For Slate, Katie MacBride traces a thread from the publication of the groundbreaking book “Silent Spring” through today’s wellness influencers touting “all-natural” products. She examines the connotation of “chemical” with “toxic” and, conversely, “natural” with “wholesome.” MacBride examines how this phenomenon may have arisen via public awareness of high-profile pollution events as well as low science literacy and our bias toward sensationalism, with nuance and context too easily left by the wayside. Photo: National Cancer Institute
