Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future

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Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future

By Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum, Basic Books. Posted August 21, 2009.

Science matters- to politics, the economy, and our future. But do Americans really understand and appreciate that?




From Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. Excerpted by arrangement with Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2009.


Rethinking the Problem of Scientific Illiteracy

As Mark Twain put it, “The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so.” Take the army of aggrieved parents nationwide who swear vaccines are the reason their children developed autism and who seem impossible to convince otherwise. Scientific research has soundly refuted this contention, but every time a new study comes out on the subject, the parents and their supporters have a “scientific” answer that allows them to retain their beliefs. Where do they get their “science” from? From the Internet, celebrities, other parents, and a few non-mainstream researchers and doctors who continue to challenge the scientific consensus, all of which forms a self-reinforcing echo chamber of misinformation.

The anti-vaccination advocates are scientifically incorrect; there’s little doubt of that at this point. But whether they could be called “ignorant” or “scientifically illiterate” is less clear. After all, they’ve probably done far more independent research about a scientific topic that interests and affects them than most Americans have.

The same goes for other highly informed, and deeply wrong, groups—the global warming deniers, anti-evolutionists, UFO obsessives, and so on. Ignorance isn’t their problem, and neither is a lack of intellectual engagement or motivation. Anyone who has ever discussed global warming on national radio—as Chris has done countless times—can expect to be besieged by callers who don’t accept the prevailing scientific consensus and have obviously done a great deal of research to back up their prejudices. If anything, such individuals want to make a show of their erudition and proceed to rattle off a mind-boggling string of scientific-sounding claims: Global warming isn’t happening on other planets; urban heat islands (cities) thwart global thermometer readings; the atmosphere’s lowest layer, the troposphere, isn’t warming at the rate predicted by climate models; and the like. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/environment/141679/unscientific_america%3A_how_scientific_illiteracy_threatens_our_future

We are a nation of irrational morons.

It allows parents to indulge their "my kid doesn't need to know all that stuff" mindset.

I have read many reviews of this book on science blogs and it has not generally been well received.

They mostly blame scientists for not being good enough communicators without really giving any concrete examples of what they can do to help.

Personally, I blame religion, or at least religious, creationist wackos putting fear in people for teaching evolution.

There is a deep-seated anti-intellectual streak in this country that is beyond anything scientists themselves can do. We as a society hate "eggheads". It is not cool to be smart; scientists are "nerds", etc. All those stereotypes I am sure you have heard. Our whole society is built on not questioning authority. Those who do are "hippie" or some such. We do not teach people critical thinking skills, which is another reason why people believe such wacky things like conspiracy theories or this anti-vaccine nonsense. Even otherwise smart liberals fall for some of the woo.

Just looking around DU illustrates the point. So many people who can't distinguish between a drug, chemical, and a vaccine. Or who even know what the difference between a bacteria and a virus!!

You and your high falutin' attitude that the people are partly to blame for their ignorance, along with our society and political culture. But don't you know that the people really to blame are scientists like you? All your talk of facts and theories and experimentation and evidence isn't meeting people where they are. Why can't you be more like Carl Sagan, who, according to M&K, would never ever be so thoughtless as to tell somebody that they were (horrors!) wrong. So it's you TZ that is responsible for all the scientific ignorance in America. Well, you and PZ Myers, Richard Dawkins, and any other atheist who dares to say religion is bunk.

So many people say things like "I want medicine, not chemicals!" or something else along the line, not understanding that "chemical" is a completely neutral term and that humans are composed of nothing but.

I've seen a few people around here freaking out about the possibility of (for example) MRSA and swine flu "evolving into a hybrid form" and the like too, which gives me a headache even with my humanities degrees.

in all High Schools:

http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Haunted-World-Science-Candle-Dark/dp/0345409469

Anti science morons will be the death of us all.

My field's painfully, indeed deliberately, ignorant of even the basics of what science is (or should) involve, and it's filtered into general reality-checking skills over time. Ugh.

"The Assault on Reason" by Al Gore

I had to pull it out, and re-read it last week, after watching one too many idiots at town hall meetings.

so they choose beliefs based on feelings or fantasies.

You can find a "study" out there to support damned well anything you want: homeopathy, repressed memories, astrology, cranio-sacral therapy. One quick google search, post the link, and people truly believe that they have made a "scientific" argument.

When you are incapable of evaluating research, it all looks good, and you can simply pick any study that claims to support your beliefs. To add insult to injury, it is now fashionable to accuse those who insist on real science of elitism. The biggest change in the past 30 years, IMO, is that the ignorant will now argue what they do not understand with stunning arrogance and bellicosity, backed up only by an internet search and a stunningly inflated self-esteem.

Until people are taught the basics of science and how to discriminate between good research and junk, the "expert" with the nicest shoes, the most enthralling narrative, or the most intimidating voice will win.

see the comments by developmental biologist PZ Myers. A brief excerpt follows:

And too many scientists blankly accept and promote financially-driven science while they tear down contradicting findings.

I've been in the sciences for 25 years and I have yet to see ANY scientist who puts profit above good science. I've seen some poor science but its been more about defending or keepings one reputation in tact or grant money.
Anyone who goes around accusing scientists of being money influenced shills has NEVER been around any. You don't go into the sciences if you want to make the big bucks.
You are trained to evaluate things objectively and think critically--I think scientists are LESS influenced by market forces because of that.

I've seen some poor science but its been more about defending or keeping one reputation in tact or grant money.

That's my point, exactly. And it happens all the freaking time, because if one's theories are dismissed, one's financial situation is equally so.

Someone has to fund the study. Someone always has to fund the study.

HRT. Alternative news sources were saying as far back as the 1980s that HRT was bad news, what with the cancer link, but reaction from the scientific establishment on the medical end ranged from dismissal to scorn, thanks to Wyeth's pushback. It took some 15 years, an HRT rival from a competing pharmaceutical and finally a massive government-funded study to shut that shit up.

They're just in it for the grant money, blah, blah, blah.

I had someone tell me that we may hope to break the sound barrier during our life times.

That global warming can't be real because it was winter and snowing.

They wanted not genetically modified corn, when I tried to explain maze they flipped out an called me a liar.

I've heard that UFOs must exist

for not being more media-savvy. Give me a break - when scientists do try to speak to the public, journalists run it through their !!!!!!! filter to make it sound sexy enough to sell ad space and generate controversy. Furthermore, as long as journalists insist that there "must be" two sides to all stories, we will continue to have global warming deniers and anti-vaxxers running around saying stupid shit and getting believed.

...meaning a largely hands-off, mechanical process (and no disrespect meant to plumbers). As soon as America was enormously prosperous, the men in suits wanted to trade that prosperity for mere wealth.

They thought that they could steal from education funding and sell off expensive domestic labor for unskilled, unprotected foreign drones, and pocket the savings. They didn't realize what would happen if every other executive tried the same damned tactic. Their industries are dying because fewer people can afford them.