Viewpoints: Why curing the common cold is an elusive pursuit; Vaping’s link to smoking is a ‘bad theory’
RealClear Science: Why Vaping Isn’t A ‘Gateway’ To Smoking As Imre Lakatos so eloquently stated in 1973, “Blind commitment to a theory is not an intellectual virtue: it is an intellectual crime.” Indeed, blind commitment to a bad theory in the public policy realm will have long lasting impacts, negatively affecting the pursuit of improved public health. That is why it baffles me when otherwise smart researchers remain committed to bad theories. Indeed, the theory that e-cigarette use will lead to cigarette smoking is a bad theory. (Carrie Wade, 1/6)
