Malaysia has always had a problem with "listening to professionals", especially in the realm of Medicine. We rather listen to astrologists for a 'good date to give birth', traditional sinsehs to control our diabetes using herbs, and hysterical relatives on cancer cures.
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We rather listen to someone promising a "one-stop" solution to the complexities of healthcare. Much easier to eat a herb, root or drink hydrogen water than the more arduous route of eating responsibly, exercising regularly and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
So it actually comes as no surprise when throughout the #WuhanCoronavirus outbreak, people easily fall for fake news, myths and outright lies. This is already on the back of a growing antivaxxer movement, where again obvious evidence is pushed aside.
And the root cause of all this is scientific literacy. Not the lack of scientific knowledge, but *literacy*. Science tells you how the world works, and scientific literacy 'vaccinates' one against charlatans and purveyors of false promises.
Because the scientifically literate person would know to step back and ask :
What is your evidence?
Where is your evidence from?
How was said evidence gained?
Who else endorses your evidence?
What is your evidence?
Where is your evidence from?
How was said evidence gained?
Who else endorses your evidence?
And if one were to apply the above questions to any form of fake news masked as sensational truth or products that seem too good to be true, like TCM, healing crystals, antivaxxers, weight-loss fads, astrology, numerology, hydrogen water, etc etc, they quickly fall apart.
The reason I feel compelled to say this is because I find too many Malaysians, including friends and loved ones, fall too easily into such traps.
We all have that one friend in an unsustainable MLM. We all have that relative who visits sinsehs. And MOST of us believe in ghosts.
We all have that one friend in an unsustainable MLM. We all have that relative who visits sinsehs. And MOST of us believe in ghosts.
And coming back to my pet peeve, traditional medicine, every doctor in Malaysia can tell you multiple stories of patients refusing modern medicine in lieu of traditional medicine only to have their condition deteriorate from treatable to terminal and/or morbid.
The stage 1 cancer patient who defaulted follow-up and returned with metastasis to the lungs and brain.
The diabetic with a foot ulcer who decided on 'Chinese medicine' and came back with a black foot, needing an amputation.
The diabetic with a foot ulcer who decided on 'Chinese medicine' and came back with a black foot, needing an amputation.
The Wuhan outbreak serves to put in contrasting spotlight Malaysians who push fake news and pseudoscience.
But once this blows over, the virus will be gone but the bigger disease of scientific illiteracy amongst Malaysians will remain.
But once this blows over, the virus will be gone but the bigger disease of scientific illiteracy amongst Malaysians will remain.
Not everyone should be a scientist, of course. The world needs poets, singers, painters, and (ahem) comedians.
But everyone should be *SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE*
Be ruthless in your quest for evidence.
Bury the snake-oil salesmen, where they rightfully belong :
In the past.
But everyone should be *SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE*
Be ruthless in your quest for evidence.
Bury the snake-oil salesmen, where they rightfully belong :
In the past.
