However, Richard A L Jones noted that this is very much going with the grain of UK science policy of the past 20 years or so, particularly the reforms ushered in around the time of the 1993 science white paper, Realising Our Potential.
This idea, promoted most forcefully by Paul Hoffman of Harvard University, runs against the grain of thinking in Earth science.
Although the body of science comparing grain-fed beef with grass-fed is small, some studies show that pasture-raised meat can be lower in total fat and higher in omega 3's, conjugated linoleic acid and other helpful fatty acids.
Plus, our new alien friend can gain a useful foundation in childish humour - "my avatar has urinated in the kitchen - why does this amuse you?" Civilization Shows how mankind has used a combination of science, weaponry and grain storage to progress.
Maybe I am making too much of this cinematic grain of sand to see the whole history of science and religion in it.
As with most philosophical pronouncements, Barash's opinions, then, should be taken with a grain of salt, not as the confident deliverance of science.
No surprise then that we are sold mere grains of truth about science, and in particular, that area of science that matters most to me: The application of diet and lifestyle to health promotion and disease prevention.
The idea that pedagogy ought to aspire to the condition of science, or even social science, is quite novel, and it runs against the grain of mainstream educational culture.
