Russian scientists for the 12th time gave battle to pseudoscience. Dangerous dietary supplements, attack on the Jurassic period, cloning a mammoth, life before the big bang, suspicious columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral - almost 1300 for the first time, for the first time, for two who are hungry for the truth, they plunged into the maelstrom of vital topics of the scientific and educational forum "Scientists against myths". Watch the video report Federal News Agency.
“These are not some myths and misconceptions, popularizing things, who have no proof. This is science, which is practiced all over the world, - convinced the participant of the forum and the leading engineer of the State Commission for Mineral Reserves of Rosnedra Arina Lenkova. - This is serious research, in which scientists invest a lot of money and effort, and we know almost nothing about it!»
Is an animal capable of thinking like a human? The question worries pet owners around the world. Head of the Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Behavior, Department of Higher Nervous Activity, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University Zoya Zorina answers: capable. Many birds, mammals and reptiles have the rudiments of thinking, but not more, than at the level of a two year old.
“If monkeys from early childhood constantly hear human speech, they begin to understand words and even sentences, taking into account their syntax, understand the role of word order in sentences ", - said the professor.
The results of scientific research confirm the presence of the rudiments of mental reactions in animals and birds, but such conclusions cannot be overestimated, says the scientist. A pet dog or parrot is unlikely to learn to smile, but coping with sudden difficulties is easy.
"We believe, that animals are cunning, detention, hypocrisy. It is impossible to objectively investigate this ", - explained the doctor of biological sciences.
To transfer human emotions, experiences, suicidal tendencies on animals wrong, stressed the author more 150 scientific articles and monographs.
"I thought, that dolphins and whales commit mass suicide. It turned, that they just fall into the sand, the names of the relatives, so they help them. Those are all thrown away together ", - shared her impressions of the scientist's report with the FAN correspondent Ekaterina Trubacheva, who came to the forum from Dusseldorf.
Zoya Zorina called on the forum participants to critically interpret information from the Internet and the media and cited a note as an example, published 16 April 2016 years in "Moskovsky Komsomolets" about the origin of religion in animals.
"According to him, there is a monkey god, to whom they build temples, and such rituals can be evidence of the evolution of chimpanzees into humans. I just fell away! - exclaimed Zoya Zorina. - Only in 2019 year appeared work, whose authors suggested, that throwing stones at the base of trees is a way of long-distance communication. The actions of the monkeys resonate and travel long distances. This issue remains to be investigated. ".
Who is behind the "moon scam", a conspiracy of "Zhidomason" and anti-vaccine? Head of the Laboratory of Cognitive Research, Faculty of Psychology, ION, RANEPA Vladimir Spiridonov smashed controversial conspiracy theories about scholarly arguments.
“Colleagues conducted a real experimental study on a group of Americans, who were sure, what Osama bin Laden was not killed by American special forces in 2007 year. Psychologists asked: "Are you sure, what in 2007 year bin Laden was not killed? Now 2012 year, is he alive or dead?"Surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of these conspiracy theorists failed to respond.", - he told the forum participants.
The American Anti-Vaccination Society is roiling the planet with 1879 of the year. During this time, conspiracy theorists have achieved considerable success and sowed chaos in the heads of hundreds of millions of people.. Everyone can not fall for the bait of populists and see the lies, if he throws away emotions and arms himself with facts, sure professor.
“A huge amount of autism actually appears after children have been vaccinated.. Does vaccination cause autism?? This requires complex research.. In most cases, of course, this is not true, - Vladimir Spiridonov is sure. - No research, which shows, that vaccines are associated with autism. It's just a lie. ".
Accusations of the company "Merk" in monopoly in the vaccine market are also unfounded.. Scientist cites data 2012 of the year, showing, that the five largest vaccine manufacturers continue to generate multi-billion dollar profits in the US market.
“The fight against vaccination is a direct threat to the security of any state. Good, that the problem is raised, they are doing it, they see her ", - a forum participant shared with the FAN correspondent, manager, Andrey Andrianov.
"Nauchpop" is getting more inventive and keeps scientists in good shape, explains the organizer of the forum, editor of the scientific and educational portal "Antropogenesis.ru" Alexander Sokolov.
“We need to raise the bar: more intelligibly, clearly, communicating scientific knowledge to a wide audience in an engaging and convincing manner. we, in its turn, we conduct a survey of forum delegates, ask, what topics are missing. If a topic begins to be actively discussed in the media space, so, it needs to be brought to the forum ", - says a science journalist.
Alexander Sokolov is going to attract all Russians to the scientific and educational ranks, including the smallest, and has already managed to enlist the support of the president in this. Vladimir Putin promised a popularizer of science to help create a children's animated series about human evolution. The first series came out with funds, collected through crowdfunding, in the end of December. New authors need technical capacity to produce.
“On the Internet now, Unfortunately, damn what's going on, and you need to explain, eg, that the earth is not flat. This activity is mainly aimed at young people.. And in that, as for children, especially small, much less attention ", - said Alexander Sokolov at a meeting with the President.
The head of state suggested, that the project can be helped by the Film Foundation.
"We will see. the, what are you doing - wonderful simple! I will ask colleagues, I will definitely take control. We will find such forms, which will be most effective for you ", - said Vladimir Putin.
According to the authors, the second episode of the cartoon may be published in the next six months. Heroes will talk about, how human ancestors learned to walk on two legs.
“We have a schoolboy there, cute gorilla Marusya and scientist chimpanzee Charley. They fly into the past in a time machine, look, how is it all going. Game cartoon with a plot and adventures ", - the main inspirer of the project explained to the FAN correspondent.
The fighter against myths in science has another dream - to create the country's first Museum of Anthropogenesis.
“When a man is bombarded with beautifully packaged YouTube nonsense, TV, and this can be opposed only by the old plaster busts of Neanderthals by Mikhail Gerasimov ... People come to us here, what will they take? Beyond memories, something in hand, so that they can give their friends, they got interested and said: "Wow, I want to go too ", - says Alexander Sokolov.
He drew up the project plan long before the first forum "Scientists against myths".
“In general, I had a dream to make a reconstruction. Ardipithecus to swing on a tree, eg. So that you can take a picture with Homo habilis in an embrace. There was an idea, that it must all end with the man of the future. That is, the visitor's place in the museum, which he can take in this row, and then Homo Futurus with a huge brain, come up with, fantasize. For this it was necessary at prices 2013 of the year 50 million rubles. Now, of course, already more ", - admitted the public figure.
Alexander Sokolov hopes, that the Museum of Anthropogenesis will appear in Moscow in a couple of years. Entrepreneurial public figures are looking for premises and an investor.
Author: Anastasia Alekseeva; Boris Grishin
