TED-Ed: Can you outsmart the fallacy that fooled a generation of doctors? | Elizabeth Cox

The video explores the historical debate over childbed fever, a deadly condition affecting women post-childbirth in the 19th century. It critiques Charles Meigs' theory that inflammation causes the fever, highlighting the false cause fallacy. Oliver Wendell Holmes suggests doctors might spread the disease through contamination, a theory later supported by Ignaz Semmelweis' handwashing practices and Louis Pasteur's identification of bacteria. The video emphasizes the importance of skepticism and scientific inquiry in medical advancements.

What was the main theory proposed by Charles Meigs regarding the cause of childbed fever?

• Inflammation in the abdomen was the cause.

• It was caused by poor nutrition.

• It was a result of genetic factors.

• Stress during childbirth was the main cause.

What logical fallacy is highlighted in the discussion about inflammation and childbed fever?

• Straw man

• Slippery slope

• False cause

• Ad hominem

Which example is used to illustrate the false cause fallacy in the context of childbed fever?

• The link between exercise and weight loss.

• The correlation between hair growth and tooth growth in babies.

• The connection between sleep and productivity.

• The relationship between diet and health.

What did Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes suggest as a possible cause of childbed fever?

• Contaminated water supply

• Airborne viruses

• Invisible contaminants on doctors' hands

• Poor hospital hygiene

What was the reaction of most doctors to Holmes' theory about the spread of childbed fever?

• They were outraged and rejected it.

• They were indifferent.

• They conducted further research to validate it.

• They immediately accepted it.

How did Ignaz Semmelweis significantly reduce the death rate from childbed fever in his clinic?

• By improving the diet of patients

• By isolating infected patients

• By requiring hand disinfection

• By using herbal remedies

What was the significant discovery made by Louis Pasteur in relation to childbed fever?

• The invention of antibiotics

• The identification of hemolytic streptococcus bacteria

• The development of a vaccine

• The creation of antiseptic techniques