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Scientists are on average a little left-leaning but science denialism, somehow, is something that crops up in both far-left and far-right spaces (just not equal

Scientists are on average a little left-leaning but science denialism, somehow, is something that crops up in both far-left and far-right spaces (just not equally). If you were in a leftist bubble, you’d have been seeing science denialism for a while now. Far-left science denialism starts with the “only use natural products, chemicals are bad for you, vaccines are bad for you” crunchy lifestyle accounts. Sometimes I think the political spectrum is more of an S1 topology.

eastof 3y ago
> somehow Science is funded by government, so researchers come to conclusions that support them. I'm not suggesting any conspiracy, just incentives. Researchers just see which proposals get funded, and it happens those are the ones that support the mainstream narrative that the government would like to push. So it makes sense that if you are against the mainstream narrative, this would also pit you against some mainstream science. Disclaimer: I'm not trying to lend support to science denialism (I'm somewhat centrist). Just trying to explain why hard liners would tend to engage in it.
- klodolph 3y ago
  I don’t think “mainstream narrative that the government would like to push” is in any way explicatory. The idea that there is some kind of mainstream narrative doesn’t seem to hold up to me. If you are doing food science you can conceivably get your funding from the FDA, USDA, NIH, or even DOD. Those agencies have their own objectives and are filled with people that have varying viewpoints about what kind of research is important or unimportant, and varying viewpoints about what the mission of their agency is. I’m not saying that this is an apolitical process. I don’t believe that an apolitical process is possible here, even in theory, and if we imagine a world where an apolitical process were possible, I don’t think such a process would be desirable. I’m also not saying that the process isn’t flawed. I’m just saying that there is not a coherent, unified political force here, and in this environment, there is plenty of room for good research, good science to be done. I would like to hear if you are basing this opinion on any of your personal experience applying for research grants, or on any informed analysis of how this works, or whether you are just making conjectures about incentives based on the same facts everyone else has.
bdavisx 3y ago
>If you were in a leftist bubble, you’d have been seeing science denialism for a while now. That's interesting, if you ask me: "are you in a leftist bubble" - I would answer "probably a little." But I've NEVER seen any science denialism, so I guess I'm not? What kind of denialism are you talking about wrt leftists?
- ilikehurdles 3y ago
  Antivax views have long been present on the left. Quack medicine (like Homeopathy) has a big market on the left. There’s also no shortage of self-diagnoses especially regarding mental illnesses there, which some have taken to adoptint extreme covid paranoia, contrary to actual scientific guidelines.

eastof 3y ago

> somehow Science is funded by government, so researchers come to conclusions that support them. I'm not suggesting any conspiracy, just incentives. Researchers just see which proposals get funded, and it happens those are the ones that support the mainstream narrative that the government would like to push. So it makes sense that if you are against the mainstream narrative, this would also pit you against some mainstream science. Disclaimer: I'm not trying to lend support to science denialism (I'm somewhat centrist). Just trying to explain why hard liners would tend to engage in it.

klodolph 3y ago
I don’t think “mainstream narrative that the government would like to push” is in any way explicatory. The idea that there is some kind of mainstream narrative doesn’t seem to hold up to me. If you are doing food science you can conceivably get your funding from the FDA, USDA, NIH, or even DOD. Those agencies have their own objectives and are filled with people that have varying viewpoints about what kind of research is important or unimportant, and varying viewpoints about what the mission of their agency is. I’m not saying that this is an apolitical process. I don’t believe that an apolitical process is possible here, even in theory, and if we imagine a world where an apolitical process were possible, I don’t think such a process would be desirable. I’m also not saying that the process isn’t flawed. I’m just saying that there is not a coherent, unified political force here, and in this environment, there is plenty of room for good research, good science to be done. I would like to hear if you are basing this opinion on any of your personal experience applying for research grants, or on any informed analysis of how this works, or whether you are just making conjectures about incentives based on the same facts everyone else has.

bdavisx 3y ago

>If you were in a leftist bubble, you’d have been seeing science denialism for a while now. That's interesting, if you ask me: "are you in a leftist bubble" - I would answer "probably a little." But I've NEVER seen any science denialism, so I guess I'm not? What kind of denialism are you talking about wrt leftists?

ilikehurdles 3y ago
Antivax views have long been present on the left. Quack medicine (like Homeopathy) has a big market on the left. There’s also no shortage of self-diagnoses especially regarding mental illnesses there, which some have taken to adoptint extreme covid paranoia, contrary to actual scientific guidelines.