The 50 Most Annoying Facts People Can’t Stop Explaining—And Why You Should Care
That we’re actually more or less safer nowadays than ever before. Crime rates have dropped quite a bit in the last few decades. We only think that there’s been an increase in crime because of the 24 hour news cycle reporting this stuff all the time, thus keeping it fresh in our memories.
Explaining that there is no meaningful distinction between “natural” and “artificial” when it comes to chemical compounds.
We’ve known this since 1828, when Wöhler synthesised urea out of some minerals, that was identical to urea extracted from urine. Aspirin can be made from the bark of the willow tree, but these days it’s actually made from petroleum. It’s still the same molecule.
And speaking of chemicals, explaining that “it’s full of chemicals” (about a food or such) is a completely meaningless statement. And that a “chemical” is not somehow inherently harmful.
Or explaining that “it was made with battery acid” is not a bad thing. Sulphuric acid is a very useful compound that was likely used in making quite a few things you consume. Your Drano drain cleaner (the pure sodium hydroxide stuff), that will eat through your skin, can be drank as an antacid instead of your Pepto-Bismol if dissolved with enough water. Or mix it with hydrochloric acid, and you’ll just get a bit of salt and water. Just because a chemical is nasty in some form of concentration, doesn’t mean it’s evil.
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