Nowadays we can potentially evaluate what is considered “alternative” for actual benefit, and if benefit is found then elevate it to actual medical science.
Formal science isn’t the only source of potential hypotheses.
If it’s not considered beneficial we can discard (for now), perhaps a fresh look later when our tooling and understanding has improved.
That way we can try to gain benefit where possible, and definitively ( for the current level of technology and resource ) suggest people kindly not overdose on de-wormer because we’ve scientifically determined it’s stupid and potentially lethal.
Formal science isn’t the only source of potential hypotheses.
It’s hard to believe that, considering all low hanging fruits were picked already and now new hypotheses are obtained through hard work of teams of scientists.
that’s the exact opposite of what i was saying.
Nowadays we can potentially evaluate what is considered “alternative” for actual benefit, and if benefit is found then elevate it to actual medical science.
Formal science isn’t the only source of potential hypotheses.
If it’s not considered beneficial we can discard (for now), perhaps a fresh look later when our tooling and understanding has improved.
That way we can try to gain benefit where possible, and definitively ( for the current level of technology and resource ) suggest people kindly not overdose on de-wormer because we’ve scientifically determined it’s stupid and potentially lethal.
It’s hard to believe that, considering all low hanging fruits were picked already and now new hypotheses are obtained through hard work of teams of scientists.
All low hanging fruits we know of.
This is one of those unknown unknown situations where there are things were don’t even know to be looking for.
Like microbes, yes we posited something like them, but the full implications the confirmation weren’t understood until after.
You believe a layman is still able to discover something in medicine. We’ll see.
Various new snake oils (ivermectin or urine for cancer , COVID and whatnot) sure aren’t it.
I think the belief that “the only place innovation can come from is trained scientists” is arrogant and unscientific, even in specialised fields.
Im not suggesting people will be producing testable medical end- products on the weekends.
Just that some things are worth testing/looking into, even if its suggested by someone not wearing a white coat.
If anything, the lack of low hanging fruit in the current common knowledge base should be an incentive to look in unorthodox places.
In addition there’s a wealth of historical information that is siloed by culture, language and accessibility (among other things).
That includes dusty old tomes in buried cities but also folk remedies passed down among small villages or families and everything in-between.
Absolutely agree.