{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world","title":"Why We Reject New Evidence That Could Directly Help Us: The Semmelweis Effect","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/fa4107ae\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1171,"description":"The Semmelweis Effect, COVID Cognitive Decline, and Why Evidence Struggles to Spread\nHost Leslie Poston explains the Semmelweis effect (reflexively rejecting strong evidence because it threatens identity or established norms) through Ignaz Semmelweis’ 1840s discovery that chlorinated handwashing slashed childbed-fever deaths, despite fierce professional backlash and decades-long delay before adoption. She distinguishes the effect from confirmation bias and links it to cognitive dissonance, status quo bias, and identity-protective cognition. The episode then connects this pattern to research showing COVID-19 infection is associated with measurable, cumulative cognitive deficits (memory, reasoning, executive function), limited protection from vaccination, and brain changes, with reinfection worsening decline and older or severe cases at higher risk. Poston argues these impairments may reduce society’s ability to update beliefs, compounding the typical 17-year medical translation gap and polarized trust in science, and suggests bias awareness, infection prevention, living guidelines, better evidence infrastructure, and transparent communication.\n00:00 Semmelweis Effect Intro\n01:05 Deadly Maternity Mystery\n01:38 Handwashing Breakthrough\n02:21 Why Evidence Gets Rejected\n03:30 Bias Mechanics Explained\n05:58 Not Just Skepticism\n07:11 COVID Cognitive Decline Data\n08:37 Brain Changes And Reinfection\n11:22 Translation Gap In Medicine\n13:33 Trust Polarization Problem\n14:38 Three Forces Collide\n15:30 Practical Ways Forward\n18:20 Closing Reflection And Signoff","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/tfTZRMl-qAeSUK8tWME-JVPi2fZ9cCSCIKffGPEXHOY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzUxMjc3LzE3MTEx/Njg4NjYtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}