rivers of New South Wales, the Adelaide Hills and the southwest of Western Australia – vaccination rates are as low as 70%.
The problem is not just that non-scientific beliefs can be very strongly ingrained in people, but that such beliefs are unlikely to ever be influenced by scientific fact.
So should we be concerned? Well only if we think that the dangers of non-science and pseudoscience are tangible and that widespread support for non-scientific beliefs can impede a society’s ability to function, or compete, in an ever more complicated and science and technology-driven world.
Intelligent?
So must I now consider Andrew Dolt to be intelligent?
Is this really smart?
I have over 27 years of experience testing material for mercury. Of the thousands of items I've tested, nothing even comes close to containing the amount of mercury found in multi-dose vaccine vials. Is it really wise for the medical community to risk their reputation defending such a foolish practice?
Why can't Science be WRONG?
Since obviously Science was created by humankind, and humankind created numbers, theories, facts, mathematics, technology, telescopes, or whatever you want except nature, what can't humanity and Science be wrong?
Since human's aren't perfect, then its 100% that science is wrong, same with every other invention of ours. Let's say an Alien comes to our planet, I'm pretty sure they wont understand thing that we are doing, saying, or trying to explain.
The only reason Science, Mathematics, and everything we invented seems to make sense to us when we do it is simply because it has developed over centuries, and has been stuck with us, with our ancestors, and will continue the more that we grow into society.
But really, everything that humankind has created can all by 100% wrong.
2+2=4 is commonly known all over the world, why can't 2+2=8 or 10 or 100?
Since 2= a number known to us, and 2= a number therefor 2=2 according to mathematics.
The only reason we believe 2+2=4 is because it is "proven" but really what is "proof"? Everything that we claim to be proof, is simply a theory or something that makes "sense" to us as human beings because that's how we were brought up.
Mathematics doesn't exist in nature, Science doesn't exist in nature, we think it does, but naturally it doesn't we make theories it does, but naturally it still doesn't.
So therefor proof is all a hoax that we have brought up over centuries for "life" and the "universe" to make "sense" to us. We could all be 100% wrong, and everything that I typed can be 100% wrong since after all we are humans.
Science
Are you sure you're human? Doesn't sound like it. You are unaware of the meaning of the word "science". It simply means knowledge. The conclusions you draw from what you observe are science. You do draw conclusions; they form the basis for your actions. Otherwise you would be spending your life in a cocoon.
Mathematics, incidentally, is not a thing or an entity. It is a description, like "this coin is made of copper".
Of course, it is easy to say nothing is real. But then you have to define "real". A circular nihilistic argument leading nowhere.
The Basset.
Ok then
Just a couple of thoughts - is the opposite of Science, Faith ? The author of the article only dares mention religion per se at the end of his article, avoiding it as a 'silly thing'. (Coward!) And following on from the supposition that Life is either Science or Faith (or is that too scientific for you, Visitor, or assumptive of me, sorry) then the god who created all these people who've worked hard (not)proving scientific things all this time wasted their time didn't they? or did things just materialise cos a god made them?
Nah, too many holes all over the place and I really can't be bothered. You, Mr/Ms Visitor, are assuming that we all are humans! Consumed a few minutes of a boring afternoon tho'!
... Troll or Moron...
I can't tell which.
who's stupid ?
and why do stupid people write silly articles in other wise great magazines ?
Sorry Cosmo, if this article is for real, you have taken a huge drop in credibility.
Gee, I think you are
Cosmo indeed - it's the kind of article that would RAISE their credibility if they published it. But this is Cosmos, the science magazine - so it's exactly the sort of thoughtful, carefully researched article you'd expect from them. Not that you'd notice the difference, from the look of it.
Scaremongering
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/content/161A07AA9F13BE32CA25719D001833FC/$File/uci-myths-guideprov-thiomersal.pdf
>>The current National Health and Medical Research
Council (NHMRC) Australian Standard Vaccination
Schedule for children under the age of 5 years
includes only one vaccine that contains thiomersal.
This vaccine is monovalent hepatitis B vaccine,
which contains 25 micrograms of thiomersal per
dose. However, a thiomersal-free product is now
available. Vaccines that contain hepatitis B in
combination with other vaccines (eg Infanrix-HepB and
Comvax) do not contain thiomersal.<<
the mercury poisoning line is scaremongering.
Boris
fluid verses fixed
I don't actually believe in anything, because as we find more and not just data, my ideas will of course change and hopefully always will and what will we find next - will it be a small additional step or something completely mind boggling. It is exciting, if a bit slow taking in that I won't get to see as much as I would like to. Sometimes I consider that I may just be dreaming the whole thing; because reality doesn't make a great deal of sense - strange physicial entities, some stuck in some kind of mental mud, worse metaphysical mud - evolution? Really? And we always say evolution as the reason for everything we are and do but we just don't have enough neuroscientific data yet - we need to give it a while longer before we can come up with any real sense of a result - not assuming nor to draw conclusions for a while longer. Many human creatures believing absolutely in the ethereal, unable to move in a different direction even it they could (or could they at some point) and those who utterly believe in our ever changing science well seems more than odd - it seems contrived and about HALF, well even odder. hmm - I have no ideas of course that might be metaphysics - do people actually study that anymore or will they be laughed at. Of course I never expect to understand why - yet I wonder if it is evolution that will take the sensible course and (slowly or quickly it can work both ways apparently) drive out the half that hinder or let them flourish and perhaps destroy (depending on your point of view).
Are we developing into 2 species, or more? Oh not obvious at first glance of course, we look the same -behave the same, on the surface anyway, but do we have obviously different brain chemistry and is it passed along gene lines? So many questions, long may we continue to search for answers - being wise as to what the questions actually are. Fascinating - more please.