“Do your own research!”

Posted on December 11, 2014 | 5 Comments

How many times have I had discussion partners on the internet say to me “Do your own research?”

Inevitably they are pushing some pseudoscientific or anti-scientific conspiracy theory – yet claiming science is their friend!

Here, one of the members of Paul Connett’s Fluoride Action Network team ( Carol Kopf, Media Director who uses the Twitter name @nyscof) tells critics to do their own research – internet research:

Jul 25

And if you type in fluoride adverse effects, you get 270 results

Well, I followed her advice and got this:

Fluoride adverse effects – PubMedScreenshot-fluoride

But unlike Carol Kopf I naturally didn’t stop there – I also typed in “water adverse effects” and got this:

Water adverse effects -PubMed
Screenshot-water

She has a really funny understanding of what the word research means.

Imagine if she followed her implied advice and refused to consume water because of all its adverse effects!

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5 responses to ““Do your own research!””

  1. Steve Slott | December 11, 2014 at 12:45 pm |

    I followed the “advice” of some “FAN” minion or another, a while back, and visited the “fluoridealert” site where they have compiled every study which has the word “fluoride” in it anywhere, supposedly to provide scientific evidence to support their opposition. I looked through the first few of them. They actually demonstrated the exact opposite.

    Obviously, neither the “FAN” personnel, nor their blind followers, bother to read the studies they cite.

    Kopf hasn’t the education or training to understand any of the studies she cites, and from which she plucks out-of-context quotes. This has been repratedly demonstrated by her inability to defend them when challenged.

    Steven D. Slott, DDS

    Liked by 1 person

  2. warwulf9 | December 11, 2014 at 10:50 pm |

    I always tell people the same thing because I’ve done the research myself and have proven it to be true, based on facts. A well-educated speaker with facts to back up their statement gathers more recruits than those who only speak out of emotional distress and ignorance.

    Like

  3. Ken | December 12, 2014 at 6:14 am |

    Unfortunately, wearwulf, it seems that people speaking from ignorance can often garner recruits quite effectively because humans are just not a rational species. Emotions are very important when people make decisions.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. picker22 | December 12, 2014 at 8:24 am |

    The most important piece of research citizens can do is find out what the experts think. For the average person, unless they wish to take a graduate course in epidemiology, cariology and public health that is really all they can legitimately do.

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