Musings About T. Colin Campbell’s Musings About Science

In his article “Musings About Science”, T. Colin Campbell laments the erosion of scientific ideals among the institutions that manage the basic science that underlies the public’s understanding of food and health.  He writes: “With such erosion, it becomes more and more difficult to have responsible dialogue, especially on matters of nutrition”.  He claims the main reason for abuse of the rules of science is to maintain the status quo in order not to disrupt very deep-seated beliefs and corporate practices.  The abuse of scientific rules, according to Dr Campbell, has rendered the words “based on scientific evidence” as nothing more than wasted breath.  Dr. Campbell calls for a serious discussion about what constitutes science to include addressing the questions:

1) What are the criteria for creating authentic science-based evidence?

2) How should the data collected in the name of science be interpreted and conveyed to  others?

My thoughts:

The practice of science requires an unbiased pursuit of the truth and also requires a willingness to be proven wrong.  Although I am not a scientific researcher, I am open to be proven wrong about my belief that WFPB diets are ideal for human beings.  My belief is based on what I consider to be strong scientific evidence in favor of WFPB diets.  However, I am constantly looking for scientific reasons to add animal foods back into my diet.  So far, the scientific literature has not convinced me to do so.  I find the “science” favorable to Paleo or Atkins-type diets very questionable.  One of the main reasons is that research studying these diets is highly reductionist and conclusions are based on details taken out of context from the whole food or from the whole biological response.  I’ve written about this in greater detail in the article “Why Are We So Confused About Nutrition”.

Scientific results may be misinterpreted out of ignorance of the rules of science.  Such misinterpretation would be less frequent if a clear definition of scientific rules were discussed and taught to everyone.

Some misinterpretation may be the result of bias.  The bias may be caused by cultural, religious, political, philosophical and/or financial interests.  If everyone had a clear understanding of scientific rules and ideals, such biases would be easier to identify. (This includes our own biases)

Human beings are a unique and amazing species.  One reason for this is our capacity to understand and practice science.  Science is what has provided humans with a quality of life that could not have been imagined by humans living as recently as 150 years ago.  Can you imagine a life without automobiles, air conditioning, washing machines, microwave ovens, airplanes, computers, iphones or the internet? None would exist without science.

As humans, we think very highly of ourselves – and we should. But it is important to realize that it’s very likely that the universe doesn’t give a hoot about humans as a whole or you as an individual.  It’s likely to care as much about the microorganism that may be killing you as it cares about you.

Science is our only chance of surviving any natural or man-made disaster that befalls us. Therefore, the continued erosion of scientific ideals is extremely perilous to our species. The erosion of scientific ideals specifically pertaining to the study of nutrition and health, will keep many people in the dark about the amazing health benefits of a WFPB diet.