3 ms·

Fear of chemicals in general? Silly, but that is a bit of a strawman. Fear of ingesting synthesized chemicals in quantities to which our species has not been e

by praptak 14y ago

Fear of chemicals in general? Silly, but that is a bit of a strawman. Fear of ingesting synthesized chemicals in quantities to which our species has not been exposed during its evolution? Count me in, with the obvious rational disclaimers.

InclinedPlane 14y ago
Does this not apply equally to ingesting any chemicals that humans have not been exposed to during our evolution? What about tea and coffee? Or beer and wine? Or tomatoes? Or capsaicin?
- praptak 14y ago
  It's the "with the obvious rational disclaimers" part. The above chemicals have been extensively field tested. Huge numbers of people have eaten them for a long long time, it's safe to assume any ill effects of these are known (although obviously the natural selection had little time to adapt us humans to these substances.)
  - InclinedPlane 14y ago
    How do you feel about vaccines? Anti-biotics? Why is fear justified? Isn't the appropriate response reason and critical thinking? FDA approved drugs have been extensively field tested as well. And many "dangerous" chemicals are actually safer than, say, wine. You're just trying to justify your fear of the unfamiliar. It's parochial and small-minded. Do you think that the people who discovered tea, beer, tomatoes, and cheese thought that way? Imagine how much smaller and less interesting our lives would be today if these sorts of fears had gripped our ancestors, and how much smaller our future will be if we allow them free reign today.
    - praptak 14y ago
      > How do you feel about vaccines? Anti-biotics? Both extensively tested, although antibiotics are interesting because they created drug-resistant strains. Which shows that it is rational to be on the lookout for unexpected bad effects of new things in general. > Why is fear justified? Isn't the appropriate response reason and critical thinking? Never stated it's one or the other. Fear of ill effects is what makes us do the whole critical evaluation, which is good. > You're just trying to justify your fear of the unfamiliar. I'm afraid you have read from my comments something that wasn't there at all. "Fear until reasonably tested" = rational. "Fear that makes one ignore all evidence" = obviously irrational. > Do you think that the people who discovered tea, beer, tomatoes, and cheese thought that way? They took the risk and won - good for us. I'm just against calling their fellow tribesmen (or countrymen) irrational, especially those who already knew about death caps & similar.
snowwrestler 14y ago
> Fear of ingesting synthesized chemicals in quantities to which our species has not been exposed during its evolution? This line of argument is a quasi-religious appeal to authority. Evolution does not have our best interests at heart, and it did not design us to be optimal machines. It did not get rid of cancer, for example, and for that reason quite a few people are happy to ingest synthesized chemicals that help preserve their lives.

by praptak 14y ago

InclinedPlane 14y ago

Does this not apply equally to ingesting any chemicals that humans have not been exposed to during our evolution? What about tea and coffee? Or beer and wine? Or tomatoes? Or capsaicin?

praptak 14y ago
It's the "with the obvious rational disclaimers" part. The above chemicals have been extensively field tested. Huge numbers of people have eaten them for a long long time, it's safe to assume any ill effects of these are known (although obviously the natural selection had little time to adapt us humans to these substances.)
- InclinedPlane 14y ago
  How do you feel about vaccines? Anti-biotics? Why is fear justified? Isn't the appropriate response reason and critical thinking? FDA approved drugs have been extensively field tested as well. And many "dangerous" chemicals are actually safer than, say, wine. You're just trying to justify your fear of the unfamiliar. It's parochial and small-minded. Do you think that the people who discovered tea, beer, tomatoes, and cheese thought that way? Imagine how much smaller and less interesting our lives would be today if these sorts of fears had gripped our ancestors, and how much smaller our future will be if we allow them free reign today.
  - praptak 14y ago
    > How do you feel about vaccines? Anti-biotics? Both extensively tested, although antibiotics are interesting because they created drug-resistant strains. Which shows that it is rational to be on the lookout for unexpected bad effects of new things in general. > Why is fear justified? Isn't the appropriate response reason and critical thinking? Never stated it's one or the other. Fear of ill effects is what makes us do the whole critical evaluation, which is good. > You're just trying to justify your fear of the unfamiliar. I'm afraid you have read from my comments something that wasn't there at all. "Fear until reasonably tested" = rational. "Fear that makes one ignore all evidence" = obviously irrational. > Do you think that the people who discovered tea, beer, tomatoes, and cheese thought that way? They took the risk and won - good for us. I'm just against calling their fellow tribesmen (or countrymen) irrational, especially those who already knew about death caps & similar.

snowwrestler 14y ago

> Fear of ingesting synthesized chemicals in quantities to which our species has not been exposed during its evolution? This line of argument is a quasi-religious appeal to authority. Evolution does not have our best interests at heart, and it did not design us to be optimal machines. It did not get rid of cancer, for example, and for that reason quite a few people are happy to ingest synthesized chemicals that help preserve their lives.