alt Hacker NewsAlmost nobody is "anti-science". The source of that labeling and division came from appeals to authority. You must do or believe this because it's "the science." If you don't, or you disagree, then you are anti-science.
It has nothing to do with science, but rather people not finding that a sufficient justification for unpopular actions. For instance it's 100% certain that banning sugary drinks would dramatically improve public health, reduce healthcare costs, increase life expectancy, and just generally make society better in every single way.
So should we ban sugary drinks? It'd be akin to me trying to claim that if you say no then you're anti-science, anti-health, or whatever else. It's just a dumb, divisive, and meaningless label - exactly the sort politicians love so much now a days.
Of course there's some irony in that it will become a self fulfilling prophecy. The more unpopular things done in the name of 'the science', the more negative public sentiment to 'the science' will become. Probably somewhat similar to how societies gradually became secular over time, as it became quite clear that actions done in the name of God were often not exactly pious.
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> Almost nobody is "anti-science".
- 15% of Americans don't believe in Climate Change[0]
- 37% believe God created man in our current form within the last ~10k years
(i.e. don't believe in evolution)[1]
They're large enough numbers that you should know multiple people who hold these beliefs unless you're in a strong bubble.
I'm obviously with you in news and pop-sci being terrible. I hate IFuckingLoveScience. They're actually just IFuckingLoveClickbait. My point was literally about this bullshit.
90% of the time it is news and pop-sci miscommunicating papers. Where they clearly didn't bother to talk to authors and likely didn't even read the paper. "Scientists say <something scientists didn't actually say>". You see this from eating chocolate, drinking a glass of red wine, to eating red meat or processed meat. There are nuggets of truth in those things but they're about just as accurate as the grandma that sued McDonalds over coffee that was too hot. You sure bet this stuff creates distrust in science
[0] https://record.umich.edu/articles/nearly-15-of-americans-den...
[1] https://news.gallup.com/poll/647594/majority-credits-god-hum...
Yes, there are a lot of people who are anti-science. As in they do not believe the scientific method is a good way to find truth. There are people today who are rejecting very basic science that was accepted over a century ago.