4 ms·

I think this whole topic misses the elephant in the room: STEM is a genetic lottery that our current economic and social system rewards with a better life and m

I think this whole topic misses the elephant in the room: STEM is a genetic lottery that our current economic and social system rewards with a better life and more resources. About 90% of the population are the losers in that game and they damn well know it. When humans get excluded like that, they often resent those who got the better deal and will work to nullify their advantage. With science, you can't really say "oh, that doesn't matter", so about the only realistic option is to not care about it, or proudly proclaim you don't know much about it, hence the behavior the author has witnessed. If society would even out the system, I would bet much of the impetus for this anti-science backlash would disappear.

im3w1l 6y ago
The incapable correctly fear that the capable will use the power of their positions for their own ends. When you decide who to trust, you have to make a tradeoff between how competent they are and how likely you think they have your best interests at heart.
ghaff 6y ago
>STEM is a genetic lottery that our current economic and social system rewards with a better life and more resources. I wonder to what degree that statement is flavored by tech tub developer salaries. A lot of scientists aren't especially well compensated compared to say stock traders. STEM does tend to lead to at least somewhat highish prestige occupations but it's not really a money/resources thing.