These are not the toxins you’re looking for: 5½ Jedi Mind Tricks to understand environmental chemicals

We often hear statistics that every year thousands of new synthetic chemicals are introduced into our everyday environments. We also often hear how many of these chemicals do not break down and accumulate in our bodies. Environmental chemicals can be seen like the dark side of the force from the Star Wars franchise - ubiquitous evil matter flowing through all of us, causing uncontrollable and irreversible destruction.

Environmental chemicals have been suggested to cause all sorts of conditions such as cancer, obesity, developmental issues, neurodegenerative disease and autoimmunity just to name a few. It can be depressing and overwhelming, particularly when considering there have been well proven cases of localised poisoning from industrial accidents or mismanagement. 

No surprise, many of us are suspicious that inescapable toxins are ravaging our health. Many yearn for a more ‘natural' and purer time than now, and put in considerable effort and money to live a clean and organic life. 

Is there nuance to this narrative? Can our minds and perceptions influence the fate of this script? Are all chemicals toxins? Are we all at the mercy of the dark side of the toxin force or can we cultivate a positive force to provide some physiological immunity? Can our conscious mind, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, convince the stormtroopers of our subconscious mind, that sometimes these really aren't the toxins it's looking for? Could other factors, which are more in our control, be impacting our health and wellbeing?

To find out we are going to learn about an Arithmetic Archbishop and a Pessimistic Pornstar. We are going to look at a man who in an attempt to use rocks to tell the time found himself seeing the Matrix. We are going to find out why Abraham Lincoln was so angry and learn about Erin Brochovich’s opportunity to make a sequel movie. And I'm going to potentially ruin some of your favourite pop songs with terrible puns.