Health Beliefs Re-examined

Scientists continue to find new things that undermine commonly-held beliefs about health and the environment.  For example,

• Shower power:  Drinking more and showering less may not help conserve water, say Australian scientists reported by EurekAlert. 
• Sun bath:  We were always warned to keep out of the midday sun to avoid cancer, right?  Science Daily talks about Manchester scientists saying we need that midday sun exposure for Vitamin D production.  All in moderation, of course; skin cancer is still a risk.
• Bone appetit:  Contrary to earlier beliefs, exercise to reduce fat does not hurt your bones, says EurekAlert.  It can even increase bone mass in senior citizens.
• Zitgeist:  Mineral oil doesn’t give you zits, says another article on EurekAlert – unless it’s the industrial grade stuff.
• Schism:  Not as many people are schizophrenic as previously thought, says EurekAlert.  Now you need another excuse.

One finding did match common-sense expectations.  An article in Science¹ found that youths who watch gun violence are more apt to engage in violent behavior (see also EurekAlert report).

¹Bingenheimer et al., “Firearm Violence Exposure and Serious Violent Behavior,” Science, Vol 308, Issue 5726, 1323-1326, 27 May 2005, [DOI: 10.1126/science.1110096].

The point is not that any of these reports are the last word on those subjects, but if scientists cannot get things right about everyday issues regarding our daily habits, how can they presume to tell us about things millions of years ago?