I don't want to buy your biohacking product
Today I searched for "Progesterone biosynthesis" on Google. I was looking for an illustration I could add to my notes. I found some images that looked good, but they were posted on para-scientific websites. I came across a nice diagram on a site selling wellness advice based on MyHeritage tests (for the record, the diagram itself is from Wikipedia). I found another diagram on a naturopath's website, explaining which herbs I could take to influence my ovulation.
These findings made me anxious. I'm kind of an extremist when it comes to rationality and I'm very critical of many things. It may sound harsh, but I tend to distrust most non-academic sciences. I do respect people who turn to magic, intuition or esotericism of any kind, but in my opinion, these practices should remain clearly separated from scientific knowledge.
All of this threw me into a bit of an ontological crisis, to be honest. How could I be so critical of the misuse of scientific terms while being a self-learner myself ? What makes me different ? It wasn't about finding an illustration anymore, it was about navigating complexe feelings about belonging and trust, in a world where anyone and everyone is an 'expert'.
I don't have a clear cut answer. If you have anything to share about science v.s pseudoscience, self-learning v.s. academia, I'd love to read your thoughts!