The 2020 "Science" Rumors Truth List is released, revealing the six major rumor routines

The 2020 "Science" Rumors Truth Seeking List is announced! At the same time, according to the characteristics of the rumors, the six routines behind the "Science" rumors are sorted out and summarized>>>

Written by reporter Ding Lin New Media Editor Chen Xuanzhi

On the evening of January 16, the 2020 "Science" Rumors Seeking Truth List was announced on the Science and Education Channel of Beijing Television. While announcing the annual rumors, the 2020 "Science" Rumors Seeking Truth List focused on refining and summarizing the scientific laws behind "science" rumors, sorting out six major rumor routines, including wrong associations, quantitative and qualitative changes, stereotype effects, quoting out of context, using "skills" to sell goods, and exaggeration, to guide the public to question rationally, think independently, and improve their immunity to "science" rumors.

This event is hosted by Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Beijing Municipal Cyberspace Administration, undertaken by Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association, Beijing Science and Technology News Agency, produced by Beijing Radio and Television Science and Education Channel, and strongly supported by Beijing Institute of Science and Technology Information, Beijing Evening News, Tadpole Music and other organizations.

At the event, Zhi Xiuyi, chief expert of thoracic surgery at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Luo Yunbo, professor of College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, Liang Jianwei, chief physician of Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Yin Zhangqi, professor of School of Physics of Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhang Chi, a doctor of communication and member of China Science Writers Association, and Wu Haiyun, chief physician of Clinical Department of Internal Medicine of PLA General Hospital, respectively revealed six types of "scientific" rumors in the past year, and refuted the most representative rumors such as "Smoking can prevent infection with new coronavirus" (false association), "Eating celery can lower blood pressure" (quantitative change and qualitative change), "Nodules should be removed immediately after discovery, otherwise they will become cancerous" (stereotype effect), "Quantum computers can replace classical computers" (taken out of context), "'Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers' can enhance signals" (using 'technology' to sell goods), and "Infusion can prevent cerebral stroke" (exaggeration), and put the rumors into the corresponding category of "rumor crushing bucket".

In the process of refuting rumors, Li Ying, deputy director of the Media Literacy Teaching and Research Center of Communication University of China and chief expert of Media Business Laboratory, served as the guest host and analyzed and interpreted the laws of the spread of the above six types of rumors. Li Ying believes that in the era of knowledge differentiation and information explosion, in order to get rid of superstition and ignorance and avoid being fooled by various scientific rumors, it is necessary to have the necessary scientific knowledge, master scientific laws, analyze the "routines" of rumors, and pursue new knowledge with scientific methods.

Since 2014, the Beijing Association for Science and Technology has joined hands with relevant departments to release a monthly "science" rumor list and hold an annual "science" rumor truth-seeking list release event to increase the public's immunity to scientific rumors and improve the overall scientific literacy of citizens. It has become a science communication brand event with national influence initiated in Beijing, and has played an important role in scientifically refuting rumors and setting the record straight in society.

The monthly "Science" Rumor List has selected and published 636 rumor-refuting contents in the past 7 years, and hundreds of authoritative experts in various fields have participated in the interpretation work. The 2020 "Science" Rumor Seeking Truth List is based on the monthly "Science" Rumor List throughout the year, and is selected by professional judges from scientific research institutions, news media and other fields. The "Science" Rumor Seeking Truth List focuses on refining and summarizing the scientific laws behind "scientific" rumors, helping the public to cultivate the "eagle eyes" to identify rumors, and guiding the public to dare to question rationally, actively explore new things, think independently, let the facts come out, and let the rumors clear up. I hope that more scientists and more media friends will participate in this cause, strengthen the construction of Internet content, create a clear cyberspace, let wisdom end rumors, and let the truth become clearer through debate.

Appendix: 2020 "Science" Rumors Truth-Seeking List

Wrong association

Myth of the year: Smoking can prevent infection with the new coronavirus

gossip:

Tobacco particles are nano-sized and can evenly cover the surface of lung cells, forming a barrier that blocks the virus from entering the human body. Therefore, smoking can reduce the infection of the new coronavirus.

the truth:

This statement is wrong.

