^I was looking at a "myths of science" - really good stuff. This
one was suprising to hear but it shows you can hear something
over and over again and think its true, but really it's not....
this one I had to read three times before saying, "Yeah, you
know, it DOES make sense". We just get prejudiced against some
ideas without even realizing it - and this was I was prejudiced
against. Now, I see how it's true.
The myth: Synthetic chemicals are dangerous. The reality: Many
chemicals made in laboratories and factories are exactly the
same as those found in nature, and very few synthetic products
are as toxic as natural substances. Some natural chemicals are
fatal. Cyanide is a natural substance, and it's fatal at a dose
of 10,000 mcg. Botulism is natural, but a thimbleful could kill
half the people in a city. Even common plants like poison oak
and poison ivy are dangerous. On the other hand, the majority of
prescription drugs are synthetic, and they've helped
dramatically increase life expectancy.^
