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El día del escepticismo científico, la alquimia y la Química moderna.
Hoy 20 de diciembre de 2010 se conmemora el decimocuarto aniversario del fallecimiento de Carl Sagan. Por este motivo, desde el año pasado se celebra el Día del Escepticismo y Contra el Avance de las Pseudociencias, al que numerosos blogs del mundo nos vamos a adherir. Es una buena oportunidad para denunciar el auge que ciertas «prácticas» están alcanzando entre la población.
Los científicos tenemos que decir basta ya de parasicologías, pulseras milagrosas, homeopatías, quiromancia, astrología, ufología, numerología, grafología, etc… En España, el asunto está tomando una deriva peligrosa cunado observamos que las universidades públicas están permitiendo, e incluso financiando, actividades relacionadas con la pseudociencia.
El debate científco sólo se puede seguir con las reglas del Método Científico. Es muy importante que los científicos nos tomemos este asunto en serio y que seamos capaces de transmitir a la sociedad, datos y opiniones contrastadas científicamente. Una de nuestras obligaciones es contribuir a aumentar la Cultura Científica del ciudadano, para que este pueda tomar decisiones y opinar con base científica sobre cuestiones que afectan a nuestar vida.
El origen de la química fue la alquimia. Aunque los alquimistas realizaron numerosos experimentos que pudieron ser útiles en ciertos aspectos de la Química (especialmente relacionados con técnicas experimentales), la influencia de la alquimia en el desarrollo científico de la Química fue nefasto, pues la impidió alcanzar una madurez científica durante siglos (a diferencia de lo que ocurrió con la Física). Hoy en día, ningún científico serío realizaría experimentos alquimistas, aunque nos lo quieran «vender» como algo científico, como ha ocurrido con el reciente artículo en PÚBLICO sobre el «Newton alquimista» (algo ya conocido hace muchísimos años, auque intentado ocultar por dignidad y respeto hacia el personaje).
La unidad de materia en Química es la molécula. Puesto que la molécula es muy pequeña, se usa el concepto de mol (un Número de Avogadro de partículas, el Número de Avogadro es aproximadamente 602.200.000.000.000.000.000.000, ¡un número de 24 cifras!). Esta cantidad (o sus múltiplos o divisores) se usa para expresar cantidades de manera científica en Química. Si se especifica el número de moles en un determinado volumen o peso de un medio, se está hablando de concentración, otro concepto fundamental en la Ciencia de la Química. El uso de estos conceptos tiene valor comparativo entre las sustancias químicas presentes en un medio o sistema. El empleo de cualquier otra magnitud no tiene sentido en Química y sólo sirve para crear confusión o un titular en los medios de comunicación. Por eso, noticias como «El río Ebro carga con 620 kilos de cocaína y 430 kilos de otras sustancias» o «El aire de Barcelona y de Madrid contiene varias drogas en suspensión y, entre ellas, destaca la cocaína«, dónde no se especifica la concentración (por cierto, del orden de 0’0000000000001 molar, ¡casi cero!) no tienen ningún valor científico.
Direcciones de interés sobre escepticos científicos:
Sociedad para el Avance del Pensamiento Crítico
Bernardo Herradón
IQOG-CSIC

Beyond the topic at hand this site reads as a small ongoing project of taking writing seriously, and a look at falunmirror reinforced that project quality, sites that treat publishing as an ongoing serious practice rather than as content production for traffic are sites worth supporting and this one has clearly chosen the serious approach.
If I had encountered this site five years ago I would have been telling everyone about it, and a look at vaporsalt extended that retrospective enthusiasm, the version of me who used to recommend favourite blogs frequently would have made sure friends knew about this one and that earlier enthusiasm is partially returning to me here.
Genuinely useful read, the points are practical and easy to apply right away, and a quick look at plasmaredshift confirmed that this site is consistent in that approach, looking forward to digging through the rest of it when I get the chance to sit down properly later in the week or this weekend.
A thoughtful read in a week that has been mostly noisy, and a look at christineclark carried that thoughtful quality across more pages, finding pockets of considered writing in a week of distractions is one of the small wins of careful curation and this site is providing those pockets at a sustainable rate.
Closed three other tabs to focus on this one and never opened them again, and a stop at tinews similarly held attention exclusively, content that crowds out other reading from working memory is content with real density and this site has demonstrated that density across multiple pages I have visited so far this morning.
Pass this along to anyone you know dealing with similar questions, the answers here are clear, and a stop at holychords adds even more useful material, this is the kind of resource that deserves to circulate widely rather than getting lost in the constant churn of new content online that buries good work daily.
Approaching this with the usual skepticism I bring to new sites and being slowly persuaded, and a stop at poetpopulist continued that gradual persuasion, the careful path from skeptical reader to genuine fan is the only one I trust and this site has walked me along that path through patient consistent quality across pieces.
Reading this between meetings turned out to be the most useful thing I did all afternoon, and a stop at uptonvinyl kept that productivity feeling going, content can sometimes outperform actual work in terms of what gets accomplished mentally and this site managed that today which is genuinely a high bar to clear consistently.
