The scientific smoking around you can prevent the new coronavirus infection, eating celery can lower blood pressure, and cell phone signal enhancement stickers can enhance the signal. They are all fake——
"Science" rumors, who gets the trick?
Can smoking prevent new coronary pneumonia virus infection?
"Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers" can enhance the signal?
Can quantum computers replace classical computers?
In the past 2020, these rumors have been widely spread under the banner of "science", which has convinced many people.
Not long ago, the 2020 "science" rumors truth-seeking list was announced. Many experts criticized and interpreted these rumors one by one, and refined and sorted out false associations, quantitative changes, stereotypes, out-of-context, "technical" selling, and exaggerated words The six major rumors are "routines" to guide the public to question rationally and think independently, so as to improve immunity to "scientific" rumors.
Li Ying, deputy director of the Media Literacy Teaching and Research Center of Communication University of China and chief expert of the Media Business Laboratory, said that in the era of knowledge differentiation and information explosion, if you want to get rid of superstition and ignorance, and avoid all kinds of "scientific" rumors, you must Have the necessary scientific knowledge, master scientific laws, analyze rumors "routines", and pursue new knowledge with scientific methods.
Can smoking prevent new coronavirus infection?
Ignoring common sense, excessive association may lead to rumors!
In 2020, such a rumor spread widely: Tobacco particles are nano-scale, which can evenly cover the surface of lung cells to form a barrier to block the virus from the human body.
Therefore, smoking can reduce new coronavirus infections.
"This statement is obviously wrong." According to Zhi Xiuyi, chief expert of thoracic surgery at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, there are two components produced by tobacco combustion: one part is gas, such as carbon monoxide, which accounts for more than 90%; the other part These are solid particles, such as nicotine and tar particles, which are between 1 micron and 2.5 microns in size.
Although the size of different viruses varies greatly, they are all nanometers.
1 micron is equal to 1000 nanometers. It is not realistic to expect tobacco particles calculated in microns to block nano-level viruses, which is equivalent to filtering water with gauze.
"Tobacco not only can't help the respiratory tract resist foreign enemies, but it will cause damage to the respiratory tract." Zhi Xiuyi said.
Studies have shown that tobacco contains more than 7,000 chemical substances, of which dozens of carcinogens can interfere with the normal operation of the lungs, destroy the lung defense system, and cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis And other diseases.
The results of a follow-up study of 300,000 veterans in the United States show that the flu mortality rate of smokers is much higher than that of non-smokers.
In other words, smoking not only increases the probability of respiratory virus infection, but also aggravates the consequences of infection.
"In the face of new things, if people make mistakes or excessive associations regardless of common sense, they may fall into the trap of rumors." Li Ying said.
In her view, the rumor that "smoking can prevent new coronavirus infections" is an excessive association.
Similarly, rumors such as "eating garlic can prevent the new crown virus" and "drinking high alcohol can resist the new crown virus" are also caused by wrong associations.
Can quantum computers replace classical computers?
Some rumors are quite different from the original meaning!
On December 4, 2020, a research team composed of professors Pan Jianwei and Lu Chaoyang of the University of Science and Technology of China cooperated with the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Center for Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology to build a 76-photon quantum computing prototype "Nine Chapters" ", the fast solution of the "Gaussian Bose sampling" task with practical prospects is realized.
The quantum computing system can process Gaussian Bose sampling a trillion times faster than the fastest supercomputer.
Subsequently, a saying spread like wildfire: The "Nine Chapters" quantum computer developed by my country has achieved "quantum hegemony" and can completely replace classical computers.
"This research breakthrough does not mean that quantum computers can completely replace classical computers." said Yin Zhangqi, a professor at the School of Physics of Beijing Institute of Technology.
In his opinion, quantum computers can surpass classical computers only when they deal with specific problems that can design efficient quantum algorithms.
For problems without quantum algorithms, such as the simplest addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, quantum computers have no advantage.
He told reporters that the "Nine Chapters" are a milestone in the development of quantum computers, but there is still a long way to go.
After achieving quantum superiority, the next goal is to tackle a series of technical problems and strive to develop a programmable quantum computer that can handle many practical problems as soon as possible.
