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>people who are inherently skeptical but not particularly bright. Not like you, of course. You’re so much smarter than the masses right? What an insufferable
by edgyquant 3y ago
>people who are inherently skeptical but not particularly bright.
Not like you, of course. You’re so much smarter than the masses right? What an insufferable and ignorant view of the average person.
- mcpackieh 3y agoI didn't say average, so spare me your performative edginess Mr Edgy Quant. I perceive people with anti-science attitudes to be a minority of the general population, albeit a large enough minority to be socially (and democratically) significant. I'm talking about people who say (and mean, without trolling intent) things like "space is fake, NASA is lying to us." As many as 1 in 5 Americans believe the moon landings were faked, despite all the common landing-denialist talking points being easy [for literate people] to debunk with only a few minutes of research. Do you think it is insufferable and ignorant to acknowledge the fact that roughly 1 in 5 adult Americans is barely literate, and roughly half read below a 6th grade level? Should we pretend this isn't true, for the sake of decorum? (If you doubt these figures, I trust that you know how to look it up.) To people like this, the primary scientific literature is simply inaccessible. Some of them go with the flow and take science on faith, but the more skeptical among them will often wind up distrusting scientists because pop-sci communication is rife with inconsistencies and exaggerations even they can spot. If you think I've gotten anything factually wrong in the above, please point it out. If your problem is merely with my attitude, then I can assure you the feeling is mutual.