bacteria, paradigms and education

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Maia posed an interesting question as to whether the educational foundation of public schools contributes to the mainstream beliefs and thought processes that make it difficult for individuals to think for themselves (my interpretation of her statements).

I believe that this is true. Will's video demonstrates this in part in that we are taught in school about Pasteur but who hears of the other half of the story? I have found that many individuals become so mired in the information they have been taught that they become incapable of considering other possibilities to enable them to break the paradigms. Those who attempt to do so are typically so heavily criticized by the majority that they are quickly quieted.

A good example of institutionalizing individuals during their education process is in the excerpt below from a retired research veterinarian in his recent communication to me. I suspect that this general belief is alive and well today in our educational system. Consider how this impacts the ability of others to open their minds to new ideas or different approaches.

Bill Gehm

In your Bio you mention your father’s frustration with vets and universities blaming dairy farmers for unacceptable milking performance which drove him to research and develop CMS. An amusing anecdote from when I first started working in mastitis. My Head of Department who was of the old school, told me that the best way to resolve mastitis was to put two dairy farmers against a wall and shoot them. When asked why, he said that would teach the rest to do what the vets and universities were telling them to do and it was all their fault anyway. Simple as that!