"How to explain the rise of Neil deGrasse Tyson? It’s hard to deny that we live in an era in which science — as both a worldview and as a practice — is under near-constant assault. On the left, there are those who rail against the dangers of GMOs and vaccines. On the right, there are those who deny climate change and the evolution of species."
I've thought about this a lot. I know a number of highly intelligent and articulate people who seem to hold a kind of animosity toward science, and in talking to them I always try to figure out exactly why this is.
I've identified what I think are several reasons.
(1)
Science is about reality. It's about learning about reality and a commitment to reality. Unfortunately for a great many people reality just flat out sucks and there's little they feel they can do about it.
You're stuck in a dead-end job with debts piling up, an underwater house, and failing health. The last thing you want to hear about is reality. You want unreality-- the more unreal the better-- because your reality is awful and then you're going to die.
(2)
There has been a general loss of confidence in institutions, scientific and academic ones included.
I don't think this is wholly irrational. We've had multiple presidential administrations that have lied us into war. The financial industry has run what amount to pump-and-dump scams against the public (e.g. the housing bubble). These sorts of things show people that institutions aren't to be trusted. They are often either predatory or incompetent.
What's that got to do with science?
Well... from an ordinary person's point of view, science belongs to the same stratospheric realm as high finance and government. It's part of the world of "big" things... "big" things that stomp on the little guy.
(3) (and I think this might be the big one)
Science says things that are concrete and falsifiable. Since humans are not infallible, that means that some of what you say is almost certainly going to turn out to be wrong.
Superstitious ideologies on the other hand seldom make concrete promises or provide answers that are actually testable or verifiable. As a result, they are never wrong. They're never wrong because they are not really saying anything. (Politicians and salesmen are also masters of this art... it's not by any means confined to religion.)
Every time science makes a mistake, it counts against it in peoples' minds. "Oh, they were wrong about trans fats... that means GMO foods can't be trusted either!"
I've thought about this a lot. I know a number of highly intelligent and articulate people who seem to hold a kind of animosity toward science, and in talking to them I always try to figure out exactly why this is.
I've identified what I think are several reasons.
(1)
Science is about reality. It's about learning about reality and a commitment to reality. Unfortunately for a great many people reality just flat out sucks and there's little they feel they can do about it.
You're stuck in a dead-end job with debts piling up, an underwater house, and failing health. The last thing you want to hear about is reality. You want unreality-- the more unreal the better-- because your reality is awful and then you're going to die.
(2)
There has been a general loss of confidence in institutions, scientific and academic ones included.
I don't think this is wholly irrational. We've had multiple presidential administrations that have lied us into war. The financial industry has run what amount to pump-and-dump scams against the public (e.g. the housing bubble). These sorts of things show people that institutions aren't to be trusted. They are often either predatory or incompetent.
What's that got to do with science?
Well... from an ordinary person's point of view, science belongs to the same stratospheric realm as high finance and government. It's part of the world of "big" things... "big" things that stomp on the little guy.
(3) (and I think this might be the big one)
Science says things that are concrete and falsifiable. Since humans are not infallible, that means that some of what you say is almost certainly going to turn out to be wrong.
Superstitious ideologies on the other hand seldom make concrete promises or provide answers that are actually testable or verifiable. As a result, they are never wrong. They're never wrong because they are not really saying anything. (Politicians and salesmen are also masters of this art... it's not by any means confined to religion.)
Every time science makes a mistake, it counts against it in peoples' minds. "Oh, they were wrong about trans fats... that means GMO foods can't be trusted either!"