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Because everyone has a responsibility to vote. Even in a representative government, we've been shown over and over again that voting requires at least a basic s

by pkulak 5y ago

Because everyone has a responsibility to vote. Even in a representative government, we've been shown over and over again that voting requires at least a basic science literacy.

monkeybutton 5y ago
Every wingnut that thinks windmills give you cancer, essential oils are medicine, is anti-vaxx, votes for pro-oil lobby politicians, climate change disbelieving and so on, has been failed by lack of STEM education.
- evgen 5y ago
  Studies have shown over and over again that scientific literacy is no panacea against believing in bad science and that facts are poor counter-points to aggressive disinformation. HN is filled to the brim with people who declare their STEM credentials quite loudly but who seem to only have enough scientific literacy to google for papers from which they can cherry-pick stats to support their own politically-motivated positions.
  - beaconstudios 5y ago
    yep, this is part of what I was trying to say. There are a lot of STEM-heads who like to point to their interest, employment or education in STEM as credentials for their rationality but who are mostly incapable of thinking critically. The level at which you have to critically engage with topics like empiricism and epistemology are way beyond the level of science education and towards being an actual research scientist.
  - nate_meurer 5y ago
    Panacea is a strawman. If a little extra science education would relieve society of at least a few homeopaths, flat earthers, and free-energy kooks, maybe that's enough?
beaconstudios 5y ago
how is that the case? IIRC when I was in secondary school (ages ~11-16 in the UK) I had to take science (I also took physics in college afterwards, but that's besides the point). What did I learn? Newtonian mechanics, some basic experimental procedures tested out against the whole "objects fall at the same speed regardless of weight" proof, and such things. How does any of that help people to vote? I'm sure this is related to the "Republicans are anti-science" thing, but that's a cultural divide, not a lack of education.
realgov 5y ago

by pkulak 5y ago

Because everyone has a responsibility to vote. Even in a representative government, we've been shown over and over again that voting requires at least a basic science literacy.

monkeybutton 5y ago

Every wingnut that thinks windmills give you cancer, essential oils are medicine, is anti-vaxx, votes for pro-oil lobby politicians, climate change disbelieving and so on, has been failed by lack of STEM education.

evgen 5y ago
Studies have shown over and over again that scientific literacy is no panacea against believing in bad science and that facts are poor counter-points to aggressive disinformation. HN is filled to the brim with people who declare their STEM credentials quite loudly but who seem to only have enough scientific literacy to google for papers from which they can cherry-pick stats to support their own politically-motivated positions.
- beaconstudios 5y ago
  yep, this is part of what I was trying to say. There are a lot of STEM-heads who like to point to their interest, employment or education in STEM as credentials for their rationality but who are mostly incapable of thinking critically. The level at which you have to critically engage with topics like empiricism and epistemology are way beyond the level of science education and towards being an actual research scientist.
- nate_meurer 5y ago
  Panacea is a strawman. If a little extra science education would relieve society of at least a few homeopaths, flat earthers, and free-energy kooks, maybe that's enough?

beaconstudios 5y ago

how is that the case? IIRC when I was in secondary school (ages ~11-16 in the UK) I had to take science (I also took physics in college afterwards, but that's besides the point). What did I learn? Newtonian mechanics, some basic experimental procedures tested out against the whole "objects fall at the same speed regardless of weight" proof, and such things. How does any of that help people to vote? I'm sure this is related to the "Republicans are anti-science" thing, but that's a cultural divide, not a lack of education.

realgov 5y ago