A Clueless Society

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Weed’s article “106 Science Claims and a Truckful of Baloney” solidifies the nagging fears that plague our minds every time we reach for the more expensive “all-natural and organic” chicken: Is this really better for me? If so, how much? Weed takes the time out of his day to research the science claims that we all take literally simply because we assume that everything that is broadcasted to a massive audience must be heavily screened and investigated. Weed’s article teaches us that we must take everything with a grain of salt and that we are fed dozens of exaggerations a day. The readers of Weed’s article are the readers of Popular Science, people who are willing to learn more about science. Popular Science is a magazine that compiles interesting scientific discoveries and new technology and makes it understandable to the average person. The reader is not expected to have any in-depth background information, only a curiosity. Using his diary-like article, he places himself of the position of the average American citizen. He notes the time he writes every single entry. It is clear that he took meticulous notes as the day went on, counting every single scientific claim he could find.

Weed makes several clear points in his article. Without actively searching for science, the average American is fed an unbelievable amount of scientific claims in a day. He stated that, without flipping through scientific journals and the like, he encountered 106 scientific claims in a single day, averaging one claim every ten minutes. He points out where people get their daily dose of science from, some of which are rather unreliable: “radio, television, the Internet, product packaging, billboards and a light read of the daily paper.” Weed makes the bold, yet completely believable claim: “Advertisers probably feed more science to Americans than anyone else.”

The scientific claims the average American absorbs in a day are rarely scientific and uninformative. Weed had to go out of his way to research the scientific claims on his own. In his article, under the subtitle “The Fine Print,” he evaluates and explains his findings about these “scientific claims.” Advertisers are the biggest culprit when it comes to making false promises. They are legally forced to tell the truth, but put the “best possible spin” on it.

Weed’s argument is sound. He clearly points out the claims, evaluates them, and lays out his findings for the reader as proof. The article did drag on; the reader was able to understand the point of the article within the first few pages. But, in each section of the article he discusses different areas for scientific claims: food, body, medicine, and so forth. He had moments of humor which kept the reader engaged. His reactions to the bogus claims were amusing and refreshing.

Weed’s post reminded me to be wary of the science claims I am fed every day. These claims that I am naming are claims that I have accepted as true for as long as I can remember. Lysol claims that it “kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria.” Misleading. This claim comes from a study that placed a specific virus/bacteria on a pre-cleaned surface, and then using Lysol. This is far from reality. In a Wall Street Journal article, it stats “Regulations don’t require [Lysol] to disclose which bugs they exterminate, just that the products are effective against a representative sample of microbe.” Lysol kills more common bugs, but not all. The “99.9%” is just a marketing technique.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB126092257189692937

Another claim that I believed in until recently is that multivitamins are essential for your health. Vitafusion’s Multivites claim to have an “essential daily formula” with the disclaimer that this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. NBC News reveals that multivitamins have few to no benefits at all. The majority of Americans are not malnourished, and the ones who spend their money on vitamins are probably health conscious to begin with. New studies reveal that vitamin users fare no better than others. So, as Weed would put it: oversold.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/two-new-studies-debunk-benefits-multivitamins-f2D11757314

Nalgene bottles are incredibly popular and well-known for being BPA-free. But what exactly does this mean? I never knew; I just understood that if they used “BPA-free” as their marketing technique and people bought it, it must be a good thing. BPA is a highly toxic chemical that plagued water bottles that were overused. So, yes, BPA is a bad thing. But is BPA-free synonymous with “safe”? An article on nrdc.org states that you should still be cautious and avoid heating the bottle. BPA still leaked into foods that were contained in plastics that were generally regarded as safe. The claim is incomplete and oversold.

Source: http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0902.asp

Business v.s. Truth

After so many years since science became popularized, we see increasing cases where science turns out to be a pseudo-proposition. It has been a common phenomenon that sellers tend to make science claims to better approach their consumers. Meanwhile, consumers prefer to trust them because of the desire for a high-quality lifestyle. However, in the essay 106 Science Claims and a Truckful of Baloney, Weed gives his own daily experience as examples to illustrate that though there are fair ones, most of the so-called science claims in marketing could be not scientific at all, and that is pretty much his main claim in this essay.

106 Science Claims and a Truckful of Baloney was first published on the magazine Popular Science, which means the author’s intended audience are those who have strong interests in science, even enthusiastic about popular science. Weed arranges his essay in a special yet efficient way. He uses chronological order as well as logical order. For example, he writes down what he heard and saw since 6:00PM, then he gives a fine print of the “science claims” he just met up with, such as “Cheerios: Fair enough”, “Cows: Specious” and “Soy Shake: Misleading”. Then he continues his records and explanations. This special parallel structure enables the readers to really look into the truths while being careful of the feints. That is to say, next time when we hear somebody talking about this kind of milk that “derives from a dairy whose cows graze freely on lush natural pastures as nature intended”, we know that it’s a misleading selling strategy instead of a concrete fact.

