Keeping an open mind to find truth
Gold Coast will host the Skepticon 2020 national conference with local promoters of science, skepticism and critical thinking encouraging others to emerge from their “social media echo-chambers”
THE truth is out there.
But, let’s be real, ‘there’ is not social media.
It’s also not fake news, alternative facts or pseudoscience.
Sometimes the truth can’t be seen by governments, sometimes entire communities are blind to it too … but Dr Paulina Stehlik has a vision.
The Bond University researcher and curious mind is president of the Gold Coast Skeptics, and after more than 15 years in existence, this is set to be its biggest year yet.
It’s not just because interest in the group – which hosts monthly pub meetings and describes itself as promoters of science, skepticism, rationality, critical thinking and secular humanism – is growing, or that scams and pseudoscience fads are being unmasked, but because the city itself will host a national conference of questioners – Skepticon 2020. And Paulina, or Dr Paulie, is ready to seize the day – and the year.
However, the PhD pharmacist says she’s not interested in fighting for the truth – but exposing it.
Given her day job as part of the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, uncovering the truth is literally her life – and can be a
matter of literal life and death.
It’s a lesson she learned when the Gold Coast Skeptics tried to warn government authorities about the local use of kambo, a psychoactive tree frog poison from the Amazon being used in alternative health practices on the Gold Coast.
“Our group became aware that kambo circles were operating in Burleigh and beyond, and we knew this was really dangerous,” she says.
“Not only does it use a toxin that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, but these are nonsterile injections. It’s risky on all levels.
“Because we thought it was really quite unsafe we notified the Queensland Health ombudsman about a year ago – but they came back to us and said no further action was required, the file was closed, they felt that there was no immediate risk to the public.
“A few months later, a woman in Mullumbimby died after taking kambo.
“It was really difficult to process that we saw the risk, we alerted the authorities, but we weren’t listened to.
“All you can think is that we did all we possibly could. And that’s our mission really – not to tell people what to think, but to critically think for themselves. Still, it’s hard enough when individuals don’t listen, but much harder when political bodies ignore the science. ”
Dr Paulie says debunking false medical claims keeps her busy in this city.
She says she recently contacted a local chiropractor who was making claims that chiropractic adjustments could cure childhood ear infections.
“They were actually very receptive to our concerns – these claims are false and it is illegal to advertise them,” she says. “Science denial can cause actual harm. Sometimes it’s a direct cost – like kambo – but it’s also the indirect cost – like seeing a chiropractor instead of a GP for an ear infection.
“When you really critically think about some of the seemingly harmless alternative practices, they can cause a lot of harm. The amber beads that babies wear for teething – not only do they not do anything but they are a real choking hazard. Essential oils to treat autism … they do nothing – and if that’s all you’re using, you are robbing a child from receiving evidence-based treatment and therapy.
“There’s a real psychological game our brains play with us when it comes to accepting there is a problem and seeking the appropriate treatment – and knowing that so often there is no ‘cure’.
“Alternative therapies that promise a cure for the incurable – well, if something sounds too good to be true, it is. If it was really effective, it would be used in medicine.
“A lot of the prescription medications we dispense in pharmacies stemmed from nature, we’ve tweaked them so we know exactly how much is in the vial or tablet, and taken off bits of molecules that will harm us.
“Science-based medicine is rigorously tested and if it doesn’t stack up, we change what we do.”
Dr Paulie says while she is passionate in her skepticism, she is not interested in arguing, but sharing.
However, she says she does fight to keep an open mind – as sometimes the facts don’t necessarily suit her beliefs.
“The approach for me is not about winning or losing an argument. People are entitled to make choices, it’s just about helping people make informed choices,” she says. “There have been times when I’ve been faced with facts that don’t necessarily fit my world-view, or that make me re-evaluate my position and it’s hard, but I readjust. Facts are facts.
“For me, my purpose is to get the right information out there and have it be the loudest voice, drowning out the ‘fake news’. It’s a monumental task.
“I think the key is taking the time to sit down with people and discuss issues, not argue the point. You find out where their fears are coming from, especially as it relates to medicine and health. You need to hear where their concerns are coming from and why they view the world the way they do.
“At one of our Skeptics meetings we heard from Professor Paul Van Buynder who worked in the greater Gold Coast area to try to raise vaccination levels. He actually had real success – not by forcing facts down on to people but really listening to them and working alongside them to allay their fears.
“That’s why getting into internet arguments with people doesn’t really work. And you’ll never convince the true believers anyway, but what is important is highlighting to other people what the science says, not to believe everything that’s ‘shared’.”
Dr Paulie says anti-vax numbers are a growing issue on the Gold Coast as well.
She says rejection of science and medicine is not a matter of low intelligence, with studies showing some of the smartest people are the most resistant to factual evidence.
“Anti-vaccination is really affecting the Gold Coast right now. It’s not the lowest level in Australia, but it is pretty low, which is alarming – especially as we have seen more and more pop-up cases and deaths from measles around the world,” she says.
“Look at Samoa – more than 80 dead, and for those who survived they will still face more health issues in their life from measles.
“The problem with antivaccination propaganda is that people can get really emotional about it and there is a lot of fearmongering. That’s where the skeptic space is important, it lets people test their emotions against evidence – is it real? Is it factual?
“Still, sometimes facts aren’t enough – cognitive dissonance can be stronger. We need to know this will be an ongoing campaign to get the truth out there.”
Dr Paulie says while she has always been a questioner, her own journey to skepticism started with a podcast – the Skeptics Guide to the Universe. Or, as she calls it, the gateway drug to skepticism.
She says upon arrival to the city from Sydney in 2017 she quickly joined the Gold Coast Skeptics, and within months found herself the president.
“The Gold Coast Skeptics have been around for quite a long time. I just happened to join at a time when the former leaders were ready to hand it over. Suddenly, I was president.
“But I love it. It’s a very informal group, it’s just an open-door policy to our pub meet-ups, anyone can come along – there’s no formal membership, and about eight of us who look after the logistics and official stuff.
“We have such interesting speakers and we have kids and pensioners alike come along to listen. There are groups like ours all over the world. Anytime I’m travelling, I go find the local group – it’s a great way to meet people and to learn new things.
“It’s going to be great to host Skepticon on the Gold Coast. The city is such an interesting mix of traditional and alternative, people from all walks of life and culture, and it’s just a great place to host a conference.
“I’m hoping this will be the year of the skeptic. The truth is that we have more access to information than ever before, we just need to get out of our social media echo-chambers.”
THE KEY IS TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE AND DISCUSS ISSUES, NOT ARGUE THE POINT