19 Comments
User's avatar
Mark Alexander's avatar

It's the Quantum Theory of Microplastics: the observer affects the observation.

Miep 💥's avatar

This also works for assessing insect diversity, just spray the whole tree with pesticides

Rat's avatar

It’s still good one can say this and not be called “science denier” or worse

Miep 💥's avatar

Lol "science denier." Science is based on disproving models and whenever anybody independent-minded enough comes along and starts picking away at sacred cows they get ganged up on. It's traditional

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

in fact those called science-deniers are the real scientists - they continuously ask questions, like it used to be in science! All those that are stuck in their study books do scientismTM

Miep 💥's avatar

I've been reading geology (again) and it's always amusing to contemplate how fiercely creationism was defended fewer than 100 years ago. I mean, they just *demonized* those guys.

There are still a lot of people who insist the Earth is magnitudes younger than current geological assessments. It's hard to take humans too seriously, as a class

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

This winter I subscribed to Unbekoming and Agent131711, who both present unusual views on everything. At first a bit startled, but little by little, more interested in how we have been told bucket loads of lies. From what I learned in school 60 years ago, at least 95% were lies (although the teacher probably did not realize this). At least we had a history teacher for 2 years who was only interested in art - from her I still carry the wonder for old buildings and pottery, stuff that IS and is not 'theorized'.

Miep 💥's avatar

I think one of the most important steps in the evolution of thought is to learn to question one’s own socially instilled assumptions. Most people don’t do this, and it shows

“it’s not what you don’t know, it’s what you know that just ain’t so”

Tardigrade's avatar

In my younger days, continental drift was still considered Wegener's wacky fringe theory. I got to watch in real time as it became accepted as plate tectonics.

Miep 💥's avatar

Oh, and I did see that article the other day and rolled my eyes. It took them this long to think about sample contamination? Seriously?

Rat's avatar

Not long ago, there was another study which found microplastics in pre-industrial era lake sediments; they hypothesized it was due to diffusion (lake sediment stratigraphy has always been somewhat suspicious because the stuff is often quite soft), but perhaps we need to suspect everything that can be suspected.

Tardigrade's avatar

'we need to suspect everything that can be suspected'

Always.

You'd think these people had never read Agatha Christie. Or Richard Feynman.

Miep 💥's avatar

Research is overrated, and the ability to analyze published studies for biases and other errors underrated. You get stuff like sneaky rocks makin’ plastics down there on the lowdown

Tardigrade's avatar

If they've been wrong, it would be great news.

Charles Summers's avatar

If only there was a PCR test for these little devils

Dave Wise (Neoteric Wood Art)'s avatar

[edited] It kinda makes me wonder how they were so certain microplastics are in every man's seminal fluids...

It must have been a ‘hands on’ endeavor.

Rat's avatar

It works the other way around: out of thousands of various studies, those that are certain in their outrageous conclusions spread the best on the interwebs.

Dave Wise (Neoteric Wood Art)'s avatar

I know, right? And here I am with my UFO decorations still up.

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

you might as well leave it all up, since it is changing too fast to re-decorate each time.