Also, in all the fine print parts, Weed backed up his arguments with real scientific evidence. For example, when explaining the truth about “Alcohol is good for you”, he provides with “a landmark study that followed the drinking habits of nearly 90,000 male physicians”, which leads to a positive result. But soon after, Weed moves forward to point out that over-drinking is, on contrary, harmful to human health. This kind of critical way of explanation could inform the audience more effectively, which greatly increases the author’s credibility. I have to say Weed is pretty good at persuading, he is smart, calm, prepared, and he is humorous! I found myself totally enjoying his writing, even considering it entertaining.

Actually in my daily life, I am a rather careless consumer, and pay no attention about whether the claims of sellers are authentic or bogus. However, after reading and analyzing Weed’s essay, I started an investigation around my room to find those annoying tricks.

The first one was a claim written on the package of my pet hamster’s food, saying “Nutritionally Complete: fruits & vegetables”. I have to say this is absolutely puffed up, because I didn’t see any fruits or vegetables in there! Can’t believe I bought this for my hampster, that poor little boy. Well, he enjoyed it a lot, though.

Another truth was discovered on the can of AriZona Tea, which says “with all natural flavors”. To me, I think this is fair enough, because when people see “natural flavors”, we think about real juice. Even on the other side of the can there is a nutrition facts form, where I found that all the flavors added into this drink came from concentrate juices. What does that mean? This article tells that concentrate juices are not harmful yet more advance than juices. In this case, I don’t see the seller cheating us.

The last one that I could recall was a drug commercial, I heard it in the radio. It claims that take one pill and you’ll get so much healthy than your peers. Obviously it is just bogus. Like Weed puts, ‘No pill can make someone look 20 years younger”. I laughed at the moment when I heard the rediculous commercial, and even now I still can’t keep questioning, why would anyone sell their products in such a silly way?

About Weed’s “106 Science Claims”

Part I:

The “106 Science Claims” is the essay that talk about the scientific knowledge that informed by social media like advertisements. The main purpose of the essay is to fix some of the most-heard misleading knowledge. The readers of the essay supposed to be all the educated American readers and those interested in popular science. Or on the other words, the readers supposed to be all the people that have been mislead by the media. The structure of the essay is coordinate structure. Though out the essay, each paragraph is analyzing if the advertisement is misleading us. The claim of the essay is that the majority of the claims came from advertisers and they probably feed more science to Americans than anyone else.  Even though the companies have obligation to tell the truth, but they have a marketing imperative to put the best possible spin on it. Although I have never done a survey for that, but to my experiences, I am persuaded by his argument. After reading his essay, I found I have heard most of the misleading from the media around me. The main concerns of companies are whether their advertisements sound attractive enough instead of if they are misleading or not.

Part II:

Pure Water: Misleading. Nowadays, almost every water producers are willing to tag their water production as Pure Water. But there is no absolutely Pure Thing exists in this world. Also, even if you remove all impurities, water will reacts with itself to form ions and small clusters so that we will never get only pure H2O molecules.(Link)

Detergent: Oversold. Some of the companies said their detergent are capable of cleaning all kinds of dirties. There is no any kind of detergent capable of cleaning all the dirties. Especially when both detergent and dirties appear to be acid or alkaline.

Tea: Bogus. Some of the tea are labeled absolutely nature and without any elements. Everything in the world is made by elements. (Link)

Scientific Inspiration: House, M.D.

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Carl Sagan has been calling for the popularization of science since the 1980s. His call had been answered. Today, there are countless programs that have popularized science, making it a favorite subject for children and adults everywhere. America has been exposed to many branches of science, ranging from zoology to medicine to forensics, via the media. One of my favorite television programs was House (also known as House M.D.), something that certainly heightened my interest in medicine and human biology. I remember watching it, episode after episode, absolutely captivated.

The original concept for the show was for it to be a medical detective show, resembling popular programs such as NCIS, but with a medical theme. The creator, David Shore, compared it to a cop procedural. By adopting such a popular genre, House became one of the top ten rated shows in the United States. Dr. House, the show’s main character, was a witty, arrogant, medical genius. He and his team of doctors would work to accurately diagnose patients who were misdiagnosed. Each character was fully developed, with both strong strengths and flaws, making them realistic. House effectively drew the audience in, presenting lovable, engaging characters who are presented as geniuses in their own way. Their brilliance was inspiring. Episodes would revolve around rare and special diseases, giving off the impression that each patient had his or her own unique case. There was never a boring day in the hospital. The program would delve into the details of the disease, showing vivid images depicting what exactly was happening to the patient. The audience would be left amazed by such medical wonders.

