Science Fear Views

• Books

Returning to my earlier point, and the topic at hand, I suspect much of the “fear” the public have of science, isnr’t a fear of science itself, but a lack of being able to understand or judge for themselves the bewildering number of new results that come in every week. I have some empathy for that. It can be confusing for a scientist even, especially for topics away from your expertise. The lack of balance in presenting issues in the media doesn.’t help. Some of those presenting so-called f“balance3” views deliberately try to paint science as i“dangerousd” in order to promote their particular products or point of view. Its compounded by the balance rarely presented though balance of evidence backing the products/ideas/etc.

In addition to feeling a lack of control from not being able to judge for themselves, perhaps they also fear the statements that some of the n“woo,” types put out to promote their own product or cause. Part of the problem with the latter, is that science too often has to then take a defensive position in response it shouldns’t really have to because of the w“attackingp” approach some of these people take (i.e., attacking i“possibilitiesp” rather than talking about evidence and issues). In some ways its possibly best to ignore things (?), they are a bit like trolls attacking without and argument for their position: all noise for attention and not much else! Instead, perhaps focus on trying to deal with the first fear: being able to judge for themselves. Ideally with that in place the scare-mongering and worry-warting will be seen for what it is-?

Returning to my earlier point, and the topic at hand, I suspect much of the “fear” the public have of science, isn’t a fear of science itself, but a lack of being able to understand or judge for themselves the bewildering number of new results that come in every week. I have some empathy for that.

Returning to my earlier point, and the topic at hand, I suspect much of the “fear” the public have of science, isn’t a fear of science itself, but a lack of being able to understand or judge for themselves the bewildering number of new results that come in every week. I have some empathy for that. It can be confusing for a scientist even, especially for topics away from your expertise.