I like Jennifer Aniston and not simply for the reason you might expect - I am a healthy, heterosexual man - but because she is good at what she does and after actress Marlo Thomas was on the "Friends" TV show while back, Aniston started doing advocacy work for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (started by Danny Thomas, father of Marlo), one of my favorite groups - and still does it.  Plus, Brad Pitt left her for Angelina Jolie, so she must be normal.


There's another good reason now; she seems to accept science and in a year when rubbing coffee on skin became a celebrity trend. Common sense is welcome and normal - unless you are a celebrity and think eating your own placenta and all of the toxins your placenta kept from your baby during pregnancy is somehow a good idea. 


Sense About Science does an annual review of what celebrities, who have an irrational impact on culture, say about science issues. This year they have some good news; plenty of famous people abandoned fad silliness and actually started engaging in critical thinking.  That even meant abandoning homeopathy and trying real medicine instead of the alternative kind first. 

Who would you rather be around, January Jones or Jennifer Aniston?  If you like science, choose the one on the right, who is not a goofball, rather than the one with the Bond Girl name. Credits and links (L to R): The Independent and NY Post

"We seem to be seeing a celebrity divide on science. The implausible and frankly dangerous claims about how to avoid cancer, improve skin or lose weight are becoming ever more ridiculous," Tracey Brown, managing director of Sense About Science, told Steve Connor of The Independent. "On the other hand, this year we have had more examples than ever sent to us of people in the public eye who clearly do check their facts."

Now if only those celebrities could convince Dr. Oz.

Celebrities and Science 2012 report - Sense About Science