At one point, House was the most watched television program in the world. Through such a popular show, science and medicine was spread to an unimaginable number of people. Although the show seems to be targeted towards a more mature audience, I know of many people, some as young as twelve years old, who have watched House. Who knows how many people were inspired by House?

House, M.D. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(TV_series)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/

C.S.I.? Forensics, Here I come!

 

With a life- long interest in the stars and planets that hover above us, Carl Sagan not only contributed to the science world as an astrophysicist, but also a person who did everything he possibly could to aid the progression of public interest in the various aspects of science world-wide. To put his best foot forward, Sagan used the supposedly best means to attain the interest of people regardless of their ages- television. Through his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show as well as his famous show, “Cosmos” that premiered during the 1980’s, he was able to grab the attention of millions in not only the United States, but also over 50 other countries. Using his ethos, or authority, as a best-selling Pulitzer Prize- winning author, Sagan also used books for his readers such as the book, “Cosmos” to accompany his show as well as his company, Carl Sagan Productions. Through all of this, he defended his efforts with his idea of the obligations scientists have to the public in regards to explaining what science is all about. Two of these obligations could be purely for self-interest, as well as the public being able to know what they’re contributing to when they are spending their money on scientific funding. With all of this information slowly creeping out into the open, the only thing missing was an audience to witness the facts being adhered in Sagan’s various outlets of media.
As Sagan ended his television show in 1990, science related programming became a new trend in American society. Some of the most popular shows that have been suggested as propaganda for scenarios that occur with these occupations introduces the forensic aspects of the world to the public. For example, C.S.I. or crime scene investigators have gained the interests of young adults to the elderly who enjoy a good investigation or the drama that entices many to gasp at what may happen after the commercials. C.S.I.: Miami happens to be one of the shows of the series that focuses on using and analyzing physical evidence to prove what can be found in a crime scene to help convict someone guilty of a crime. The head of this team of investigators is Lieutenant Horatio “H” Caine who usually carries the responsibility of saying the catchy phrases as he provides a sense of security to his team and the next possible victims of a murderer/felon. Among the numerous actors that appear on this show, Horatio is assisted by his second in command and trusted friends Det. Eric Delko as well as Dr. Alex Woods who assists in the investigations with her consistent lab work as the medical examiner. The mix of gruesome murders as well as the reoccurring drama that happens between the main characters and the lives they are responsible for helps gravitate the audience to take further interest in the ways they do so – forensic science.
In regards to the pros of watching, this show helps encourage its audience of possibly pursuing this field because it intertwines the aspects of being a scientist with an occupation that services the community, such as a policeman/woman in this case, as the characters work for Miami- Dade Police Department (M.D.P.D.). On the other hand, the directors have used visual rhetoric to distract the audience from noticing the lack of effort that they put into making sure majority of the audience absorbs something informational about forensic science from the script. As a result of the over-simplifying method that has reached a “craze” stage recently in the media, C.S.I.: Miami has also suffered as it became negligent of actually displaying the work as well as the processes necessary to reach the point of analyzing body tissue, fingerprints, etc. that may help solve a crime in order to meet the 45- minute mark. What takes the place of this missing piece? Elegantly shot photos of labs and technology that seem to be performing a task, when in reality, such devices do not have much use.

Mythbusters

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters

Mythbusters is a popular science entertainment show that airs on the Discovery Channel. The two main hosts are Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who are both special effects experts. In their show, they incorporate aspects of the scientific method to validate or debunk many different myths, rumors, scenes, and stories.

In Mythbusters, watchers are able to see experiments and materials being conducted and used that one rarely encounters. The show starts with a myth, belief or rumor that is going to be tested (ex:  a human tooth can be made into a bullet that is accurate, lethal and undetectable after it shatters on impact) and then comes up with a result whether it is busted, confirmed or plausible. Both Adam and Jamie have lots of humor and always provide lots of excitement when conducting their experiments. Frequently, they will have competitions between each other to see which one can build up a better representation of the model that is going to be tested for the myth, belief or rumor. They are occasionally playing around with explosives and fast moving objects which makes the show very interesting. All these different aspects of the show contribute to getting people more attracted to what they are doing and possibly develop an interest for it. In addition to all the explosions, crashes, and firearms, they do a very good job of portraying the actual events of the experimentation with astounding visual displays/effects with high speed cameras for example. The workshops that they work in provide a very interactive type of laboratory; something that Carl Sagan preaches.