First of all, there are two kinds of components produced by tobacco combustion: one part is gas, such as carbon monoxide, which accounts for more than 90%; the other part is solid particles, such as nicotine and tar particles. According to the information from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the size of these particles is between 1 micron and 2.5 microns, not nanometers. The sizes of different viruses vary greatly, but they are all nanometers. 1 micron is equal to 1000 nanometers. Expecting tobacco particles to block viruses is roughly equivalent to using gauze to filter water sources, which is not realistic.

Secondly, tobacco not only cannot help the respiratory tract resist foreign enemies, but will damage the respiratory tract. Studies have shown that tobacco contains more than 7,000 chemical substances, including dozens of carcinogens. They will interfere with the normal functioning of the lungs, destroy the lungs' defense system, and cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other diseases.

Moreover, studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of influenza. The United States once conducted a 16-year follow-up study on 300,000 veterans, and the results showed that the mortality rate of influenza among smokers was much higher than that of non-smokers. In other words, smoking not only increases the probability of respiratory viral infection, but also aggravates the consequences of infection.

Rules of false association rumors:

When faced with new things, if people make wrong or excessive associations regardless of common sense, they may fall into the trap of rumors. For example, the rumor that "smoking can prevent infection with the new coronavirus" claims that tobacco particles are nanometer-sized and can evenly cover the surface of lung cells to form a "barrier" to isolate the virus, which is an excessive association. In fact, tobacco particles are micrometer-sized, and expecting them to block the virus is roughly equivalent to using a fishing net to filter water, which is unrealistic. Similarly, rumors such as "eating garlic can prevent the new coronavirus" and "drinking strong liquor can resist the new coronavirus" are also caused by wrong associations.

Quantitative change and qualitative change

Myth of the Year: Eating celery can lower blood pressure

gossip:

The apigenin contained in celery can dilate blood vessels, so eating celery can lower blood pressure.

the truth:

Scientific experiments have shown that apigenin contained in celery can act on the vascular endothelium, thereby dilating blood vessels. Dilating blood vessels is indeed good for lowering blood pressure.

Scholars from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention have conducted a quantitative study: It takes about 0.026 grams of apigenin per kilogram to lower the blood pressure of mice. That is, a 1-kilogram mouse needs to eat 0.026 grams of apigenin at a time to lower its blood pressure. According to this estimate, a person weighing 60 kilograms needs to eat 1.56 grams at a time.

The content of apigenin varies in different varieties of celery and different parts of celery, ranging roughly from 0.003% to 0.088%; and it is higher in the leaves, while it is lower in the celery stalks that we love to eat.

According to the highest content of 0.088%, 1 kg of celery contains 0.88 grams of apigenin. In other words, if you want to achieve the effect of lowering blood pressure by eating celery, you must first learn to choose the variety with the highest apigenin content, then throw away the celery stems and eat more celery leaves, and finally, eat more than 1.7 kg at a time, which is obviously unrealistic.

The law of rumors about quantitative change and qualitative change:

Some rumors talk about "toxicity" or effects without considering the dosage, which has no practical scientific significance. "Eating celery can lower blood pressure" seems to be "common sense" in the mouths of the elders. However, the fact is that apigenin can indeed dilate blood vessels, but the content of apigenin in celery is not high. Based on scientific research estimates, a person weighing 60 kilograms needs to eat about 3 kilograms of celery leaves at a time to have a blood pressure-lowering effect, which is not practical. In the past year, unscientific statements that talk about effects without considering the dosage include "the radiation from hospital security scanners is very strong and will affect the health of the fetus" and "drinking milk will cause fibroadenomas".

Stereotype Effect

Myth of the year: If you find a nodule, you should remove it immediately, otherwise it will turn into cancer.

gossip:

Once a nodule is discovered, it must be removed immediately without waiting, otherwise it will definitely become cancerous in the future.

the truth:

Nodules, in layman's terms, refer to relatively small masses that are painless or painful. Nodules can be seen and felt in the neck, armpits, breasts, and under the skin of various parts of the body. However, some nodules grow in "hidden corners" and are not easy to be found. For example, nodules growing on organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart require the help of imaging examinations to be discovered.

