Science news of the day thread.

[Brian Peacock]

Reality would suffice....grim is pejorative without purpose. If we enjoy bacon then sacrificing a pig for progressing medical understanding is not grim.

I didn't say "grim" though, so stop equivocating. I used an idiom: "grim reality", as in, "The grim reality of medical science". I explained what it meant; how it was used. Please don't put words in my mouth or ascribe to me attitudes or beliefs that I do not have and have not expressed. Cheers.

[macdoc]

its still pejorative despite the apologetics and casts an undeserved negative on what is in reality good news. explain all you want - it was/is a pejorative

[Brian Peacock]

its still pejorative despite the apologetics and casts an undeserved negative on what is in reality good news. explain all you want - it was/is a pejorative

Meh. Still equivocating eh? Where's the pejorative (other than the 'undeserved negatives' you're bringing to the table)?

I did not disparage, belittle, or impute the researchers, nor did I decry, condemn, denounce, or express disapproval of them, of their methods or their motivation. Telling me that I did, and consequentially impugning me as anti-medical progress is at best defamatory; being outraged on their behalf is just white-knighting.

Again, 'grim reality' is an idiomatic expression. The grim reality is that medical and veterinary science progress by exploring and exploiting suffering, with the ultimate goal of reducing or eradicating suffering. Others suffer so we don't have to. If you know anything about the history of surgery, antiseptics, anaesthetics, analgesias, diagnostics, or anatomy, then you should also be able to grasp the appropriate context of my earlier remark.

Most people here know that in a previous life I worked in hospital administration and finally as the manager of a GP's practice - until my own medical issues forced a relatively early withdrawal from the general workforce. So I'd be grateful if you could stop gaslighting and tone-policing my comments now. Cheers.