Being a popular show on a popular TV channel, allows it to attract a wide range of audience. With a mostly hand-ons approach in the show, many people can see through this show just how fun and exciting science can be and why is it such a vital part of society.

Doctor who?

The year 2013 witnessed the 50 anniversary of doctor who. A show that survived five decades and still resonates with the audience today must have its own magic.

The protagonist of the show is an alien call “the doctor “from the planet Gallifrey. He travels through time and space in a blue police box call “the TARDIS”, and saves the world from destruction a million times. He is a thousand years old man with high intelligence, yet occasionally he acts like a kid who is obsessed with fish finger and custard. He is like a detective in a way, exploring mystery across the universe, almost like a Sherlock in space; sometimes, He is like Indiana jones from another planet-a charming, charismatic hero who saves the day. In another word, he is an eccentric man with a massive intellect.

What Can Doctor Who Do?

How does doctor who help to popularize science? The original idea of the show is a” science fiction, educational program using time travel as a means to explore scientific ideas and famous moments in history” that family can enjoy together ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who). The hero of the show ‘s name is” The Doctor “and he wears a bow tie which is what people usually associate with scientist or intelligent people. He made bow tie, which some people may think nerdy and unfashionable, cool. He doesn’t use a gun; He doesn’t own an iron suit; He doesn’t have any superpower. All he has is a screwdriver and his mind to figure out the mystery and protect the world. He is the perfect representation of scientist and intellect. By using his mind as the weapon, he encourage young children to seek intelligence in themselves. His charm, charisma, and sense of humor makes him an icon, a role model, and a hero for children. But, the demographic of doctor who isn’t only children, actually it has a lot of its viewer in their early 20. It could also change their view about geeky people who wears a bow tie and make him their hero.

 While Doctor who as a science fiction show may not contain precise science, but people do use its popularity to promote science. BBC made a documentary called “science of doctor who”, which talks about the scientific theory behind “doctor who”. At the end, from the mouth of the doctor, it sends a message to children that there are a lot of mystery in the world, you could be the one to solve it .

 In the article “why we need to understand science”, carl sagan asks “why there is no tv drama that has its hero someone devoted to figuring out how the universe works?” I think I have found one.

Sid the Science Kid

Even though the development of technology causes a lot of distraction in today’s society, it is hard to get kids to focus on school. Most children would rather watch TV or play games instead of studying. In order to get these kids entertained while getting an education, especially in science, our society has to come up with cartoon series and games that would provide both entertainment and education to kids. Sid the Science Kid, a TV show is an example of creations that educate children while giving them the amusement they are seeking.

Sid the Science Kid, created by the Jim Henson Company, is a children TV show that used to run in PBS Kids from 2008 to 2013. The main character, Sid, is a curious, excited, young boy who asks a lot of question. His character represents the average kids in our society, who have a lot of curiosity. With the help of his classmates, teacher and parents, Sid uses  questions and the scientific methods to discover the answers. The show uses songs and humor to keep kids entertained while they are learning. This show encourages kids to think like scientists and to seek out the answers of their questions. For example, the episode posted above focuses on why are vaccinations important. Sid is getting the flu vaccine at school but he does not know why people get vaccinated. Similar to most kids, Sid is scared of needles. Throughout this episode, kids would learn about germs, vaccinations, the flu and how to stay healthy.

Even though there are a lot of shows that inspires people to think like scientists, I believe that there should be more shows such as Sid the Science Kid available to children because curiosity begins when you are young.

Rhetorical Analysis of Schoolhouse Rock

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069627/ 

In his article, “Why We Need to Understand Science,” Carl Sagan addresses the issue of America’s lack of knowledge in the field of  science and technology. He argues about how science and technology are in modern times and America’s scientific illiteracy is causing them to fall behind compared to the rest of the world. Many people perceive science as something that can explain things that are currently impossible or have little or no scientific evidence behind them, such as using crystals, astrology, and UFOs. This is because of the way science is taught from a young age.

Sagan recognizes the fact that the natural curiosity and insightful questions that young children possess is slowly stripped away as they mature. They fail to learn the building blocks of science at a young age because of the lack of aid provided to that department, as well as the developed ability to accept information as it is given without questioning “why?”. Science is not taught as something fun and enticing, but rather as part of the core curriculum a child must understand to move on to the next step in education. 

