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I recently wrote a column on the myth of race. I was shocked by the response. Many people challenged the claim; some emailed insults; one said I was a ‘liberal egghead’ pushing a progressive agenda.
I am neither liberal nor conservative; progressive or traditionalist; Democrat or Republican. I cannot be defined by a label. Some of my views are liberal, others conservative. Many are neither. We live in an age of superficial labels. My allegiance is to the facts, not an ideology. Science is neither liberal nor conservative. Facts can be twisted to give a skewed impression, but science is value-neutral. The science on race is indisputable. Race is a myth. Just one in every one thousand nucleotides that comprise our genetic code, is different. Vast tracts of our DNA are identical.
How do we know what we read in newspapers, online or see on TV, is true? Assessing information is an important skill that can be learned. Before we can master this skill, it is vital to understand some basic concepts including the difference between a fact and an opinion.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a better soccer player than Lionel Messi.
Canadians are more knowledgeable about the world than Americans.
These statements are opinions: expressions of personal feelings that cannot be proven and are open to interpretation. They are often driven by emotion. To paraphrase Carl Sagan, wherever we have strong emotions, we are liable to fool ourselves.
Facts, on the other hand, can be proven. They consist of evidence that is considered to be indisputable. If I say, ‘The book was about a boy and his pet frog,’ it is not an opinion – it is either true or false based on the evidence. The book either was or was not about a boy and his frog. One can verify the claim by reading the book. Scientific facts are claims that are supported by overwhelming evidence including a consensus among scientists. Consider the following claims:
Vaccinations do not cause autism.
Smoking causes cancer.
Global warming is being caused by humans.
Earth is at least 4.5 billion years-old.
The Holocaust happened.
The Amityville Horror was a hoax.
Each of these statements are considered to be true as there is an overwhelming consensus within the mainstream scientific community, as to the validity of each of these claims. The evidence has been presented in reputable, peer-reviewed journals and their conclusions can be replicated by others. Therefore, it is not necessary to say, ‘In my view, smoking causes cancer’ or ‘It is my opinion that vaccinations cause autism,’ or ‘I believe that global warming is caused by humans.’ No – based on rigorous research using the scientific method, smoking does cause cancer; global warming is caused by humans. But keep in mind, there will always be a small number of rogue scientists who will make unsupported claims who will contend that Bigfoot exists or that global warming is a hoax. For instance, Professor John Mack was a Harvard University Psychiatrist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his book on mental disorders. He was a competent scientist and people still use his publications to teach university classes. He also believed that humans were being abducted by space aliens. This was his personal opinion and he had every right to express it, and while his views on psychiatry are still respected, his claims about aliens are not supported by credible evidence, and hence, almost all scientists reject those views.
Just because a few scientists believe something, does not make it true or even likely. There are a handful of scientists who believe that Bigfoot is real. Bigfoot hunters often cite them as proof. Yet how can Bigfoot be real if throughout human history no one has produced a body and there is no fossil evidence? To say, ‘In my opinion, Bigfoot is a myth’ is beyond a personal opinion. There is no scientific evidence of its existence. Photos and sightings from witnesses are not high quality evidence. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. On the other hand, there is a massive weigh of scientific evidence supporting the existence of global warming.
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny
Across the world, millions of young children believe in the existence of a chubby man with red cheeks who slides down the chimney at Christmas and delivers presents. Millions of other children believe in the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. You wouldn't say, ‘In my opinion, the Easter Bunny is a mythical creature.’ The evidence is overwhelming. Like Bigfoot, there is no fossil record of giant rabbit skeletons or that over-sized rabbits can make and deliver chocolate Easter eggs. The same logic holds true for Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Therefore, we simply say that Santa and the Easter Bunny are myths. In 2016, Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki proclaimed that earthquakes in New Zealand were the result of “gays, sinners, and murderers.” You would not say, ‘I think Mr Tamaki is wrong.’ His remarks are unsupported by credible, concrete evidence. You would say that ‘Mr Tamaki is wrong.’ Of course, everyone is welcome to their opinion, even if there is no credible evidence to support it.
There is a common saying among journalists, that you are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts. Science is a method that uses evidence in the form of data, to support or refute a hypothesis. The field of science does not have an opinion, it has an accumulation of evidence that vaccines are safe and climate change is caused by humans.
When assessing the validity of information, it is essential to stick to the facts – not as we hope them to be, but as they are.
