Journal Entry #1

Yechan Bae

Professor Matyakubova

English 21003-M

February 8, 2018

Journal Entry #1

                  In the talk by Ben Goldacre, there are several points that I personally find intriguing. First, his explanation supported by several examples regarding the incredibility of science facts in our news media and how they often contradict their claims, shocked me personally. I often got easily swayed by the content in media, especially when it regards the topic of health and well-being. Since I don't know much about the scientific details, especially the chemical factors, hearing the terms that I never heard of and reading the suggestions that the foods that contain those chemicals are either good or bad for me, I believed them with no second thoughts. However, hearing Ben listing out the examples of the invalidity and incredibility of the studies and experiments are conducted and how they are gathered and brought up to our table, I now feel more obligated to question the scientific findings that I come across before believing them. Second, what shocked me even more was when Ben Goldacre moved on to attacking the pharmaceutical industry. Ben mentioned that he finds it fascinating that the "Pharmaceutical industry uses exactly the same kinds of tricks and devices but slightly more sophisticated versions of them in order to distort the evidence they give to doctors and patients which we use to make vitally important decisions" (Ben Goldacre). His explanation of how most pharmaceutical industry uses the method of "better than nothing," frustrated me and bothered me, as much as how the news media distort their evidences. 

             In my opinion, I hate it when science is linked with making money. What I mean is that, scientists, whether working under a pharmaceutical industry or a news media, should not base their findings on how to intrigue people more in order to benefit by consumer goods. As population of this world increases dramatically, we see more pharmaceutical industries and news industries that it is almost impossible to compare them all and find which one of them is the best one over all. Therefore, since the whole point of science is not to distort people and play with their minds, I believe that we should set our intentions straight. Instead of trying to make another medicine that is "better than nothing," we should work on to making a medicine that is proven that it is better than the previous medicine. I support and believe that there should be more doctors and scientists who stand up like Ben Goldacre, and tell us the truth.

Works Cited

Goldacre, Ben. “Battling Bad Science.” TED. September 2011. Lecture.