EricHiggin said:
I wonder who thought up blasting the human body with radiation? Why would they think that? 'Obviously' that was ridiculous because of the harm it would do. Good thing that thought was bashed, rejected, and squashed long ago before they eventually started curing people with that 'idiotic' idea, right? |
The idea first came from Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German scientist with a strong background in physics.
Unlike disinfectants, which had been used in some form since 800 BC as described in the Odyssey, which has existed in its current chlorine based form since the 1700s, and which we have a great deal of understanding about, radiation of those frequencies was not yet known to be harmful. As Roentgen was STUDYING X-Rays, he noted their unique interactions with cathode ray tubes. Based on the unique way the tubes were illuminated, he began to develop a process to illuminate the body in the same way using X-Rays. Once we knew X-Rays could pass through the body in the same way, people began researching therapeutic uses for X-Rays. The knowledge that x-rays and other similar forms of radiation could cause cancer was discovered around the same time that it was discovered that it could be effectively used as a therapy for cancer.
The difference here, obviously, is that on the one hand you have scientists actually researching how a largely unknown new discovery could be used, and only suggesting its use AFTER researching it, and having reason to believe it was a potential treatment. Prior to this research, they had no knowledge of the risks involved. The researchers did not have the benefit of being able to appeal to experts on the subject to see how the treatment may work. They were not idiotic because they were researching in the best way they could, guided by those most knowledgable on the topic, in light of incredibly limited knowledge base in a new field.
On the other hand, we have a moron suggesting using a substance that has existed for hundreds of years, and we know a hell of a lot about, in a way that is known to be incredibly dangerous, and known not to function in the way suggested. This is despite having access to experts on virology and medicine who could have told him it was a very very bad idea, and in fact had to make several public statements afterwards to tell people not to do that. He is an idiot because he's speaking out of ass suggesting dumbass things in spite of a massive knowledge base about disinfectants that he could have consulted. He should accordingly be ridiculed and demeaned. Comparing this to the process of scientific inquiry is laughably absurd.
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