HFCS

I've been 'researching' High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) for the past week─ intending to write a blog─ inspired and compelled by information of a dubious feel, propagating through my facebook network.

Honestly, I've felt like I've been banging my head against the wall. Secondary sources along with the echoed, distorted and deliberately twisted opinions & "common" wisdoms abound, freely available on the net. Primary sources, as in the original, peer-reviewed, research articles are not (typically) freely available.

I am fortunate enough to live in a town with a university: I am undecided how I should make use of this resource, for the purpose of a blog. The beauty and power of digital media comes from the novel ability to hyperlink, thereby elevating essays from mere rhetorical theses to a supported syntheses. The inability to link from a blog back to a source, puts a burden of faith on the reader: particularly if the reader lacks access to the source material.

Skepticism

How can one know what to believe? What is truth? What is reality? The fact is, we take a lot on faith. We accept a lot, simply because it's common, maybe even mundane within our experience, and it's safe within that familiarity. But, we also choose what to believe (I think more typically) by rejecting that which runs counter to our expectations or experiences. Ideologies, philosophies, foods, memes, brands, people, etc. etc. are all rejected, because they're alien entities within our framework of the familiar.

It takes effort to move beyond rejecting that which runs counter to expectation. Skepticism is required and unfortunately, I don't believe skepticism is an innate human trait. Rather, it must be cultivated in children. Practiced and honed by the individual.

Inheritance

The Sun was setting; Venus the only visible body, in the sky.

“That's the International Space Station,” The Father said.

“Wow!” The Son was awed.