Don't be too nervous about nodules, as more than 90% of nodules are benign. Benign nodules generally do not need to be treated, and some nodules remain benign throughout life, such as scar nodules (a type of nodule formed during the repair process after a traumatic injury, which will not change throughout life). However, once a nodule is found, it needs to be observed at all times and visited a hospital to determine whether the nodule is benign or malignant and its grade.

For palpable nodules like breast nodules, you can sense changes in the size and hardness of the nodules yourself. For nodules on the limbs and body surface, you need to observe and touch them at any time. Lung nodules require professional examination. If you can't tell whether it is a nodule or not, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.

It is important to note that no nodules should never be removed indiscriminately, because removing nodules will also have a certain impact on the body. After the nodule is removed, the local tissue of the affected area will be damaged to a certain extent. For example, the removal of breast nodules may cause damage to the breast ducts; the removal of lung nodules may require the removal of part of the lung lobe, which will affect the lung function. In short, whether to remove the nodules and when to remove them requires the doctor to judge according to the situation.

The rules of rumors related to stereotype effect:

Over-reliance on fixed mindsets and stereotypes will cause people to lose rational and objective judgment. Now more and more people choose to "cut the grass and root it out" to avoid cancer after finding nodules during physical examinations. The rumor that "nodules should be removed immediately after discovery, otherwise they will become cancerous" has gradually formed. In fact, more than 90% of nodules are benign. Whether to remove nodules and when to remove nodules requires professional doctors to judge according to the situation, and it cannot be "one size fits all". Similar to this rumor, "the lower the body fat percentage, the better" and "infection with Helicobacter pylori will definitely cause gastric cancer" also cater to people's stereotypes and simplify problems and solutions.

Quotation out of context

Rumor of the year: Quantum computers can already replace classical computers

gossip:

The "Jiuzhang" quantum computer developed by my country has achieved "quantum supremacy" and can completely replace classical computers.

the truth:

On December 4, 2020, a research team composed of Pan Jianwei, Lu Chaoyang and others from the University of Science and Technology of China, in cooperation with the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Parallel Computer Engineering Technology Research Center, built a 76-photon quantum computing prototype "Jiuzhang", which achieved rapid solution of the "Gaussian boson sampling" task with practical prospects. According to existing theories, the speed of processing Gaussian boson sampling by this quantum computing system is one hundred trillion times faster than the fastest supercomputer currently available, which means that the task that "Jiuzhang" completes in one minute will take a supercomputer 100 million years.

However, it should be pointed out that this research breakthrough does not mean that quantum computers can completely replace classical computers. Quantum computers can only outperform classical computers when dealing with specific problems for which efficient quantum algorithms can be designed. For problems that do not have quantum algorithms, such as the simplest addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, quantum computers have no advantage.

It can be said that Jiuzhang has set a milestone in the development of quantum computers, but there is still a long way to go. After achieving quantum supremacy, the next goal is to strive to develop a programmable quantum computer that can handle many practical problems as soon as possible through a series of technical breakthroughs.

Rules for rumors that are taken out of context:

Some rumors select a part of the complete scientific conclusion and process it separately for dissemination, but they may be very different from the original meaning. For example, with the advent of the "Jiuzhang" quantum computer, the rumor that "quantum computers can already replace classical computers" has spread like wildfire. The "Jiuzhang" quantum computing prototype is a special quantum computer designed for the "Bose sampling problem". This achievement does not mean that classical computers have been replaced. Similar rumors such as "quantum computers can make time "flow backwards" and "aliens have sent radio waves from space" are also processed and disseminated separately from parts of the complete scientific conclusion. Some of them are not rigorous enough, and some are completely wrong interpretations.

