 Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen
Battling scientific bullshit: a lost cause?
by Flip Schrameijer
In January 2007, 26-year old Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen was in the limelights again.
We knew she could walk the walk but could she also talk the talk?
She told the São Paulo newspaper O Globo: “I never suffered from anorexia because I had a very strong family base. Parents are responsible, not the fashion industry.”
She clearly defended the same fashion industry that made her the richest model in the world. They were under heavy fire after several models died of anorexia. Anorexia-specialists and parent groups all over the world got very angry with her.
Their reaction: “Scientific evidence points exactly the other way.” (See box)
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Anorexia
Lately
it becomes more and more clear that genetic defects play a
considerable role in severe anorexia. But, ‘Bad genes’ are rarely the
sole cause of disorders such as addiction and schizophrenia, which too
have genetic origins.
Other
factors are needed to bring out these genetic tendencies. Among those
are the psychological development of the child (much more girls have
anorexia than boys) in which the parents play a role. Which role
exactly is unclear, but it has nothing to do with bad parenting:
warm and loving parents – ‘a strong family base’ in Gisele’s words –
have as many anorexic children as ‘bad’ or absent parents.
The
number of anorexia cases has risen dramatically in the second half of
the last century. Most scientists blame this on popular culture, which
glorifies thinness. So the fashion industry and skinny models such as
Gisele - who are mostly not anorexic, but just born that way – are in
part responsible for the rise in anorexia. |
The science for celebrities campaign
Many people believe everything celebreties say. They see them as role models, examples. In an ideal world stupid celebs would stick to their own job. Unfortunately, this world is far from ideal as we all know. There are many more ‘Gisele Bündchens’ who dump their bullshit into our living room. What can you do about it? Well, become a caveman. It might make you famous!
At the beginning of 2007 the British organization Sense about Science had enough of it. They could not sit and suffer any longer. They started a campaign asking celebrities to check their facts before saying eh… things that are scientifically wrong. Their service department took it a step further: celebs can call them for scientific advice. Now they can start spreading ideas that are scientifically right.
But something else is even more important. Sense about Science tries to stop the circulation of damaging ideas. Ideas such as blaming parents for their children’s anorexia.
 Have we now seen the worst of it all?
Nope. A leaflet by Sense about Science quotes the English actress Juliet Stevenson (‘Bend them like Beckham’). About the combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella she says: “I was alarmed at the idea of three diseases being injected into her system in one go. I thought, bloody hell, that’s an awful lot for this tiny thing.”
Prof. Adam Finn is a children’s doctor at the University of Bristol. He warns people about the danger of ‘common sense statements’:
“Ms Stevenson’s concerns are shared by many parents because they seem like common sense. But sometimes common sense is nonsense. Even tiny babies’ immune systems handle many new infections at once, no problem. The best advice is: avoid needless risk by protecting children with full, prompt immunisation.”
Imagine parents refusing to have their babies vaccinated, just because Juliet ‘would never lie to them.
As the leaflet shows, the number of scientific subjects celebrities don’t understand is alarming.
 ‘Patsy Stone’ about chemicals
Joanna Lumley is an actress. She plays the chain smoking, vodka bottle rattling Patsy Stone in ‘Absolutely Fabulous’. She is caught blah blah-ing on a vegan (no meat, no milk) website. Linking cancer and diet, she said: "We cannot go on force-feeding animals chemicals and growth stimulants the way we are. Why do you think cancer is roaring ahead at the moment?"
John Toy is the medical director of Cancer Research UK. Patsy’s statement doesn’t impress him. He could educate her and watch his favourite tv program (Absolutely Fabulous) at the same time: "Cancer is not 'roaring ahead'. It is more common mostly because people are living longer. It is essential that 'cancer causing' claims are based only on scientifically proven facts, not scaremongering [frightening people]."
Madonna about nuclear waste
 Last August, Madonna told a Sunday newspaper she had been working with scientists. They wanted to find a way to "neutralise radiation". She even claimed to have decontaminated a lake near the exploded nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine.
Nick Evans is an enviromental radio chemist at Loughborough University. It is clear Madonna has no idea what she is talking about. Nick: "Radioactivity cannot be neutralised, it can only be moved from one place to another until it decays away at its own rate. There are no magical solutions."
Fighting false beliefs: an uphill battle?