Honest reaction is that this is the kind of writing I would defend in a conversation about good blog content, and a look at jamesduncan reinforced that, the rare site whose work I would actively recommend rather than just tolerate is the kind I want to support through return visits regularly.
Felt the writer was speaking my language without trying to imitate it, and a look at gladiatorsforum continued that natural fit, when a writers default voice happens to match what you find easy to read the experience feels frictionless and that is something I notice and remember about specific sites going forward.
Just enjoyed the experience without needing to think about why, and a look at corypeterson kept that effortless feeling going, sometimes the best content is invisible in the sense that you forget you are reading until you reach the end and realise time has passed without you noticing it pass naturally.
Appreciate the practical examples, they made the abstract points easier to grasp, and a stop at zephyrpearl added more of the same, this site clearly understands that real examples beat empty theory every single time which is the mark of a writer who knows their audience well and respects their time.
Reading this on the train into work was a better use of the commute than my usual choices, and a stop at meledak77mantap extended that commute reading well, content that improves transit time rather than just filling it is content with practical benefit and this site has earned its place in my morning commute reading rotation.
Reading this in a relaxed evening setting was a small pleasure, and a stop at magisteriuma extended the pleasant evening reading, content that fits the tone of relaxed time without becoming forgettable is what I look for in evening reading and this site has the right tone for that particular slot in my daily reading routine.
One of the more honest takes on the topic I have seen lately, no spin and no oversell, and a stop at mage77-rtp kept that going, the kind of voice the open web could use a lot more of rather than the endless echo chamber of recycled opinions floating around every social platform these days.
Came in tired from a long day and the writing held my attention anyway, and a stop at joshuablackwellmd kept that going, content that can engage a fatigued reader is doing something right because most online reading happens in suboptimal conditions like that one and quality content adapts to it without complaint.
Felt the writer did the homework before publishing, the references hold up, and a look at mariahill continued that documented care, content with traceable claims rather than vague assertions is the kind I trust and the lack of bald assertion in this post is one of its quietly impressive qualities for me.
Useful reading material, the kind I can hand off to someone newer to the topic without worrying about confusing them, and a quick look at haulera confirmed the same beginner friendly tone runs throughout the site which is great for sharing with people just starting their learning journey on this particular topic.
Now adjusting my mental list of reliable sites for this topic, and a stop at a-nz49 reinforced the adjustment, the small ongoing curation work of maintaining trusted sources is one of the actual practical activities of careful reading and this site has earned a permanent place on my list for this particular subject.
Over the course of reading several posts here a pattern of quality has emerged, and a stop at sandaltrust confirmed the pattern, the difference between sites that hit quality occasionally and sites that hit it consistently is huge and this site has clearly demonstrated the consistent kind through what I have read this morning.
Speaking as someone who reads a lot on this topic this site has earned a high position in my source rankings, and a stop at debrabowen reinforced that ranking, the informal ranking of sources for a topic is something I maintain mentally and this site has moved into the upper portion of those rankings clearly.
Felt like the writer was speaking directly to someone with my level of curiosity, neither talking down nor showing off, and a stop at haircover kept that comfortable matching going, finding writing that meets you where you are rather than asking you to climb up or stoop down feels great every time it happens.
Looking at this objectively the editorial quality is hard to deny even setting aside personal taste, and a stop at crackfine maintained the same objective quality, the gap between what I personally enjoy and what is objectively well crafted exists and this site clears both bars simultaneously which is rarer than it sounds.
Recommended without reservation for anyone interested in the topic at any level of expertise, and a look at chousea only strengthens that recommendation, this site clearly knows how to serve readers across a range of backgrounds without watering down the content or talking past anyone in the audience which is genuinely impressive to see.
Now feeling the small relief of finding writing that does not condescend, and a stop at zonalzone extended that respect for readers, content that treats its audience as capable adults rather than as people to be managed produces a different reading experience and this site has clearly chosen the respectful approach across all pieces.
Now appreciating the way the post avoided the temptation to be longer than necessary, and a look at pomswap continued that lean approach, content with the discipline to stop when finished rather than padding for length is content that respects both itself and its readers and this site has that disciplined editorial culture clearly throughout.
Салют, земляки. Отец не выходит из штопора. Мать в отчаянии. В бесплатный диспансер — страшно. Короче, спасла эта служба — вывод из запоя на дому срочно. Приехали через 40 минут. В общем, вся информация по ссылке — вывод из запоя спб вывод из запоя спб Звоните прямо сейчас. Вдруг это спасёт чью-то жизнь.
Really appreciate the lack of pop ups, modals, cookie banners stacking on top of each other, and a quick visit to squaresloop confirmed the same clean approach across the rest of the site, technical decisions about user experience are part of what makes content actually pleasant to engage with for sure.
Worth saying that this is one of the better things I have read on the topic in months, and a stop at softcascade reinforced that ranking, the topic is well covered by many sources but few do it with this level of care and the few that do deserve to be flagged so other readers can find them.
