(Jan 2022) This is a topic near and dear to me, especially since leaving the lab bench twenty years ago. I’ve been a scientist most of my life, and have been part of the medical model. I was once a professor at a medical school, where I invented drugs that are now in clinical trials. I’ve published hundreds of articles on numerous topics on infectious diseases and nutrition. At present, I spend my days keeping up with the latest in my fields of study. Yet, I’m beginning to realize how limiting science can be.
We praise science for the truths it brings. It’s a flame retardant for evil spirits, superstitions, and conspiracy theories. Tremendous leaps in technology have resulted from science. It’s also an incredibly fulfilling occupation, as I’ve experienced in my half-century of participation. But these days, few people find me credible. In fact, they get downright hostile when I tell them things that don’t jive with what their doctor says. Unfortunately, the media is controlled by those, who don’t want you to know the truth.
Indeed, some of the greatest scientific achievements have worked against us, in the hands of greedy corporations, rogue nations, terrorists and assorted Unabombers, to mention a few. Science has been fudged and compromised for purposes of gaining wealth and cutting costs. It’s a powerful tool, so the powerful seek to control it, and us. For example, during this pandemic we were told that vaccines, masks and social distancing were the only answers. I’ve been arguing against such myopic views from the start. I know the promise of vitamins and natural remedies, which the medical profession conveniently ignores. But I’ve been attacked by folks on social media as someone spreading misinformation. Meanwhile, they’re depressed and dying in large numbers. Vaccines do work sometimes, but they’re costly, have side effects, and are often not the best means to prevent disease. Currently, Big Pharma owns the politicians, so there’ll be no end to the fear mongering, not to mention the burden on our health care system. Aaron Rogers, who famously remains unvaccinated, said recently: “If science can’t be questioned, it’s not science”. I agree. We’re being vilified for having differing opinions.
In a perfect world, all infectious diseases would be addressed primarily by building healthy immunities, mostly through lifestyle and nutrition. The main ingredients to bolster immunity are not vaccines, but rather vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential oils. These include vitamin C complex (mostly from berries, kiwi, pineapple, acerola, etc.), vitamin D3 (from the sun, if you can, or via high-dose supplements), zinc and other micro-minerals, quercetin and other natural antioxidants, vitamin A, fish oil (better yet, cod liver oil with high levels of natural vitamin A), and natural anti-inflammatories (e.g., curcumin, ginger, boswellia, celery, whole citrus, etc.) Much of these can be procured from a top-shelf multivitamin, like Life-Extension’s Two-per-day, or Wellness Resource’s Daily Multi. Curbing the carbs and other processed, pro-inflammatory, factory-farm foods that subject us to chronic diseases, and make Covid far more severe, would also help immeasurably. Unfortunately, you rarely hear a physician talk about these alternative approaches, and that’s the rub. A combination of vaccines and supplements would go much further to tackle Covid than vaccines alone. Indeed, we could solve much of the healthcare crisis inexpensively, without vaccines. Granted, some vaccines work better than others, and have proven essential in a pinch. But then look at this year’s flu shot, which confers little or no protection. I envision a world where physicians provide more than just lip service, when it comes to health.
While on the topic of bad science, another example is toothpaste. I was told by a scientist at Colgate that toothpaste is more cosmetic than anything else. It is not necessary for getting your teeth clean. Worse, the fluoride in toothpaste is far more detrimental than helpful. I’ve made an effort to follow the science here, and I agree that fluoride should be avoided. However, most people believe in the pseudoscience of toothpaste, and regard people like me as quacks. So, what good is science and knowledge, if everyone has their own version?
I could go on and on, and pop a number of cherished bubbles. There is no lack of examples to show that truth has been largely usurped and manufactured for the control of wealth. Of course, not all truth has been compromised, but the uninformed have no idea what to believe. They go around wearing masks when no one is around, and stand in line for hours like sheep, waiting for their Covid tests and booster shots. They’re now vaccinating children, who rarely have severe reactions to Covid. We are told that these procedures are free, but they’re anything but. Meanwhile, the rich don’t care, or may stay ignorant too, as long as the money keeps rolling in. If you want to know whose really behind this mess, take a look at your stock portfolio.
For me, there is something even more compelling in this critique. Science relies to a large extent on imagination, but also stymies it. The “facts” that arise tend to raze the playing field. Science has a habit of sterilizing the topic at hand. It reduces things down to its actionable parts and takes away from the landscape of experience. It leaves most people out of the conversation, as very few of us are trained as scientists.
A great example of this is Astrology vs. Astronomy. I once derided my father for explaining peoples’ behavior based on their zodiac sign. I told him that astronomy is far more real and beautiful than astrology ever was. His response was, “But it’s boring”. He wasn’t about to let me steal away his imaginative take on understanding people and hand it to a bunch of nerds. Religion is also seen by science as a made-up thing of the past. It’s highly unlikely one can rise from the dead, or make wine from water. Yet people keep believing after 2000 years of evidence to the contrary. I’m not religious, but think of how lost and sad many would be without God. People need their creature comforts and beliefs, especially when the going gets tough. On the other hand, there would be a lot less hate and killing in the name of God throughout history. Still, we humans would find other reasons to kill each other.
Speaking of imagination, I may be the only scientist in the world, who plays with Tarot cards. For me, it’s not about fortune telling, but more about studying how people from the middle-ages understood human personality. During the 1300s, Jews in Italy devised the Tarot deck, and ascribed a number of symbols and stellar attributes to each aspect of human behavior. They used numerology, astrology, witchcraft and the Kabbalah to add color and depth. Though I don’t espouse these ancient systems of belief, I’m fascinated by their attempt to analyze human traits and create a psychology of behavior. Like the periodic chart of elements, they broke down our natures to 78 atomic parts. A good card reader pays attention to the deeper meanings, and not so much the day-to-day stuff. There is a trance-like, mystical element to reading the Tarot that defies science, and allows for deeper understanding.
Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
The point is, we don’t have to negate the rest of human nature for the sake of science and factual knowledge. Like my dad said, that would be truly boring.
Science is a not compilation of facts, but rather a system for finding truth. I have relied on it heavily, but it can often be biased and misleading. It limits the participation of non-scientists in the creative process. And it has negated wisdom crafted over thousands of years, not just for truth’s sake, but for keeping people in line. I’m not advocating the end of science, but rather reacting to the way it’s been compromised, and how other forms of inquiry, silly as they may be, are negated. Science makes sense, when you want to stop zealots from burning people at the stake, but it also ignores some of the mysteries of our nature. There is a middle ground somewhere.
The Science of Nutrition 