Pure Pedantry : Sense About Science takes on celebrities

Reality is always more complicated than you think.

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Jake Young is a MD/PhD student at Mount Sinai School of Medicine focusing in Neuroscience. He is due to graduate in 2032. He received a BS and a MS in Biological Sciences from Stanford University -- where he spent most of his time drinking heavily and building vegetable catapults instead of learning information that would now be eminently useful. When he is not failing terrifically to perform his sworn duties, he enjoys watching bad movies, ethnic food, and running.

Pure Pedantry is a blog about science -- social sciences and otherwise -- as well as academic and scientific culture. No one can live on science alone, so I also like to dwell on pop culture, periodically explore the humanities, and indulge in other types of geeky goodness.

Jake is joined periodically by two wonderful guest bloggers: Kara Contreary and Kate Seip. See the About Page.

DISCLAIMERS: 1) Jake Young is not a licensed physician (yet). He is merely a medical student. The information published on this site is not intended for use in medical decision making. Please seek advice from a licensed, medical professional before making any health decisions. 2) The opinions expressed are my own or those of my co-bloggers. They do not represent the views of SEED magazine or the educational establishments we currently attend.

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Sense About Science takes on celebrities

Category: Pop culture • Science politics
Posted on: January 3, 2007 1:54 PM, by Jake Young

A UK charity called Sense About Science is taking on celebrities who misrepresent scientific reality:

MELINDA MESSENGER, TV PRESENTER
"Why should I allow my body or my children to be filled with man-made chemicals, when I don't know what the health effects of these substances will be."

Dr John Hoskins, toxicologist: "Away from the high doses of occupational exposure a whole host of unwanted chemicals finds its way into our bodies all the time.

"Most leave quickly but some stay: asbestos and silica in our lungs, dioxins in our blood. The most important thing is dose: one aspirin cures a headache, a hundred kills.

"The chemical baggage we carry is very small. It is only because of the great advances in analytical chemistry that we are able to detect it's there at all."

Read more here. I like these guys. It makes me nuts when celebrities decide to rant about something about which they know very little.

Hat-tip: Instapundit.