Do people reflexively fear the new? They seem to reject it often enough that there's a psychological syndrome to explain it. The Semmelweis ...TheA.V.ClubDeadspinGizmodoJalopnikJezebelKotakuLifehackerTheRootTheTakeoutTheOnionTheInventoryWecomefromthefutureShopSubscribeHomeLatestReviewsTechio9EartherScienceFieldGuideWecomefromthefutureHomeLatestReviewsTechio9EartherScienceFieldGuideio9EstherInglis-Arkell10/25/139:40AM3510Dopeoplereflexivelyfearthenew?Theyseemtorejectitoftenenoughthatthere'sapsychologicalsyndrometoexplainit.TheSemmelweisReflexisnamedafteraguywhocameupwitharadicalideathatcouldhavesavedthousandsoflives—onlytoseeeveryonerejectitandcontinuewiththekilling.IgnazSemmelweiswasasmartguy.Hewasanobservantguy.Thesequalitiesdidnotservehimwell.Hewasadoctor,andoneofthethingsheobservedwasotherdoctorswalkingstraightfromtreatingthedying,andcuttingupthedead,tothematernitywardswherewomenweregivingbirth.Healsonoticedthatthematernitywardshadsomeabsolutelyhorribledeathrates.Womenwerebetteroffgivingbirthontheirownthangoingtothehospital.AdvertisementAftersometime,andsomemoreobservation,hecameupwithasolution.Itwouldbemuchbetterifphysicianswashedtheirhandssomewherebetweenhandlingsickpatientsandnewbornbabies.Physicians,asawhole,said,"Tohellwiththatguy."Somebecameevenmorestubbornaboutnotwashing.Semmelweisdiedimpoverishedinamentalinstitution.Sincehisdeath,medicalsciencerealizedthathewasright.Hewassosimplyandobviouslyright,andsouniversallyscorned,thathebecamethenamesakeoftheSemmelweisReflex.Thisisanameinformallygiventotherejectionofanewideaorevidencesimplybecauseit'snew.Thereflexstemsfrompeople'sunwillingnesstoshakeupthecustomsthey'reusedto—afterall,noamountofevidencecouldeverbeenoughtomakepeopledothat.Thiscertainlyhappens,butisitreallyareflex?EvenSemmelweis'sowncasesuggeststhatthere'smoretoitthanthat.Semmelweiswasn'tjustaskingdoctorstodosomethingnew;hewassayingthatthey'dactuallybeenkillingtheirpatients.Thathadtobeabitterpillfordoctorstoswallow.G/OMediamaygetacommission3-Pack:Mophi