atlas said:
ya, but a gut feeling isn't a very good way to live your life.
Not always, I agree. But when it comes to a harmless thing like choosing regular ovens over microwaves ovens, I think a gut feeling is a pretty alright way to choose one over the other.
It's not like the guy came in here and started preaching to everyone else not to use microwave ovens, he simply said that he chooses not to. I don't really feel that this is ignorant just because he is choosing to go with his gut feeling, because as Ximot said:
Just cos it hasn't been proven to be harmful with your criteria of what proof is doesn't mean it isn't harmful.
Atlas, you choose to use microwave ovens because there hasn't been sufficient evidence to convince you that it is unhealthy, whereas Mostslepton chooses
not to use them because there hasn't been sufficient evidence to convince him that they are completely harmless. I don't see how either opinion is invalid, what annoys me is when - as Ximot said again - people think that they are right and everyone that thinks different are just ignorant fools. As I said before, it's the people that are open-minded and not afraid to go against popular opinion that have advanced our societies the most. Now it could be very possible that microwave ovens cause no harm. It's also possible that a scientific discovery could be made that proves that they do alter our food in some way no-one has thought of before (of course, there will never be tests like this done unless there are people open-minded enough to at least
consider the possibility that microwaves could cause harm). Either way, I don't think that there's anything wrong with people choosing to abstain from microwave cooking because their gut feeling tells them to.
Then, the thinking human follows up with study and investigation. And, makes up his or her mind.
Exactly what I mean... Although most people aren't going to have the time or money or interest to conduct scientific investigations on every little thing that affects their everyday life, so in this case I think it's ok to simply make the decision, while keeping an open mind in case someone else comes up with a convincing evidence on the issue - and the question of what evidence ic convincing enough is obviously different for different people too - for example, I have a vague memory of reading about a study made which 'proved' that the radiation from mobile phones wasn't harmful. But the study was sponsored by a phone company, so to me, that isn't convincing.
Just my opinion.