Dispelling myths | Daily News

Dispelling myths

Sri Lanka has a very high literacy rate that is on par with that of the developed world. But this has not prevented the people from accepting many downright myths and falsehoods en masse without any questioning.

This was certainly the case with the recent incidents in Ampara, where it was alleged that a trader had mixed “sterilization pills” in the Kottu Roti served at his establishment. This led to clashes that targeted the trader’s community. Now the Sri Lankan medical community has come forward to firmly deny that there could be a contraceptive pill that can cause infertility or sub fertility by simply being added to food. Moreover, the Government Analyst has conclusively proved that the “pill” in question was just a particle or clump of starch.

Addressing a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Medical Association Auditorium, a group of independent senior medical specialists said there are no known sterilization pills in the pharmaceutical sector known to the medical profession that can cause permanent infertility. This was a welcome declaration, because these lies have a habit of persisting despite repeated assurances to the contrary. If indeed such a pill existed, there would be no need for expensive surgical procedures to seek male infertility. Even the women’s contraceptive pills are not sterilization pills at all – they just change the hormonal and menstrual patterns. There are no such pills for men in any case. The doctors also dispelled another myth – that underwear infused with certain chemicals could cause infertility in both sexes. Common sense dictates that this is an outright impossibility.

We take our hats off to this group of professionals who voluntary came forward to dispel a few myths that could create rifts among the different communities. More professionals should come forward to debunk myths and superstitions that exist in society, from astrology to occultism. The media should give wide publicity to such “myth-busting” programmes.

With the Government lifting the temporary blockage on Facebook, one must remember that most of these lies originate on social networks. One recent example was the “fake news” on plastic rice which alleged that rice was being made from plastic. It was later shown that this was a complete canard. There is simply no point in making rice from plastic, as rice is cultivated on a massive scale around the world, with plenty of excess stocks. The next time you see something hard to believe on the Net, question whether it is possible at all. A little more logic and reasoning will help avoid a lot of unnecessary problems.


A Beautiful Mind

There will be a gaping black hole in the scientific world with the demise of Prof. Stephen Hawking at the age of 76. Hawking, an astrophysicist and scientist who defied a debilitating disease (ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) for nearly 55 years to fill our minds with knowledge and awe, will forever be remembered for his pioneering work on the origins of the Universe.

Hawking built upon the legacy of the one man on Earth he has been compared with – Albert Einstein, whose General Theory of Relativity tried to explain the concepts of space and time. Hawking wanted to go further, to bring a Grand Unified Theory that would explain everything about our universe. Speaking through a voice synthesizer linked to a specially built computer, Hawking travelled the world enthralling audiences with his theories on the universe.

In fact, no other scientist had so successfully taken science to the masses, to the point where Stephen Hawking is a household word all over the world. He used television effectively – making guest appearances on everything from Star Trek to The Simpsons. His bestselling book “A Brief History of Time” written for the layman was well received, having a 10 million copy print run. He helmed several major documentaries as well. Since then, scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson have followed suit.

Hawking used his popularity and clout to raise concern about various issues. He recently argued that mankind should intensify the search for other habitable planets, lest the Earth become uninhabitable due to climate change, warfare, asteroid impact or a killer virus. “Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity. It may also determine whether we have any future at all,” he once said. He was also worried about the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which he said could one day threaten the very existence of humanity. He feared that self-replicating AI beings could wipe out humans.

Hawking was keen to find evidence of life out there in the universe, but admitted that he did not particularly relish contact with any advanced alien civilization that may pose a threat to humanity. That did not prevent him from boosting efforts at finding alien life through the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) initiative.

Hawking was an inspiration to us all in so many ways. He conquered a major disability to become a powerful voice for science and reason and made science accessible to the ordinary masses. Hopefully, the work he started will go on in research labs everywhere, honouring a great man who had unraveled many mysteries of our universe.


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