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Why have scientific facts become easy to deny in 2019? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
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| Photo: Getty |
Science is like
Facebook in that the very things that make it work (in Facebook’s case,
share and connect) also seem to provide a veneer of legitimacy to those
who want an excuse to deny it.
What makes science go
is that it’s technical and abstract, done in collectives, fallible, can
challenge our values, can be passed on without repeating it, and is
able to change nature.
That it’s technical and abstract can
appear to legitimate politicians dismissing it, saying “I am not a
scientist.” Mitch McConnell, for instance, saying that he’s only
interested in Kentucky’s economy, not in global warming...
That it can generate knowledge that can be passed on means
that we can take it for granted. Think politicians not voting for earth
satellites or more scientific research because we have enough already.