Thanks for taking the time to write this, it is clear that some thought went into how each point would land, and after I went through seccert I had a better grip on the topic, real value without the usual marketing noise people have to put up with online when searching for answers.
Now appreciating the way the post avoided the temptation to be longer than necessary, and a look at seattlebeaches continued that lean approach, content with the discipline to stop when finished rather than padding for length is content that respects both itself and its readers and this site has that disciplined editorial culture clearly throughout.
Now adding this to a short list of sites I would defend in a conversation about the modern web, and a look at percentsa reinforced that defence list, the few sites that serve as evidence the web can still produce good things are precious and this one has clearly joined that small list of exemplary sites.
Now leaving a small mental note to recommend this when the topic comes up in conversation, and a look at devthrive extended that recommend ready feeling, content that arms me with shareable references for likely future conversations is content with social value and this site is providing that conversational ammunition consistently for me lately.
Found something quietly useful here that I expect to return to, and a stop at setterstudio added more of the same, content with quiet utility ages well in a way that flashy hot takes do not and I have learned to weight quiet utility much higher when deciding what to bookmark for later use.
During a reading session that included several other sources this one stood out, and a look at apporchard continued the standout quality, the side by side comparison of sources during research is a useful exercise and this site has been winning those comparisons for me consistently across multiple research sessions during the last week.
Picked something concrete from the post that I will use immediately, and a look at alphaapp added another concrete piece, content that produces immediately useful output rather than just abstract appreciation is content that earns its place in my regular rotation without needing any further evaluation from me at this point honestly.
Easy to recommend without reservations, the site delivers on every promise it implicitly makes, and a look at a-nz35 kept that same standard going, the kind of consistency that earns trust over time rather than chasing it through aggressive marketing is what I see here and it is appreciated greatly by this particular reader today.
Quietly impressive in a way that does not announce itself, and a stop at meghanlawson extended that quiet impressiveness, the kind of quality that emerges through sustained attention rather than first impressions is the kind I trust more deeply and this site has been earning that deeper trust across multiple sessions over time consistently.
Took me back a step or two on an assumption I had been making, and a stop at a-nz31 pushed that reconsideration further, writing that gently corrects the reader without being aggressive about it is a rare diplomatic skill and the team here clearly knows how to land critical points without turning readers off.
Found the use of subheadings really helpful for scanning back through the post later, and a stop at yalashostore kept that reader friendly approach going, navigation is something many blog writers ignore but small structural choices make a noticeable difference for someone returning to find a specific point again days or weeks later.
Good post, the kind that respects the reader by getting to the point quickly without skipping the details that matter, and a short look at a-nz48 confirmed that approach is consistent across the site which is rare to find online these days, definitely a place I will return to soon.
Glad to find something on this topic that does not start with three paragraphs of throat clearing before getting to the point, and a stop at qinlji also dives right in, respect for the readers time shows up in small editorial choices like this and they add up to a real difference quickly.
If you asked me to point to a recent positive sign for the open web this site would be near the top, and a stop at convertersa reinforced that designation, the few sites that serve as evidence the web can still produce quality independent content are precious and this one has clearly become one for me.
Glad the writer did not feel compelled to cover every possible angle of the topic, focus is a virtue, and a stop at zoneengine reflected the same disciplined scope, knowing what to leave out is half of what makes good writing good and this post has clearly been edited with that principle in mind.
Здорова, народ. Беда случилась. Мать в отчаянии. Платная клиника — бешеные цены. Короче, реально профессиональные врачи — недорогой вывод из запоя в Санкт-Петербурге. Сняли абстинентный синдром. В общем, жмите, чтобы сохранить — вывод из запоя спб вывод из запоя спб Звоните прямо сейчас. Вдруг это спасёт чью-то жизнь.
Started reading without much expectation and ended on a high note, and a look at riome continued that arc, content that builds rather than peaks early is a sign of a writer who knows how to structure a piece for sustained reader engagement rather than relying on a strong hook to do all the work.
Time spent here today felt productive in the way that good reading sessions sometimes do, and a stop at riseflow extended that productive feeling across the rest of the morning, the difference between productive reading and merely passing time is real and this site is consistently on the productive side for me lately.
Now adding this site to a small mental group of recommendations I keep ready for specific kinds of inquiries, and a stop at dylcane extended the recommendation readiness, content that I can confidently point friends and colleagues toward in specific contexts is content with real social utility and this site has that utility clearly.
Genuine pleasure to read, and that is not something I say often after a casual click through, and a quick visit to zonalzeny kept the same feeling going across the rest of the site, finding writing that actually feels good to spend time with rather than just functional is increasingly rare on the open web.
Now sitting back and recognising that this was a small but real win in my reading day, and a stop at vipsportsclub extended that quiet win, the cumulative effect of small reading wins versus the cumulative effect of small reading losses is real over time and this site is contributing to the wins side of that ledger.