Think back to your high school days. You probably did an experiment in which you put a small piece of metallic sodium in water. Within seconds, the sodium started to fizzle and then suddenly, a mini-explosion took place. What happened was a chemical reaction that resulted in the production of sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
Now, if you repeated this experiment a thousand times, the result would be the same. If you could get to a planet orbiting a far-away star and do the same experiment, we would have to assume the outcome would be the same. If not, then we would have to alter our assumptions. This is pure science which involves questioning and modifying our theories.
Universal laws such as gravity and magnetism are scientific principles. However, sometimes new discoveries are made, like in the early part of the 20th century, when quantum physics reared its head. Today science knows so much more than it did 100 years ago. Do you think we will know much more in the next 100 years? Of course, we will; no doubt about it.
There is a problem with being wedded to science without consideration of other disciplines. This is what is referred to as Scientism. It is the belief that everything can be explained by the material world—by what you can see or measure. The problem with Scientism is that it often morphs into what I call faux science. Scientism often becomes dogma which is like a religious cult. There is no room for the consideration of philosophy, sociology, morality or spirituality in decision making.
We know some drugs are deemed safe according to science, but then the adverse effects become apparent years later. Statins widely used to lower cholesterol are now known to cause blurred vision, temporary memory loss and joint pains. Once glorified as a fantastic anti-inflammatory, Vioxx turned out to generate tens of thousands of heart attacks and was taken off the market.
There is no more evidence of this sort of thinking in the reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, Dr Antony Fauci, U.S. Chief Task Force Advisor, and Dr Jerome Adams, Surgeon General, told Americans that wearing masks was unnecessary. Months later, the message was that masking was necessary, and not just one, but even better, two or three.
Around the same time, Fauci told Americans that there would be "a flattening of the curve" in two weeks. It wasn't until January 2021 that this started happening. Pronouncements of "follow the science" meant that people needed to stay distant, continue with lockdowns, get vaccinated, and oh, despite the vaccine, still wear a mask. The effects have been horrendous!
Scientism, with its rigid policies, led to all sorts of problems. Many foresaw what would happen, but these individuals were vilified. The British Journal, Lancet said that over 100,000 children died from starvation––due to lockdowns in 2020. Suicides, depression, anxiety, and the loss of valuable education were avoidable results if politicians hadn't listened to the so-called scientists' dogma. The ultimate result has been millions of lost and devastated lives.
In the U.S., the lockdowns caused more excess deaths in the 15 to 54 age group than Covid-19 deaths in 2020. Deaths from suicides, drug overdoses, missed surgeries, missed cancer diagnosis, and surprisingly, more motor vehicle deaths than in a decade. The increase in motor vehicle deaths resulted from driving at high speed on empty roads combined with alcohol and drugs in the blood.
Where else have we heard "follow the science"? Well, climate change, of course. Or is it global warming? This is a predictive theory masquerading as science. It has created a whole industry that is preaching a plan that is based partially on science.
Scientism has spread into race relations with Critical Race Theory, which disseminates the falsehood that the white race is genetically ingrained with racism. Proponents of this theory state that white babies are born with a gene that makes them inherently racist. Now you may laugh at how incredible this is, but it is being taught in Primary School.
The Bank Street School for Children is an elite Manhattan school. The white students as young as six are being taught that they're born racist. They are also trained to feel guilty because of their "white privilege". Meanwhile, black children are heaped with praise. In some places, research is being done to "prove" the point of white racism. Adherents believe that this sociological theory is ingrained in science. After all, doesn't using the term "critical" mean that it is based on science and doesn't science use "critical thinking"? We can see how this game is played.
Unfortunately, many theories and actions espoused today bear little resemblance to science and, in the process, are damaging society in many ways. We've replaced the established religions today with a new one, the cult of Scientism. So in some ways, nothing much has changed.
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