Sense about Science has 1400! scientists supporting the offensive against scientific bullshit. There is more in life than making a fool of (in)famous people. There are also popular ‘problems’ to take a good look at. Think about it! Most people hold nonsense ideas about almost any subject. Research on animals is simply neccesary in many cases. Alternative medicine can never cure malaria. Genetically manipulated food is needed to combat hunger in the world. It might not sound pretty. But at least it’s real! What do you like better?
Celebrities aren’t that original at all. They only make the false beliefs stronger. It looks like Sense about Science is fighting an uphill, if not hopeless, battle.
Paul Stokes has a very funny way of making this point clear. He writes about researchers:
“It must be galling to spend all your time in a lab proving homeopathy is hokum, only for some unqualified nutjob like Prince Charles to stand up and assert it works and for everyone to agree with him. Of course it is important that policy on issues like GM [genetically manipulated] food is based on scientific research, not that that seems likely in this country. There is a climate of unreason abroad, but daft celebs are just another minor manifestation of it, not a cause.”
Stokes likes jokes. About the scientific help-desk:
“In response to all this, the ‘Sense people’ have produced a helpful leaflet for the stars pointing out they are all idiots who do not know what they are talking about. Just in case they still don't get it, which is quite likely, they have also set up a celebrity telephone helpline for the famous to call and do some proper research before they start spouting off. Wow, imagine working on that. One minute you'll have Jade Goody (see note) on seeking insight into the Einsteinian universe, the next it's [glamour model] Jodie Marsh looking for something on string theory, a subject close to her chest due to the fact that most of her outfits are made of string and are also, largely, theoretical.”
Richard Holden writes a blog called ‘One born every minute’. He is also sceptical about the campaign:
“Celebrities are unlikely to actually read this leaflet, of course, and, as much as I approve of any attempts to cut through the sheer amount of bullshit that is peddled about science, I just find it a bit of a shame that the best way to get a bit of publicity about the importance of scientific knowledge is to just attach the word ‘celebrity’ to it (a word which makes me a feel a bit ill just to have to type). I somehow doubt the tide of rubbish which is uttered on a daily basis is likely to be turned back by campaigns such as this…”
Cause for optimism
About pop songs Holden writes:
“Most bands or artists don’t seem to have much time for writing songs about science. Maybe because it’s pretty much the least hip thing in existence. Or, perhaps just because they tend to be far too busy indulging in some quasi-mystical philosophy to think about how the universe might actually work.”
 But, believe it or not, some songs are indeed about science and Holden has dug them up and presents the one's on his site which can also be found on YouTube. So, check it out (link below):
“... and so I present… the best, no, the only songs I’ve managed to find that are about science and on YouTube.”
The ‘Sense people’ keep faith as well. Chris Tyler is the scientific support co-ordinator of the celebrity campaign. He tells us there were hundreds of positive reactions to the campaign. Only a few of them came from the celebs themselves. The famous illusionist Derren Brown did though.
Guess what? Derren turned out to be a realist. He told the BBC:
"We are more than aware that the media prefer a shocking story over delicate fact. In areas like food, environment and medicine, this can have serious results."
 There is another reason for optimism. For the first time lots of scientists are getting together. They want to battle nonsense. Tracey Brown is the director of Sense about Science. She told BBC Radio:
“Scientists, traditionally a quiet bunch, are now trying to redress the balance and finding ways of promoting fact over misinformation.”
Even the president of the Royal Society of Sciences, Lord Rees, sounded the alarm bell. He asked the scientific community to become more visible. He wants to see more scientists in public debates about their research. It sounds like a direct order, doesn’t it? The wave of garbage ideas will not be stopped by these efforts, I’m afraid. But in the long run it’s bound to make a difference. Especially if new generations become more aware of scientific bullshit.
Now, before you comment on this article, do the experiment: How much rubbish do you believe?
It will only take a few minutes. Test here>>
Sources
Sense about Science website
Leaflet Science for Celebrities
Paul Stokes' article in Scotland on Sunday
Jade Goody is a British reality television celebrity. As a participant in Big Brother she bullied co-participant, the Indian actress Shilpa Shetty, causing a scandal in which Jade was accused of racism. back
Richard Holden's blog One born every minute with links to YouTube
How can we know what is scientifically true? Go to Chapter 2 of Nich Strobel's Astronomy Notes here.
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