Superstition is defined by the Turkish Language Association’s Contemporary Turkish Dictionary as “a groundless belief, legend, tale, or narrative that has no basis in reality, originating from religions prior to Islam or later fabricated despite not being part of religion.” In other words, it refers to unfounded beliefs or fabricated claims that are not based on reason, science, or evidence. Such beliefs are often disseminated through hearsay and are widely accepted as truth. Magic, on the other hand, is defined by the same dictionary as “sorcery” and refers to a set of practices and beliefs based on the assumption that humans can influence nature through supernatural powers. Neither superstition nor magic has been scientifically proven; both are largely rooted in deception, psychological effects, or irrational beliefs.
For thousands of years, humans interpreted natural phenomena, diseases, and disasters as manifestations of divine wrath or the influence of evil spirits. In an effort to cope with these events, they turned to magical practices. Ignorance and the lack of scientific knowledge contributed to the frequent retelling and eventual mythologization of such beliefs. For instance, attempts were made to transform base metals into gold through the philosopher’s stone or to discover the elixir of immortality. Diseases such as cholera and plague were believed to result from sins, while epilepsy was thought to be caused by demonic possession. An etymological analysis of the English word disaster reveals that it is derived from Latin, combining dis- (bad, negative) and aster (star), thus conveying the meaning of a catastrophe caused by unfavorable stars. In antiquity, people believed that major calamities such as diseases, wars, and earthquakes were determined by the positions of stars and planets, and the idea that a shooting star would inevitably be followed by a major disaster became a widespread belief.
Advances in science and technology eventually demonstrated that diseases are not caused by supernatural factors such as sins or evil spirits, but rather by viruses, bacteria, environmental influences, and genetic factors. As the scientific origins of diseases became clearer, more accurate and effective treatment strategies were developed. Today, many therapeutic approaches are designed in accordance with the principles of personalized medicine, including smart drugs, targeted molecules, and intelligent treatment systems. In social media, television programs, and everyday conversations, terms such as “smart materials,” “smart drugs,” and “smart polymers” are frequently encountered. In order to explain these concepts, several fundamental questions must first be addressed.
What truly makes these materials “smart”? What is a polymer? How can smart polymers be utilized in healthcare applications?
Smart materials can generally be defined as materials capable of sensing environmental changes—such as temperature, pH, light, electric fields, or magnetic fields—and responding to these stimuli in a controlled and purpose-driven manner. Polymers, in contrast, are high–molecular-weight macromolecules formed by the repeated chemical bonding of many small molecules called monomers. Polymers may be natural or synthetic. Natural polymers include proteins, DNA, RNA, and starch, whereas materials such as polyester and polyurethane are examples of synthetic polymers. Although polymers are commonly associated with plastics in everyday language, they actually constitute an extremely broad class of chemical structures with vast application potential. Consequently, polymers are frequently encountered in biomedical applications, particularly in nanotechnology-based personalized treatment approaches. Their use in these fields is expected to increase significantly in the future.
Smart polymers are materials that can change their shape, color, physical properties, or function in response to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, light, electric fields, or magnetic fields. These polymers are designed through precise and sophisticated engineering strategies. They may exhibit bioactive effects on their own or function as systems capable of carrying drug molecules within their structures.
Smart polymers can display different behaviors in various biological environments within the body. For example, a temperature-sensitive smart polymer conjugated with a drug can circulate throughout the body without harming healthy tissues; however, when it reaches areas with elevated local temperature, such as sites of injury or infection, it can release the drug in a controlled manner.
Similarly, chemotherapy drugs are known to affect not only cancerous cells but also healthy cells, leading to severe side effects. This represents one of the major challenges in cancer treatment. However, when a chemotherapy agent is delivered via a pH-sensitive smart polymer system, the drug remains inactive in healthy tissues but is selectively released in tumor regions where the pH is lower. As a result, healthy tissues are preserved, side effects are reduced, and the effectiveness of treatment is significantly enhanced. Smart polymers thus represent one of the most promising building blocks of modern biomedical therapies.
Rather than relying on an amulet believed to bring good luck, a polymer that delivers a drug precisely to the core of a disease demonstrates that true miracles are the products of science. Over time, many phenomena once interpreted by ancient civilizations as magic, supernatural powers, or miracles have been shown to have scientific explanations. As Arthur C. Clarke famously stated, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
In this context, smart polymers are not forms of magic or sorcery, but rather impressive and tangible outcomes of scientific and technological progress. As long as humanity continues to advance under the guidance of science, the future will be shaped not by luck or superstition, but by the concrete and measurable power of engineering and scientific knowledge. Believe not in superstitions, but in smart polymers.
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