Ian Sample: Science offers five reasons to be cheerful

Just for kicks, we thought we’d change the slightly pessimistic zeitgeist of this blog, and offer you some stories of real hope. Those-and a little moral homily at the end which we hope will justify these humble inclusions. The stories come, as so often, from Guardian science writer Ian Sample, whose thoughts we often praise here.[1] We hope they might offer a glimpse of what we are about to lose if certain tendencies play out.

Stem Cell transplants could reverse diabetes. All that intricate and detailed work on stem cells may at last be finding a pay-off in the real world, with an almost infinite relief of human suffering. We respect the beliefs of the religious: but would just praying have got us this far?

Cancer vaccines from RNA We have covered this before here. If nothing else, the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed a major leap forward in vaccine technology, especially in mRNA. Where would cancer patients be now if all those anti-vaxxers had their way?

AI detects cancers To bring in another LSS old favourite: AI can now be used to screen and detect cancers more quickly than ever before. When we think of cancer, we think of old acquaintances who used to deny smoking had anything to do with cancer. Does that remind you of climate change deniers?

Occupants of interplanetary Space For lovers of pure science, there can be little more amazing the discoveries offered by the James Webb telescope. Once upon a time, the Inquisition threatened to burn Galileo for looking up at four little satellites around Jupiter. Will someone try the same on this new telescope?

Renewable energy is on the way. Remember all those programmes and articles that tried to suggest that renewables could never, ever replace fossil fuels? But there’s real hope now that renewables will displace fossils by 2030. Both China and India seem poised to lead the way ahead. USA take note.

Yet we promised you a moral on this one, so here it is. All these discoveries, all this science, which Ian has just showed us is dependent on the free and fearless interchange of information. Which in turn depends on open societies and the rule of law. There is strong reason to believe that this era is coming to an end. In some countries, religious obscurantists and zealots are close to extinguishing freedom forever. in others, violent ethno-nationalists have seized power, or are close to doing so. These societies may well offer social stratification and the appearance of security. Yet in all of them. the sole definition of value is “does this bolster the regime?” There can be no truth in science, no beauty in art, no trust in money which does not meet this criterion. Ultimately, such societies stagnate. And then decline. You still have time to change your minds. In some countries, at least.

[1]://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/09/reasons-to-be-hopeful-five-ways-science-is-making-the-world-better?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#science #learning #objective truth #empiricism #vaccines #rna #astronomy #medicine

Florida’s Health Battle heats up

As if the US State of Florida didn’t have enough problems, what with coastline erosion and all that, it has now become the epicentre of of a mighty battle over public health, and who calls the shots over what is, and is not, scientific evidence. [1] This is how the two sides square up, according to Richard Luscombe of The Guardian

In the Red corner: Dr Joseph Lapado [2] Florida’s Surgeon General, whose principle back is State Governor Ron Di Santis, who, as older readers will recall, is a former Next President of the United States of America. In the Blue corner, most of what passes for orthodox medical and scientific opinion. And, before you take sides, gentle readers, note this. Dr Lapado is no unqualified quack, but an eminently learned and trained medical doctor. Who, as an immigrant from Nigeria had no doubt to fight more than his fair share of of prejudice before finding his way to a well-deserved place at the top. The trouble is that some of his opinions, are to say the least, controversial. As our sources report, huge storms are now swirling around his recommendations in matters concerning masks, vaccines the use of various medical and public health literature sources, and certain treatment methods [3] The outcome of many is still unresolved, we hasten to add. But, with Big Ron in your corner, does any of this matter? Everyone has a right to their opinion, as they say; maybe Dr Lapado’s is as good as anyone else’s?

The trouble with opinions is that they get get tested in fact. Now an outbreak of measles among the unvaccinated burghers of Florida is testing Dr Lapado’s practices and beliefs to destruction. And it’s not just matters of Life and Death, it’s more important than that. Florida’s economy depends more than most on tourism and real estate, and the guardians of that economy are beginning to realise this, as Richard notes:

Come for the Sunshine, Leave With the Measles, opined the Orlando Sentinel; “Measles? So On-brand for Florida’s Descent Into the 1950s”, was the take of the Tampa Bay Times.

Only time will tell who is correct, Dr Lapado or his detractors. . But we close with this thought. For a long time now- ten, twenty years-everyone has loudly, aggressively proclaimed their right to hold opinions Fair enough; but they cannot all be right. The one that really was right all along only emerges with the tests of fact and experience. Until they come along, a little humility might be in order for all of us. Otherwise that test might be very painful indeed.

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/03/florida-measles-outbreak-preventable

[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Ladapo

[3]https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/floridas-surgeon-general-urges-cvs-to-stock-leeches

# joseph lapado #ron di santis #vaccination #measles #florida #public health #empiricism#measles