"Some rumors select part of the complete scientific conclusions for separate processing and dissemination, but they may be quite different from the original intention." Li Ying said, such as the rumors that "quantum computers can replace classical computers", along with the "Nine Chapters" of quantum computers. When it came out, the rumor that "quantum computers can replace classical computers" also spread.
The "Nine Chapters" quantum computing prototype is a dedicated quantum computer for the "Bose sampling problem". This achievement does not mean that the classical computer will be replaced.
She told reporters that similar rumors that "quantum computers can turn time back" and "aliens sent radio waves from space" are also processing and disseminating parts of the complete scientific conclusions separately. Some of them are not rigorous enough. Some are completely wrong interpretations.
"Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers" can enhance the signal?
Some rumors use technology in the name of marketing reality!
Paste the "mobile phone signal enhancement sticker" on the "effective position" on the back of the phone, and the signal can be changed from 1 grid to 3 grids. There is no delay in playing games and video, and it can be used in "full scenes" such as underground garages and high-rise office buildings use?
This argument was popular in 2020, and the principle behind it was attributed to "stickers can increase the wavelength of mobile phones."
According to Zhang Chi, a PhD in communications and a member of the Chinese Science Writers Association, from the perspective of material and structure, the signal enhancement sticker is a plastic sheet coated with an aluminum film, and a layer of material similar to magnetic ink is printed on the aluminum film.
However, the argument of "stretching the wavelength of the signal received by the built-in antenna of the mobile phone to enhance the signal receiving range" is not feasible in principle-
First of all, the wavelength cannot be "stretched" in real life; secondly, amplifying anything requires energy, and stickers are "passive antennas" and cannot provide energy for "effective signal amplification".
Moreover, due to different mobile phone models and operators, the signal frequency of each mobile phone is different. To achieve resonance, it must be the same as the frequency of the corresponding mobile phone signal.
Therefore, even if a sticker can produce some kind of resonance, it cannot meet all mobile phone frequencies, and it is impossible to realize the "full scene" application claimed by the merchant.
Zhang Chi said that many people think that the download speed will be faster if the signal is strong, but this is not absolute.
The data download rate depends not only on the network, but also on the server that outputs the data and the number of users.
Therefore, "posting a signal enhancement sticker can increase the download rate" is a false proposition.
"Some rumors use technology in the name of marketing." Li Ying said, "Mobile phone signal enhancement stickers" are a realistic example of this kind of pseudo-science spread under the banner of "high-tech".
In her view, such products take advantage of people's yearning for new technology and obtain commercial benefits by fabricating fake science, but they cannot withstand in-depth and rigorous scientific analysis.
Similar rumors include "Steaming rice with a de-sugar rice cooker can reduce the sugar content of rice by 70%", "Quick Reading of Quantum Fluctuations can read 100,000 words in 1 minute" and so on.
Can eating celery lower blood pressure?
Talking about "toxicity" out of dose is not scientific!
Apigenin contained in celery can relax blood vessels, so eating celery can lower blood pressure.
——A simple "scientific" rumor has made many people "success".
According to Luo Yunbo, a professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, the apigenin contained in celery can act on the endothelium of blood vessels to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
But this cannot be talked about without the dose.
Scholars from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention have conducted a quantitative study: It takes about 0.026 g/kg of apigenin to lower the blood pressure of rats. That is to say, only 0.026 g of apigenin at a time can reduce blood pressure in rats weighing 1 kg.
Based on this estimate, a person weighing 60 kg needs to eat 1.56 grams of apigenin at a time to be effective.
So, what is the content of apigenin in celery?
Luo Yunbo said that in different varieties of celery and different parts of celery, the content of apigenin is different, roughly between 0.003% and 0.088%; and the content is more in the leaves, but the content in celery stems that people often eat is lower.
Even if calculated at the highest content of 0.088%, 1 kg of celery contains 0.88 g of apigenin.
"So, if you want to lower blood pressure by eating celery, you must first learn to choose the variety with the highest apigenin content, then eat more celery leaves, and finally eat more than 1.7 kilograms of celery. This is obviously unrealistic." Luo Yunbo said. .
