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Basic science: understanding numbers
Basic science: understanding numbers

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1.1 Water, water everywhere

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In this video, the issues surrounding bottled water are discussed along with many, many, MANY numbers.

The video also makes some assertions about contamination of bottled water by PET in plastic bottles, which were raised as a possible danger to health a few years ago. However, no convincing scientific evidence has been produced to prove this effect. We’ve left the section on plastics in the video because it’s important to understand that science advances by testing hypotheses. This is a process which includes scientific study and debate, and can take several years, during which time scare stories continue to circulate. The Cancer Research UK website has a good explanation of the situation concerning the plastic bottles [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

As you watch the video, focus on how important the numbers are to the story that the narrators are conveying. How do the narrators try to help the viewer to comprehend the numbers?