Schoolhouse Rock consists of a series of short videos aimed to teach younger children about certain topics that vary from American history to grammar to science using song. These videos are meant to present children with facts and knowledge in a fun way and a way they will understand and remember. It is meant for children to take something away from the lesson. The characters vary in each video and different songs are used to get the information across.

Schoolhouse Rock effectively gets the information across to its audience. It is a way to provide younger children with a basic background in science and address that science is interesting and fun. By creating videos that make children develop an interest in science, Schoolhouse Rock helps create a further interest in science for future generations because children will remember the lessons they learned through the music that Schoolhouse Rock provides.

Here Comes Science

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In “Why We Need to Understand Science”, Sagan discussed and criticized America’s poor level of scientific education and knowledge.  At the end of his argument, he provides solutions to our problems.  He suggests better educational opportunities for poor, minority students.  He also advocates the support of Head Start programs, higher salaries and better training for teachers, more required science classes for students, and more scholarships, fellowships and laboratory equipment.  He calls for the “financial and moral encouragement” for science, to make science “understandable and fun to listen to (16)”.  He gives us examples of how we can convey science through newspaper articles, television programs, “stirring projects in science and technology attract and inspire youngsters”.  Through the popularization of science, more people will be knowledgeable about science, many would gain interest and truly know how exciting, mysterious, intellectually challenging, and truthful real science is.

They Might Be Giant’s Here Comes Science is an example of a popular program aimed to educate and popularize science to kids.  Here Comes Science is a science-themed CD/DVD album, released in 2008 from the American alternative band They Might Be Giants.  The album was released following the band’s two successful children’s-oriented albums for Disney, they had previously approached the 123s and the ABCs.  Here Comes Science was created with the help of Eric Siegel from the New York Hall of Science, who was hired as a scientific consultant.  “His main function was to ensure that all material was accurate for this project”, since the band members weren’t exactly scientists themselves.  Here Comes Science was released with a CD and an accompanying DVD, which animated the songs.  The album primarily targeted children although it also intended to reach out to adults as well.  A co-founder of the band, Flansburg remarked “The science idea is interesting because it kind of bridges our family audience with our adult audience”.  Some of the songs that the album consist introduce a science topic to the audience such as “Meet the Elements”, “Photosynthesis”, “Cells” and “Roy G. Biv”, while other songs answer questions about science such as “What is a Shooting Star”, “Why Does the Sun Shine”.  Other songs within the album like “Roy G. Biv” help the audience remember science.  Roy G. Biv is used mnemonically to remember the colors of the visible light spectrum in order of increasing frequency.

They Might Be Science’s “Meet the Elements” introduces many elements in an entertaining and informative manner. The song begins with “Iron is a metal, you see it everyday” and from there it introduces Oxygen which “eventually makes Iron [it] rust away”. It presents how two things are interestingly related to each other in order to captivate and inform listeners about the elements.  They do this again in the following two lines, which are “Carbon in its ordinary form is coal. Crush it together and diamonds are born”.  The song introduces Carbon and then tells us about how Carbon can actually transition into coal or diamonds.  Unlike textbooks or readings, Here Comes Science conveys science as something relatable, interesting and exciting.  They do this through the usage of music and fun, compelling lyrics.  Later in the song, the band compares the elements to”a box of paints that are mixed to make every shade” and the chorus tell us that “they either combine to make a chemical or stand alone as they are”.  Again, the song makes science sound fun like it’s art and it can be interesting as it’s very complex. The lyrics also says “Neon’s a gas that lights up the sign for a pizza place”, “The coins that you pay are copper, nickel, and zinc”, and “silicon and oxygen make bricks and glass”.  Here, they share examples of how science is a part of our everyday lives, thereby showing us how essential the elements are in world, in order to get us to learn the elements.  The song also tell us which elements make up balloons, stars, and elephants.  Balloons are full of helium, Stars are mostly hydrogen, and…every living thing is mostly made of four elements.  “Plants, bugs, birds, fish, bacteria and men Are mostly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen”.  

            Here Comes Science was very successful.  It was nominated for the “Best Musical Album for Children” Grammy and one of the songs; “I am a Paleontologist” was featured in a Payless Shoe Source commercial.  I think that the program did exactly what Sagan wanted more of in our country.  It integrated science into music in order to catch the attention of viewers.  By incorporating educational lyrics to catchy music, people will become more interested in science or become more knowledgeable.  Here Comes Science causes the sometimes-tedious act of learning into something fun and easy to understand.  In addition to using music, the album also included a DVD that consisted of animations that went with the songs.  This also conveys the message effectively to obtain the interest of young viewers.