Well if Scientists don’t use science it is pointless!
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It’s not just attacking science and denying corroborated, peer reviewed scientific findings. It’s all of a piece for the GOP.
The state official in charge of Oklahoma’s schools is facing calls for impeachment, after he said teachers should tell students that the Tulsa race massacre was not racially motivated.
In a public forum on Thursday, Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction, said teachers could cover the 1921 massacre, in which white Tulsans murdered an estimated 300 Black people, but teachers should not “say that the skin color determined it”.
Walters is a pro-Trump Republican who was elected to oversee Oklahoma education in November. He has consistently indulged in rightwing talking points including “woke ideology” and has said critical race theory should not be taught in classrooms. Republicans have frequently conflated banning critical race theory with banning any discussion of racial history in classrooms.
“How are you going to talk about a race massacre as if race isn’t part of the very cause of the incident?” Andrews said.
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I know a few people who are “medical science writers.” They were MDs (completed an accredited medical school and got their MD), but for one reason or another, did not want to go on and practice medicine. But wanted to take medical scientific literature and translate it into a widely understandable communication for lay people. Or they have become popular (fiction) writers. They have a unique perspective and ability.
By the way, in my experience, the average American reading ability is that of a Fifth grader. Yes, we are not all that smart. 
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The type of person who pursues a career in science isn’t always equipped with skills that enable communication with the general public. It’s not a job requirement, so it’s not surprising many scientists aren’t trying to “speak American.”
There have always been a few science popularizers who have the right skills, like Carl Sagan who had a gift for communication. Sabine Hossenfelder’s “Science without the gobbledegook” channel on YouTube is a good contemporary version of Sagan’s public outreach. Sean Carroll is another good explainer of complex ideas.
It’s a tough gig though, beating your head against the general public’s willful ignorance on topics they either don’t want to believe, or are too scary to think about.
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It’s a shame that those same rights don’t extend to others, e.g., teachers and retailers
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This is a beautifully written, thoughtful piece. Thank you for sharing this with us all.
This is why I chose a life in scientific/medical research:
But in explaining the ultimate truth, both science and religion ultimately fall short. But science holds its truths as provisional, a mere work in progress, and always, always — always — subject to change upon additional information.
And that’s because science is not actually about “knowing” anything for certain, but about gathering, evaluating and verifying evidence.
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Arthur Conan Doyle and Michael Chrichton come to mind as physicians writing for public consumption. There are many others; e.g., Robin Cook, etc.
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While I agree with you regarding the relative value of science research and paranoid fantasy, I’m not so sure about the financial aspect of them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the scammers who latched onto the Q eliminationist rhetoric weren’t able to run quite lucrative grifts based on it.
Tfg, for example (admittedly, it was only part of his income stream,) has rolled in $100s millions in poorly tracked donations. It may even be the centerpiece of a forthcoming indictment.
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Theirs is a Gospel worth listening to and spreading
broad and wide. Though perhaps out of their comfort
zone, some scientists should maybe take the next step
and run for political office. That’s where the power is
and in sufficient numbers, they could make a
difference.
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Yes, but think of the convenience and comfort they add to going to hear the inquisitor read the day’s allegations and sentences.
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The iceberg that sunk the Titanic is now asking, what
about me? Can you just say the Titanic sunk without
bringing me into it? I have feelings too.
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I was a grad student in physics at UIUC in the 80s, during Reagan’s SDI (“Star Wars”). Scientific activism in the physics community in opposition to SDI was very much alive then, drawing at UIUC from scientists who had also been active in non-proliferation, arms treaties, and helping “refusniks” get out of the USSR.
I recall public lecture series on the subjects of evolution and SDI. Hans Bethe came to talk against SDI. Our two-time Nobel laureate in physics, John Bardeen, talked and wrote in local media about the corrosive proposals out of the Reagan administration that grad student research stipends be guaranteed highest for those working on SDI-related projects.
Folks like William Happer lapped up SDI money (and did excellent work on adaptive optics as a result). He then fell out of favor with the G.H.W. Bush administration for opposing action to remediate the erosion of the ozone layer, and of course is more famous under Trump for his advocacy of increasing CO2 levels and comparing the “demonization” of CO2 to the holocaust.
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Yes, there are many fine examples of very gifted physician/writers (from Maimonides through Maugham, through Mukherjee) –
The prevalence of great physician-writers suggests an affinity between medicine and writing. Among the best-known practitioners are the Russian short-story writer and playwright Anton Chekhov; the poets John Keats and William Carlos Williams; and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmes and his physician sidekick, Dr. Watson. Contemporary physician-writers include Oliver Sacks, M.D.; Jerome Groopman, M.D.; Atul Gawande, M.D.; and Abraham Verghese, M.D., author of the popular novel Cutting for Stone . Khaled Hosseini, M.D., wrote The Kite Runner ; Robin Cook, M.D., writes medical thrillers; and the late Michael Crichton, M.D., wrote popular fiction on everything from dinosaurs to marijuana smugglers to extraterrestrial plagues.
From an interesting article I found:
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Science Activism Is Surging—Demonstrating A Culture Shift Among Scientists
It’s coming down to a life or death situation for us now.
The reason many climate scientists haven’t really bothered is because they have tried to do so and discovered that there really isn’t any point in trying to reach people. They don’t listen and in many cases, just don’t give a shit or, they’re hostile and attack the science instead of the problem.
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Thank you for those kind words.
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[quote=“uneducated, post:8, topic:238548, full:true”]
What I have noticed or learned:
Science, Scientist talk in a language most uneducated and many educated folks don’t understand ]
Gotta disagree here. When scientists speak to the general public, it is in lay terms nearly 100% of the times. Yesterday, I saw two climate scientists on TV. They were not speaking in technical language.
Dr Fauci, for ex, always spoke as simply as possible about covid and vaccines, only to get pilloried like some warlock or horse thief. Ditto for climate scientists.
Problem is denialism. So many do not want to hear their messages when those messages are not pollyannish.
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I was a scientist/activist for 25 years. I did so by structuring my research so that the outcomes could be used by state and federal agencies to protect, preserve and restore natural ecosystems, especially those with rare and/or endangered species. I also testified at hearings and made written commentary on relevant environmental impact reports. I worked to present only what I could support via well constructed peer-reviewed research, long term observations and meticulous mapping. Because of my care I was trusted by consultants who were generally hired by developers as well as the regulatory government agencies. My work didn’t hurt my career, but actually enhanced it. I wasn’t alone. However, for a variety of reasons, racial minorities were not attracted to the research area that was my focus.
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Bless you.
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Thank you.
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Yes, and to make matters worse, the oil industry has helped them rationalize this denialism now for at least 40 yrs if not longer.
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