To ask to what extent you trust science?

[malificent7]

I work in a stem, hi tech field and regard myself as scientific, however I also acknowledge how it dosn't always get it right.
For example thalidomide resulted in disabilities, the atomic bomb opened a huge can of worms as did genetic engineering and cloning.
I also find testing on animals very problematic ( as well as the fact that it is not regarded as the best/ most thorough type of research...a systematic literature review is...and testing on humans surely yields more accurate results albiet totally unethical!!! ).
Pesticides help us produce more food but I suspect they are not grrat for us compared to organic food etc.
I also think chemotherapy and radiotherapy are awful, crude cancer treatments in tetms of side effects.
I think on one hand science has given us so much...electricity, medicine, space exploration etc but AI has opened up huge ethical concerns. People still don't trust vaccines or big pharma and we run the risk of loosing ancient wisdoms. Things like cryogenics for example are just plain weird.
Is science arrogant...in the sense that humans think we have all the answers or can it truly better us?

Just musing really as I know that COVID divided opinions further. Thought it might be an intetesting discussion.

I guess my personal perspective is one of mistrust based on a bad experience, which resulted in not just a temporary change to my body, but a permanent one. And a change that affects my brain, the very key part of what makes everyone human.

Not having control over my voluntary movements, because of something that was ironically given to help me, is (pun totally intended) a very hard pill to swallow.

I certainly don't hate science or even medicine per se as there would be no logic in that, but it's not easy to be enthusiastic about the treatment people have or benefit from ie psychological or psychotropic drugs when you are never going to be able to even use a calcium vitamin pill or an antifungal cream without them making your symptoms worse 😢

Anyway, rant over. It makes no difference to the vast majority of people that there are the unlucky few who have suffered iatrogenic harm, but I guess until it happens to you, then people just don't understand.

Thalidomide transpired to be a really useful drug though didn't it?

Thalidomide being used for morning sickness wasn't a failure of science, it was a failure of method and people.

The atomic bomb wasn't a scientific failure. The problem is a moral one.

Never trust anyone who says follow the science. It always turns out to be a lie.

It was an engineering marvel.

No, systematic reviews look at peblished research to assign a level of evidence for a product/outcome
Animal testing is neither here nor there in relation to systemic reviews, published trials from in-vitro studies, through in-vivo to the phased clinical trials are reviewed. Some may include animal studies, but as you well know, this is strictly regulated, and welfare standards are extremely high

In the history of things that worked, lots of things didn't.

Only through analysis, discussion and perseverance does anything such and science is oftentimes the foundation.

Such = succeed

There's science, and there's "the science": i.e. the bits that politicians and billionaires cherry pick for their own ends. It's funny how in 2020, we only heard from the scientists that thought that lockdowns were a good idea. Any who tried to speak against this narrative were swiftly silenced. You could watch BBC interviewers doing it.

Science is only what we’ve managed to figure out so far. So no I don’t trust it as gospel and nobody should. The whole point of science is to keep learning and challenging.

So anyone that tells me to trust the science is inherently arrogant and foolish.

Most importantly what? I think there are some words missing.

It's not clear that COVID made trust in science worse: https://wellcome.org/news/how-covid-19-has-increased-worlds-trust-science

'most importantly how to come off it safely' is what should be there

Thank you. Would you mind saying what the medication is?

It's Prolia