Selling goods by using skills

Rumor of the year: "Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers" can enhance the signal

gossip:

By sticking the "mobile phone signal enhancement sticker" on the "effective position" on the back of the phone, the signal can be increased from 1 bar to 3 bars. There will be no more delays when playing games or watching videos. It can be used in "all scenes" such as underground garages and high-rise office buildings. The principle is that the sticker can increase the wavelength of the mobile phone.

the truth:

The "most advanced signal enhancement sticker currently available" claimed by the merchant is a plastic sheet coated with an aluminum film, on which a layer of material similar to magnetic ink is printed. The claim that "the signal reception range is enhanced by lengthening the wavelength of the signal received by the built-in antenna of the mobile phone" does not make sense in principle.

First, the wavelength cannot be "stretched" in real life; second, amplifying anything requires energy, and stickers are "passive antennas" that cannot provide energy for "effective signal amplification." Moreover, due to different mobile phone models and operators, the signal frequencies of each mobile phone are also different. To achieve resonance, the frequency must be the same as the corresponding mobile phone signal. Therefore, even if a sticker can produce a certain resonance, it is impossible to meet the frequencies of all mobile phones, and it is impossible to achieve the "full-scenario" application claimed by the merchant.

Many people have misunderstandings about communication speeds, thinking that a stronger signal will result in faster download speeds, but this is not absolute. Data download speeds depend not only on the network, but also on the server that outputs the data and the number of users. "Putting on a signal enhancement sticker can increase download speeds" is actually a false proposition.

Rules for rumors about selling goods by using skills:

Some rumors use the name of technology to promote marketing. "Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers" are a real example of pseudoscience spread under the banner of "high technology". Such products take advantage of people's yearning for new technology and gain commercial benefits by fabricating pseudoscience, but they cannot withstand in-depth and rigorous scientific analysis. Similar rumors include "steaming rice with a sugar-free rice cooker can reduce the sugar content in rice by 70%" and "'Quantum wave speed reading' can read 100,000 words in 1 minute".

Exaggeration

Myth of the year: Fluid infusion can prevent stroke

gossip:

As the seasons cool down in autumn, intravenous infusion can dilate blood vessels and effectively prevent cerebral stroke.

the truth:

This practice is unscientific, and there is currently insufficient evidence to prove that regular infusion can prevent stroke. Infusions generally use Chinese medicine injections that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, or vasodilators in Western medicine. Its mechanism of action is to temporarily dilate blood vessels, reduce blood viscosity, increase circulating blood volume, and improve cerebral perfusion, which only has a short-term therapeutic effect. This type of drug generally acts for 6 to 8 hours, and it is impossible to permanently dredge blood vessels and prevent stroke. Moreover, these drugs act on blood vessels, which is equivalent to overdrawing the expansion capacity of blood vessels in advance. When symptoms such as cerebral infarction actually occur and require infusion, drug tolerance often occurs, resulting in poor treatment effects, and even missing the real opportunity for rescue and treatment.

In addition, "infusion to dilate blood vessels" is not as simple as most people imagine. Intravenous infusion of thrombolytic drugs is a rescue method for acute stroke, which has very strict restrictions. For example, thrombolysis should not be performed more than 4-5 hours after onset of the disease. In addition, patients with a history of bleeding and surgical trauma cannot undergo thrombolysis.

The pathogenesis of stroke is very complex. The causes of stroke and recurrence include age, heredity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, alcohol, obesity, drugs, diet and other factors. Any intervention behavior that is not combined with the above-mentioned pathogenic factors will hardly play a preventive role. It is obviously unscientific to use infusion alone to prevent stroke.

Exaggeration rumors:

Some rumors exaggerate scientific conclusions without considering the conditions, generalize from a few examples, and are extremely misleading. Many elderly people believe rumors such as "infusion can prevent cerebral stroke". Infusion can only temporarily dilate blood vessels. These drugs act on blood vessels, which is equivalent to overdrawing the dilation capacity of blood vessels in advance, which may lead to the loss of the real opportunity for rescue and treatment. Similar rumors such as "blood donation for the elderly can lower blood lipids" and "normal people can maintain health by breathing more oxygen" have some correct points in their arguments, but they often exaggerate other details, which is precisely the cunning of rumors.

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