A timely and extremely important piece by Dr. Gawande:
THE MISTRUST OF SCIENCE by Atul Gawande [Caltech Commencement Address]
THE MISTRUST OF SCIENCE by Atul Gawande [Caltech Commencement Address]
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-mistrust-of-science
Dr. Gawande notes -
“The scientific orientation has proved immensely powerful. It has allowed us to nearly double our lifespan during the past century, to increase our global abundance, and to deepen our understanding of the nature of the universe. Yet scientific knowledge is not necessarily trusted. Partly, that’s because it is incomplete. But even where the knowledge provided by science is overwhelming, people often resist it—sometimes outright deny it. Many people continue to believe, for instance, despite massive evidence to the contrary, that childhood vaccines cause autism (they do not); that people are safer owning a gun (they are not); that genetically modified crops are harmful (on balance, they have been beneficial); that climate change is not happening (it is).
Dr. Gawande notes -
“The scientific orientation has proved immensely powerful. It has allowed us to nearly double our lifespan during the past century, to increase our global abundance, and to deepen our understanding of the nature of the universe. Yet scientific knowledge is not necessarily trusted. Partly, that’s because it is incomplete. But even where the knowledge provided by science is overwhelming, people often resist it—sometimes outright deny it. Many people continue to believe, for instance, despite massive evidence to the contrary, that childhood vaccines cause autism (they do not); that people are safer owning a gun (they are not); that genetically modified crops are harmful (on balance, they have been beneficial); that climate change is not happening (it is).
…
The sociologist
Gordon Gauchat studied U.S. survey data from 1974 to 2010 and found some deeply
alarming trends. Despite increasing education levels, the public’s trust in the
scientific community has been decreasing. This is particularly true among
conservatives, even educated conservatives. In 1974, conservatives with college
degrees had the highest level of trust in science and the scientific community.
Today, they have the lowest.”
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Related -
Related -
THE PERILS AND PROMISES OF GENE-DRIVE TECHNOLOGY by
Michael Specter
http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-perils-and-promises-of-gene-drive-technology