Michael Specter: The danger of science denial

http://www.ted.com Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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Science & Technology

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[pastafarianprophet]

Bravo. Every half-wit too afraid to read a book that wants to sound smart can't stop yapping about new age hooey and homeopathic placebos and the dangers of progress.... and these people don't get publicly humiliated nearly as often as they need to.

[195ashes]

@spinolex Little bit of insider info for you here. One of the lecturers on my biomedical course has stated that, currently, she and geneticists around the world are investigating the genetic modification of chloroplasts and chromoplasts in plants to engineer desired proteins. These proteins could be viral antigens for example. Basically, if it works, you could be vaccinated agaisnt a virus by eating a piece of fruit. This could save lives around the world.

[rapsarG]

It's time to raise the sanity waterline on these people, raise it until the antivaxxer movement drowns in ridicule.

[yunged]

Fantastic talk

He spoke the truth without trying to pander to the idiots

He crammed a lot in whilst still remaining understandable

I have never heard of him before but he has a new convert :-)

[certifiedhealthnut]

E. extended life maybe however most people like my grandfather lived his last years unconscious & all doped up on drugs. refer 2 A. everyone dies, most r so afraid they dont truly live their potential!

F. if we are doing so great with science why isnt there massive funding for FREE ENERGY? because oil/bankers/weapons/agribiz/dr­ugs/chemicals corps. run the US gov. which runs the world with their military! this brothers attitude to me is 1 of dangerous ignorance/arrogance!

his argument has holes

[certifiedhealthnut]

A. everyone dies.

B. there is definitive evidence that GMO foods ( NOT hybridized, totally different subject entirely ) are detrimental to biological organism that ingest them.

C. Yes although there is plenty of progress in the occidental world there are still plenty of people starving senselessly because of greedy economic & political agendas carried out by the US gov./military!

D. while he may be right about some supplements he is dead wrong about herbs in their whole food state.

[jjhicksdotcom1]

It is completely naive to think that the "scientific process" is simply about going forward vs. going back. It's about using 'science' to increase revenue & shareholder dividends. There is no science in allowing companies like DOW & Monsanto to prove that what they've created is safe.

And I'm sorry, but adding Vitamin A to a grain of rice is not the same as embedding a pesticide into a life form and patenting that new life form.

[hebephoebe]

Smallpox gone...to be replaced with obesity, cancers and heart disease...all preventable, but exacerbated by the promotion of Industrialised Farming. Go forward? Not in the direction that this talk is suggesting.

As for GM foods being 'specific' the truth is there is NO DATA to show that these foods are safe...due to the data being supplied by the companies that benefit from the sale of the seed...truly a case of the fox looking after the henhouse. Many questions unanswered here!

[nlsavager]

This guy sounds like he is genticaly modified.

[lightandbeautiful]

Homosexual activists understand the power of words.

Please visit my channel to watch a one-minute video clip in which popular atheist author Richard Dawkins admits that homosexual activists "hijacked the word 'gay'".

The word "homosexual" is more appropriate and accurate because it, unlike the word "gay", actually describes the behavior/attraction/relationsh­ip being discussed.

The word "gay" helps homosexual activists push their agenda.

[thesenamesaretaken]

@TheR88R Isn't this why the "Terminator genes" were developed? Of course, people complain about that too. Monsanto are evil no matter what they do.

[drshamast]

He is an IDIOT