Abstract
Patina is the word used for the green or brown film formed on the surface of old bronze, an excess of which can mask the true characteristics of the original masterpiece. Filippo Baldinucci used the word patina in a modern sense for first time in his book “Tuscan Vocabulary of the Art of Design”. Metaphors have been part of philosophical speech since the time of Plato. This figure of speech is used to attempt to provide a sensitive presence of an idea to improve understanding and to make a more vivid perception of that concept. On analysing the creative process of contemporary research on health topics and its further dissemination, we defend the epistemological thesis that there is always some degree of patina on an original article and this may obscure the underlying scientific work. Conclusion: We consider that patina in scientific papers is very different from the concept of epidemiological bias. We think that any researcher who reads an original article acts as a restorer of knowledge. If a reader is aware of the existence of scientific patina, that reader will know how to look through it and see the masterpiece hidden underneath.
Highlights
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines “patina” as “1) a green or brown film on the surface of old bronze; 2) a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age and polishing”
Metaphors have been part of philosophical speech since the time of Plato. This figure of speech is used to attempt to provide a sensitive presence of an idea to improve understanding and to make a more vivid perception of that concept
In view of all these facts, we defend the epistemological thesis that when reading an original research article we are always looking at something “old”, a masterpiece, which can be hidden behind the text
Summary
Metaphors have been part of philosophical speech since the time of Plato. This figure of speech is used to attempt to provide a sensitive presence of an idea to improve understanding and to make a more vivid perception of that concept. Some philosophers like Plato often used metaphors, tacitly admitting that metaphors were a suitable form for speech. Others, such as Aristotle, questioned whether there was a legitimate use for metaphors in philosophical language. In Western tradition the classification of philosophers who use metaphors as followers of Plato and those who do not as followers of Aristotle has become common. Visual metaphors of Maurits Cornelis Escher became very important in certain areas of mathematics (Shattschneider, 1994)
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