As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't fucking make him understand something his worldview depends on him not understanding. Maybe

As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't fucking make him understand something his worldview depends on him not understanding. Maybe that's not such an old saying, but I think it makes the point. In this day and age, a lack of basic scientific understanding usually denotes that the person simply does not want to understand. Maybe they work in oil and gas and want to believe their jobs are secure, or maybe they love Donald Trump, hate 'fake news' and are tired of naysayers saying nay. Whatever it is, you likely can't convince them. But, even more frustrating, if your ideas scare the people you're trying to convince, there is a very good chance that their brain will enter a state where it would be very hard for them to learn. So, if I were in your shoes, I'd just enjoy the holidays and change the subject. Then, if you're still feeling feisty, go home and listen to The Idiots Have Taken Over by NOFX. As Fat Mike says in that song (and as you allude to in another comment), "there's no hope for democracy when ignorance is celebrated." It's sad and I wish that we could all do something, but shit, it's hard enough to convince people to pay attention when they're driving... Good luck!