Key Question: In a world of information-overload is critical thinking the most critical skill?
At its roots ‘science is the process of acquiring new knowledge’. As health scientists that’s what we are trying to do, with the long-term aim of helping the public (you guys). Obesity and metabolic diseases are problems facing humanity, and healthy lifestyle changes can help in MANY ways. However, it sometimes feels that there is always a new (and sometimes conflicting) diet or exercise regime in the media, branded as the best for your health.
So what’s the purpose of this post? Well...right from the start I wanted to stress that science is not always black and white (as per the conclusion of Article #4). Theories can be slightly adapted or changed in light of new evidence (that's what science is all about) and sometimes, and most importantly, scientific results apply to a certain context or population. This does not mean you cannot trust science, but often it’s about thinking of that context. For example, my PhD research was about whether we should eat breakfast before exercise. However, our results (I’ll write about this topic soon) are relevant to endurance-type exercise (like running or cycling) and not necessarily weight lifting or high-intensity exercise. The benefits or risks of certain diets can also depend on how physically active you are. So my main point for this post is about critical thinking. This means questioning the things you read or hear, asking questions, and quite often thinking about whether the research applies to your situation. This is important because when there is pressure to get lots of clicks on an article (e.g. some media outlets) it is possible for headlines to no longer reflect the science.
So in practice:
1. Try to judge the information. For example, has the newspaper article, blog or website linked comments to peer-reviewed science (this means it’s been judged and approved by other experts). Does the author have a record of working with experts (e.g. has an expert been interviewed)? Does the article consider other points of view? If yes, it’s a good start!!
2. Does the author have a conflict of interest (for example are they selling a product)? If they do, it does not mean you cannot trust them, it is just something to consider. My motivation for this blog is only to share knowledge and give myself and fellow scientists a platform to share their research. I’m not going to make any money, I just love my topic and think it is important to share good science. All articles will be supported by science references, they consider different points of view and the agenda will be to share knowledge and research.
3. Try to be curious and ask questions. Most health scientists are happy to engage with the public via email, blog posts (you can comment on here for example) or on Twitter.
4. Remember that a result for one context (e.g. a population or type of exercise) might not always apply to all situations.Throughout the blog, I will try to highlight the context for different studies, but if you are ever unsure, comment or email and I can clarify.
To learn more about critical thinking click here for a great scientific article.
The take-home message: In light of false-information regarding COVID-19, learning to be a critical thinker has never been more important. It’s not always easy, therefore with this blog I’ll always work with scientists, articles will be balanced and sometimes we won’t have a clear answer. That’s not a bad thing, that’s just how science is. So be curious and ask questions.
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