Ok while searching for some form of answer to the posts by tweefo about the Nigerian child witches I cam across this article looking at why people resist science etc.
It was pretty interesting so I thought Id share it
Interesting article. I think the big concern is people’s attitude towards science. Often I hear the following:
- Untrustworthy (evil scientist myth)
- Corrupt (big Pharma Conspiracies etc)
- Dry (long arduous equations, chemical formulas and Latin names)
- “One world-view” myth (The Postmodern view on Science)
- Cold and unnatural (e.g. alt med’s appeal to it being “natural”)
And the worst myth of them all: - Arrogant, single-minded and intolerant of other’s views (when it is in fact exactly the opposite)
I don’t know where to start really with changing this world-view without a massive continuous PR campaign.
Obviously Flagship science works (e.g. Dinosaurs, Space Exploration, cool chemistry experiments), but it’s got a long way to go.
This article suggests a contributory factor to people’s disdain for science, perhaps even the deciding one. In essence, as much as 80% of people are not capable intellectually of mustering sufficient abstract thought of the kind necessary for an appreciation of science. Needless to say, this is a politically incorrect proposition, but nonetheless a plausible one.
'Luthon64