Abandoning Science?

My daughter at the science fair years ago. She was demonstrating how some gummy bears dissolve in water based on the type of sugar that they contain.

I have reached a point where I no longer use science to guide my life decisions. I am not anti-science. I am not pro-science, although I was very much pro-science when I was younger.

I Was Proscience

In many ways, this is a shocking departure from who I have been. I always adored science and was one of the top students in my school and even in the state. I was the first student in the biochemistry program at my university. I graduated with a degree in biology. I worked at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital doing scientific research in a prestigious lab. I always put my faith in science until recently.

I always thought that the point of science was to uncover the truth, and I wanted the truth because I wanted control of my life. I wanted answers. But now, I actually do understand the truth. And in that understanding, I now realize that science is an opinion, not a fact. Science is something that we choose to believe.

The Ultimate Truth

The ultimate truth of existence is this: all truths are true. If you leave one truth out, it’s the ultimate truth minus one. All truths are true to those who believe them. It’s not this or that, it’s both. You get to decide. When you understand that, it’s very powerful.

People Believe What They Want to Believe

I frequently see people clinging to beliefs and calling them truths, and being very stubborn and persistent in their beliefs. We see this all the time in politics, health, parenting, psychology, and so on. People feel very strongly that their truth is true, and they are quite able to prove their point of view. They can tell you fact after fact about how they are right and the others are wrong.

An Example: The Carnivore Diet

I am currently on a carnivore diet, and I could show you all of the science that shows how it is the best diet in the world. However, I also know that many vegetarians, and I used to be one, could easily argue the opposite.

In science is a hypothesis is a general idea that something might be true. It’s not a fact. It’s just an idea: maybe this is true. If that hypothesis cannot be proven false, it becomes a theory; however, that doesn’t make it a fact. It just hasn’t been proven wrong yet. All you need is just one fact that disproves the theory, making it no longer a theory. The theory has to be dismissed or updated.

If I say, eating a carnivore diet is the healthiest, all I have to do is show one person who is eating a vegetarian diet, who is perhaps old and healthy, such as the famous former Beatle Paul McCartney, to say that it works. There are plenty of healthy people eating a vegetarian diet, whether I like it or not. I know that even saying such things can cause the blood of both carnivores and vegetarians alike to boil. Three bad conversation topics are politics, religion, and food.

People Use Science to Prove What They Have Already Chosen to Believe

I see so many people cite scientific studies. So many opinionated people say, “My point of view is correct, and here are the facts or studies to prove it! [I’m right and you’re wrong!]“

As someone who was a scientist, I find this funny because I find most people don’t really understand what a study even is and what it means.

A Quick Background on Studies

A study is not a fact. Having worked in research and published papers, here is what a study is. First, someone does some research. They believe in their work. Pause for a second and understand that point: “They believe in their work.” As a result, they write a little report so they can share their findings with others. Ideally, if that paper is good, someone else should be able to read it, repeat what you did, and get similar results. My work should be reproducible.

I can then submit it to various scientific magazines, called journals. Not all journals are alike. Some will accept anything they are given, while others are very skeptical and have high standards. Generally, the skeptical ones are the most respected ones, such as Science or Nature.

If you submit your paper to a journal, they don’t just publish. A good journal will generally make an educated assessment of your paper and your work, and decide if it’s even reasonable. Second, they will then generally send your paper to your three people who are your enemies and let them try to disprove it. If your enemies cannot reasonably disprove your work, it gets published.

When lay people look at a published study, it’s important to understand first what journal it is in. Is it a credible journal? Did they verify the science or just publish it without looking into it too much?

Second, pay attention to the details of the study. For example, I have seen research that clearly shows a starvation diet allows people to lose weight. But if you look closely, those studies are often for short periods of time. Yes, a person can lose weight if they starve themselves for two weeks; that seems like common sense. But can they do it for a year? For years? How long? Is it sustainable? That is something that I have not seen any research supporting.

As another example, I have seen research that to me very solidly shows that a ketogenic/carnivore diet can cure cancer with a 100% success rate. However, I have also seen studies that show it doesn’t. For example, I found one well-recognized study that shows that a ketogenic diet does not cure cancer. However, when I look at the details, I see that the study was done on a particular type of “artificial” cancer that can be given to mice. It’s not about naturally occurring cancers in humans. So some people will say, “See! It doesn’t work; this study here shows that it doesn’t.”

Another example that I see when people read studies about a carnivore diet is that people confuse a “meat-eater” with a “carnivore.” A meat eater is someone who simply eats meat, but they generally also eat lots of processed food and are on a standard diet. The study implies they are eating only meat, but in reality, they are only eating a small portion of meat.

My point is not to prove to you that the ketogenic or carnivore diet is the best for you. My point is that you can find the results that you want to prove your point, whatever your point is. Science cannot really prove anything as true.

Years ago, we thought Isaac Newton’s physics were correct, but now we know that it’s more of an approximation. With Einstein’s theory of relativity (note the word theory), we realize that Newton’s model is only an approximation. It’s useful and important, but it has its limits.

Ultimately, science is an opinion, and as of yet, I haven’t really seen it prove anything. In so many cases, what we think is true is often more complicated as we get into the weeds and as time passes. No matter how absolutely true it seems at first.

Is Science Useful?

Of course, science can be useful. It is information, and I think, of course, it can provide us with improved ways of doing things. It can provide us with improved ways of living. I think where the problem lies for many people is that they use science to decide rather than deciding for themselves. Or maybe I should say that they use science to cover up what they have already chosen to believe. They hide behind science rather than being honest about the fact that they have simply decided to believe in something.

The danger hiding behind science is that you actually do the opposite of what science is intending. Science is intended to open your mind and help you move beyond your beliefs to find more empowering ones. But instead, people use it to justify what they want to believe. They use it to stay “stuck.”

Are You Really Using Science to Back Your Beliefs?

If you do really believe that your opinion is based upon science, then I would ask, would you consider that you might be wrong if evidence came up to prove you wrong? What evidence would you suggest?

I once heard Neil DeGrasse Tyson ask someone who didn’t believe in the moon landing, “What would it take for you to believe?” The person answered, “A photo of the moon showing the landing site.” Tyson showed them such a photo. They still denied it, saying that the photo couldn’t be trusted. Clearly, that person doesn’t want to believe, regardless of the evidence.

In what ways are you stubborn? Why? Why are you afraid of a different way of being or thinking?

Owning Your Opinion

What I have learned to do instead is to simply say, “I choose to believe this.” I own my beliefs. I don’t say “I believe this is true because the science says so. I suggest that you choose what you want to believe. Own what you want to be true.

I noticed recently the government said something about what was healthy or not, and people who like the politicians who said that, agree without thought, and those who do not like that person, disagree without thought. Neither side genuinely seems to try to understand. Some people do, but many don’t. They make up their mind first, and then find the ideas to support it second.

Instead, I have decided not to say “this study says,” instead, I say “I believe….” Own your point of view. This is much more constructive for everyone involved. And let’s people know where you stand. I also find they argue with me less because, rather than trying to disprove my point of view, they realize that it’s pointless. If anything, they then want to know why I choose to believe it, and that conversation is usually useful for everyone.

Allow Others

I have chosen to allow others to have their opinions, even if they completely disagree with me and seem unreasonable. I can share my perspective, but I don’t need to prove myself to anyone else. I can honestly put forward my opinion. And I don’t need the world to agree with me for me to get what I want and express myself fully. I share because I care. If they choose to listen, great, and if not, that’s fine too. And I can be open to new ideas, rather than digging my heels in and being stubborn.