Triumph of the Scientific Method -- Or, Don't Drink Water

I know, I know, for many of us, the last time we took a science course was ages ago back when we were in high school.  And knowing how high school curricula have been watered down over the years, some only ever had the one course in science and it took place while one was playing with (and smelling) glue.  But here's a tribute to the scientific method, which informs everything we do.  Or at least it should.

Remember that idiotic thing called BRICS? Yeah, that one.  As some of you know, that whole concept was devised by some guy sitting in an office (not a researcher by any stretch of imagination) playing with himself.  By now we all know (or should) how dumb that whole thing was.  But that's not the focus of this post.  It serves, however, as a useful illustration of what happens when the scientific method is not consulted.

Things we take for granted are often things that we just repeat enough times to ourselves.  Maybe we read about it a lot, see it in print or the internet.  Give it enough exposure, voila we start believing its veracity.  Yup, that's how those fucking advertisers screw consumers, yeah?  I mean, why do we think we need a car with 500 hps?  Because we were told so!

Ever heard the adage that people have different learning styles, that some are visual and some are verbal?

Read this article then.  https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/the-myth-of-learning-styles/557687/  (you can click on the link and it takes you there)

The guy who came up with the idea was a school inspector.  He thought people had different learning styles, and came up with a scale to measure it.  Before long, because it sounds so plausible, people started believing it, and school counselors tell kids they have this style and that style.  Sorta like that other stupid piece of shit calls Myers Briggs thing that is still being sold.  I even know a professor who has made it his THING to do Myers Briggs.  Snake oil.  Anyway...

Well, back to learning styles.  If you have read the article, you'd realize that some people have decided (at long last) to actually TEST the fucker.  Guess what.  In a nutshell:  It ain't true.  The scientific method says:  Take two samples that are the same in every respect.  Give one the treatment, and the other one no treatment.  What is the different in outcome between the two.  Remember that?

The upshot of the scientific tests that are done:  people who are supposed to be visual learners perform no better than those who are not, when given lessons visually.  I am paraphrasing here, but you know what I mean.

Otherwise, don't drink water, because it's the most poisonous thing on earth.  Everyone, but EVERYONE, who drinks water dies.  Period.