B1 Intermediate English 8:05 1,269 words Science & Tech

Is This The Biggest Mistake Science Ever Made?

SciShow · 108,878 views · Added 5 hours ago

Learning Stats

B1

CEFR Level

1,269

Total Words

534

Unique Words

5/10

Difficulty

Vocabulary Diversity 42%

Subtitles (154 segments)

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00:00

We’re pretty solid on germ theory at this point.

00:03

The idea that many diseases are caused

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and spread by pathogens too small to seen

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has been locked in since the mid 19th century.

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But that wasn’t the first time  people came up with those ideas.

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Physicians around the world had been theorizing

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about the spread of infectious  disease through invisible particles

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as early as the 9th century.

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That’s one thousand years earlier.

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These scholars did everything they  could to limit the spread of infection

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and understand how it worked.

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But if we had the basis for germ theory …

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by all accounts a correct idea …

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why did it take so long for  it to actually take root?

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Well, because right ideas don’t  always win – not right away.

00:47

And sometimes wrong ideas  can be pretty convincing.

Full subtitles available in the video player

Key Vocabulary (16)

you A1 pronoun

Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.

people A1 noun

People refers to a group of human beings or the general public. It is the standard plural form of the word 'person'.

air A1 noun

The invisible mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth and which humans and animals breathe. It also refers to the open space above the ground or the general atmosphere of a place.

idea A2 noun

A thought, plan, or suggestion about what to do in a particular situation. It can also refer to an opinion or a mental picture of something.

first A1 adjective

before all

"First place."

theory C1 noun

A formal set of ideas or principles intended to explain a specific phenomenon or a group of facts. In scientific contexts, it represents a well-substantiated explanation supported by evidence, while in general usage, it often refers to a plausible but unproven conjecture.

disease A1 noun

A disease is a specific medical condition that affects the body or mind and makes a person unhealthy. It is often caused by bacteria, viruses, or genetic factors and usually has specific signs or symptoms.

"The disease is important."

spread
it’s
diseases
ideas
miasma
contagion
fracastoro
germ

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