On Sept. 27, 1962, biologist Rachel Carson published *Silent Spring,* a book that would radically shift how the nation thought about the effect of pesticides on human health and the environment. The book led to sweeping, critical environmental reforms and awareness. It also, however, planted its own destructive seed: the notion that synthetic chemicals are inherently something to fear. Over the decades, that seed has grown into a wild and unruly tangle of misinformation and hysteria, amply pollinated by social media, wellness influencers, and a lack of science literacy.
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On Sept. 27, 1962, biologist Rachel Carson published *Silent Spring,* a book that would radically shift how the nation thought about the effect of pesticides on human health and the environment. The book led to sweeping, critical environmental reforms and awareness. It also, however, planted its own destructive seed: the notion that synthetic chemicals are inherently something to fear. Over the decades, that seed has grown into a wild and unruly tangle of misinformation and hysteria, amply pollinated by social media, wellness influencers, and a lack of science literacy.
For more: [https://slate.com/technology/2024/09/silent-spring-rachel-carson-environment-chemicals-fear.html](https://slate.com/technology/2024/09/silent-spring-rachel-carson-environment-chemicals-fear.html)
Flouride is bad though.