Semmelweis Reflex

The Semmelweis Reflex: When beliefs trump facts

The knee-jerk reaction to reject new evidence because it contradicts established beliefs is named after Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865). The physician discovered a visionary way to save countless lives – only to have his own life destroyed when his theories were ridiculed. Imagine the Viennese general hospital in the 1840s: The biggest medical institution in […]