It’s got to the point that, whenever we hear that people “fear science,” we expect self-righteous establishment platitudes and wagon-circling, oblivious to genuine reasons for doubt. This guy avoids those pitfalls. Summarizing a conference talk, he suggests, among other things,
Scientists need to be sure they have checked themselves, the data, and motivations before engaging with others.
Listen to those that challenge you and understand that their core values or stories may resonate more with them than a bunch of data and graphs.
Relevancy is key when talking beyond your science peer group. For example, climate change impacts on the price of cereal may resonate more than discussions about polar bears. Marshall Shepherd, “4 Reasons People Fear Science” at Forbes
It sounds so sensible, one wonders why he is allowed to express these views.
Of course, the price of cereal matters more to people on a limited budget than claims about polar bears, which they themselves never see outside a zoo. Most people in the world would not know that polar bears exist if no one told them so but they would know if food was getting scarce and cannot easily be fooled on the point. Good for him for understanding that.
See also: A study of the causes of science skepticism sails right by the most obvious cause of skepticism: Repeated untrustworthiness
Follow UD News at Twitter!