Oh Sweet Myth-tery of Life
The dreaded goat-sucking Chupacabra? A coyote. The recent sighting of Big Foot? Sick bear. Or is it? Or are we
so quick to dismiss a myth in favor of science. And what is science doing trying to debunk myths when there are more
pressing issues?
It's a shame really that lately there seems to be this concerted effort to debunk beloved myths and legends when science should be concentrating on solving the real problems facing us like global warming. super-viruses, alternative energy sources, etc. And if they have to concentrate on the unexplainable mysteries of everyday life why not try and figure out how a man can live without a brain in his skull and run a country for 8 years. And if you've noticed, when people believe in a myth their faith in its veracity is unshakeable. So why is there this insistence to debunk a myth?
Look at the the legend of the Loch Ness monster. For years people have sincerely believed in the existence of this sea monster dwelling in the cold waters of a Scottish lake. And for just as many years there are people out to disprove the legend, dispute the accuracy of a grainy photo, and concoct hoaxes intended to dismantle the myth.
Not long ago a Texas resident found what many to believe was the Chupacabra, bloodsucking creature whose klegendary origins go back to Mexico and Puerto Rico. Known as a "goat sucker" the dog-like creature was believed to have been found, but those pesky scientific debunkers did their nasty old DNA tests on the cadaver and determined it was a coyote. A big ugly coyote, but a coyote nonetheless. Curiously it just happened to have been found by a biologist. If you think this is theend of the story, think again. There'l; be conspracy-theorists who will smell cover-up.
Recently a "new" photo of Big Foot was taken in September by a man in Pennsylvania. There was a rush to judgment on this one too--it was deemed a sick bear. No, not the kind of bear you'll find in leather bars. Although we do wonder whether Big Foot has big, you know..uh....oh you know what we're talking about! The results of this new picture? A renewed interest in the legend of Big Foot. Over the years Big Foot has been apparently been filmed and photographed and time after time there arethose who claim it's all a hoax. Has anyone's belief been shattered? No.
Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, is a Himalayan legend that has persisted for years with very little photographic evidence andand in spite of theories that claim it too is just a bear. Yet the myth survives year after year. Do people still believe? Of course!
Meanwhile we savage our planet, the oil companies rejoice over being able to drill in areas once covered by ice, diseases with no cures pop up and we waste our time disproving myths. Good use of our scientific resources, eh?
It's a shame really that lately there seems to be this concerted effort to debunk beloved myths and legends when science should be concentrating on solving the real problems facing us like global warming. super-viruses, alternative energy sources, etc. And if they have to concentrate on the unexplainable mysteries of everyday life why not try and figure out how a man can live without a brain in his skull and run a country for 8 years. And if you've noticed, when people believe in a myth their faith in its veracity is unshakeable. So why is there this insistence to debunk a myth?
Look at the the legend of the Loch Ness monster. For years people have sincerely believed in the existence of this sea monster dwelling in the cold waters of a Scottish lake. And for just as many years there are people out to disprove the legend, dispute the accuracy of a grainy photo, and concoct hoaxes intended to dismantle the myth.
Not long ago a Texas resident found what many to believe was the Chupacabra, bloodsucking creature whose klegendary origins go back to Mexico and Puerto Rico. Known as a "goat sucker" the dog-like creature was believed to have been found, but those pesky scientific debunkers did their nasty old DNA tests on the cadaver and determined it was a coyote. A big ugly coyote, but a coyote nonetheless. Curiously it just happened to have been found by a biologist. If you think this is theend of the story, think again. There'l; be conspracy-theorists who will smell cover-up.
Recently a "new" photo of Big Foot was taken in September by a man in Pennsylvania. There was a rush to judgment on this one too--it was deemed a sick bear. No, not the kind of bear you'll find in leather bars. Although we do wonder whether Big Foot has big, you know..uh....oh you know what we're talking about! The results of this new picture? A renewed interest in the legend of Big Foot. Over the years Big Foot has been apparently been filmed and photographed and time after time there arethose who claim it's all a hoax. Has anyone's belief been shattered? No.
Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, is a Himalayan legend that has persisted for years with very little photographic evidence andand in spite of theories that claim it too is just a bear. Yet the myth survives year after year. Do people still believe? Of course!
Meanwhile we savage our planet, the oil companies rejoice over being able to drill in areas once covered by ice, diseases with no cures pop up and we waste our time disproving myths. Good use of our scientific resources, eh?
Myths like these, presented as fact, keep all our brains soft. Our parents teach us to believe in Santa Claus. the Tooth Fairy and God. They eventually tell us there is no Santa or Tooth Fairy, but we continue to defy logic and reason and persist with the God myth. Is it any wonder we accept these other monsters and boogie men without evidence? Fact is suspect and myth is sacred. More people in America probably believe in the existence of angels than the threat of global warming. We live in a country that would rather rely on prayer than stem cell research. Maybe the Chupacabra can save us.
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