Li Ying said that in the past year, unscientific claims about the impact of disengagement from doses include "the radiation of hospital security equipment is very large, which will affect the health of the fetus" and "drinking milk can cause fibroadenoma."
The nodules should be removed immediately or they will become cancerous
Over-reliance on stereotyped thinking will make people lose their rational judgment!
After the nodule is found, it must be removed immediately and cannot wait, otherwise it will definitely become cancerous in the future.
is this real?
According to Liang Jianwei, chief physician of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, a nodule, in general terms, refers to a relatively small, non-feeling or painful mass.
For nodules, people do not need to be overly nervous, more than 90% of nodules are benign.
Once a nodule is found, it needs to be observed at any time and go to the hospital to determine its benign, malignant and grade.
"The palpable nodules like breast nodules can sense changes in the size and hardness of the nodules on their own; nodules in the limbs and body surface should be observed and touched at any time; lung nodules require professional examination. If you are not sure whether it is a nodule, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment." Liang Jianwei said.
He told reporters that it should be noted that no “undifferentiated removal” of the nodules is forbidden, because the removal of the nodules will also have a certain impact on the body. After the nodules are removed, the local tissues of the affected area will be damaged.
For example, breast nodules, breast ducts may be destroyed after removal; removal of lung nodules may require removal of part of the lung lobes, thereby affecting lung function.
In short, whether or not to remove the nodules, when to remove the nodules, need to be determined by the doctor according to the situation.
"Too much reliance on mindset and stereotypes will make people lose their rational and objective judgments." Li Ying said. Nowadays, many people choose to "cut the grass and eliminate the roots" in order to avoid cancer after they find nodules in their physical examinations. It is necessary to remove it immediately, otherwise it will become cancerous.
In her opinion, more than 90% of the nodules are benign. Whether to remove and when to remove the nodules requires professional doctors to make judgments based on the situation. It cannot be "one size fits all".
Similar to this rumor, "The lower the body fat rate, the better" "H. pylori infection will definitely cause stomach cancer" also caters to people's "prejudice effect" and simplifies problems and solutions.
Can infusion prevent stroke?
Exaggerating scientific conclusions regardless of constraints is extremely confusing!
In the autumn and cool season, infusion can dilate blood vessels and effectively prevent stroke?
"This approach is unscientific." According to Wu Haiyun, the chief physician of the Clinical Department of the PLA General Hospital, there is not enough evidence to prove that regular fluid infusion can prevent stroke.
He said that traditional Chinese medicine injections that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis are generally used for infusions, 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. The general action time of these drugs is 6 to 8 hours, and it is impossible to permanently unclog blood vessels and prevent stroke.
"These drugs act on blood vessels, which is equivalent to prematurely overdrawing the ability of blood vessels to expand. When infusion is needed for symptoms such as cerebral infarction, drug tolerance will often appear, leading to poor treatment effects and even missed opportunities for real rescue treatment." Wu Haiyun said. , "Infusion to expand blood vessels" is not as simple as ordinary people think.
Although intravenous infusion of thrombolytic drugs is a rescue method in the acute phase of stroke, it has very strict restrictions. For example, the time from thrombolysis to onset should not exceed 4 to 5 hours, and patients with a history of bleeding and surgical trauma cannot be dissolved. Shuan etc.
He told reporters that the causes of stroke and re-stroke include age, heredity, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, tobacco, alcohol, obesity, drugs, diet and other factors. Intervention behaviors that combine the above-mentioned pathogenic factors are difficult to prevent.
It is obviously unscientific to simply use infusion to prevent stroke.
"Some rumors exaggerate scientific conclusions regardless of restrictions, and are very general and very confusing." Li Ying said, rumors such as "infusion can prevent stroke" have convinced many elderly people to be true.
Similar rumors such as "Elderly donation can lower blood lipids" and "normal people can take more oxygen for health care". Although there are correct points in their discussion, they tend to exaggerate other details. This is precisely the cunning of "scientific" rumors. .
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily reporter Qiu Chenhui Source: China Youth Daily