Comments on: Half the facts you know are probably wrong https://habitablezone.com/2013/01/05/half-the-facts-you-know-are-probably-wrong/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2013/01/05/half-the-facts-you-know-are-probably-wrong/#comment-22662 bowser Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:38:44 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=29546#comment-22662 How about all the facts half the people know? How about all the facts half the people know?

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2013/01/05/half-the-facts-you-know-are-probably-wrong/#comment-22660 TB Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:29:01 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=29546#comment-22660 <p>More stuff everyone knows that isn't true...</p> <a href="http://www.wordaroundthenet.com/2013/01/common-knowledge-potpourri-ii.html" rel="nofollow">Here.</a> More stuff everyone knows that isn’t true…

Here.

]]> By: alcaray https://habitablezone.com/2013/01/05/half-the-facts-you-know-are-probably-wrong/#comment-22547 alcaray Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:42:20 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=29546#comment-22547 ...to only assert things as fact that were proven to be true, and that only when the speaker knows of and understands the proof. If someone you respect asserts a fact, then it is fine to accept that as evidence, but not proof. For instance, calamine lotion was asserted to be a good treatment for poison oak for many years. It was "taught" to doctors that this was true. Many people attested to having experienced a benefit from using it. And yet, when put to a clinical test it was found to have no benefit other than placebo effect. In my personal experience, I was taught that stretching before exercise was important to reduce injury. I passed on that "learning" to my aerobics classes as fact. Turns out that stretching does not reduce injury. Warming up prior to exercise was found to have a small effect, though. I think people just need to look into things and to be cautious. And maybe geometry should be a mandatory class. …to only assert things as fact that were proven to be true, and that only when the speaker knows of and understands the proof. If someone you respect asserts a fact, then it is fine to accept that as evidence, but not proof.

For instance, calamine lotion was asserted to be a good treatment for poison oak for many years. It was “taught” to doctors that this was true. Many people attested to having experienced a benefit from using it. And yet, when put to a clinical test it was found to have no benefit other than placebo effect.

In my personal experience, I was taught that stretching before exercise was important to reduce injury. I passed on that “learning” to my aerobics classes as fact. Turns out that stretching does not reduce injury. Warming up prior to exercise was found to have a small effect, though.

I think people just need to look into things and to be cautious. And maybe geometry should be a mandatory class.

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