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Guardian axed science blog, spreads sciencey rumors instead

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At one time, The Guardian had a respected science section but it was axed in 2018:

Then, apparently, they found a new moneymaker in spreading chemophobia and anti-Americanism with a new series titled “Toxic America.”

The section is every bit as dreadful as it sounds. Chemicals are everywhere, they’re killing you, and gun-toting Americans are to blame. That’s not hyperbole…

Every other article in the Toxic America series is similarly full of egregious half-truths and distortions. One particularly bad one claims that chemicals are costing Americans IQ points, disregarding the well-known observation that IQ has been rising over time, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect. Besides, even if trace amounts of chemicals are making us dumber (an unlikely hypothesis), the IQs of Americans still seem to be increasing.

Alex Berezow, “Toxic America: The Guardian Spreads Chemophobia And Anti-Americanism” at American Council on Science and Health

But now, here’s a question: To what extent is The Guardian only echoing the science culture? Consider, for example,

When Medical Journals Get Woke…

Why has a historic medical publication gone weird

New England Journal of Medicine, seeking new editor, urged to get woke Journal editor: “The main job of journals will not be to disseminate science but to ‘speak truth to power,’ encourage debate, campaign, investigate and agenda-set — the same job as the mass media.

Lancet: Why has a historic medical publication gone weird?

and

Was Thomas Kuhn not so “evil” after all? Philosopher of science: If Errol or Kripke or anyone can tell me something absolutely objective and unchanging about what’s out there in the natural world, I sincerely want to hear and believe that. Maybe I should (re)turn to Jesus. (Huh?)

And this cultural change is overtaking journals, not popular newspapers.

It’s difficult for popular science media to be more interested in facts than the public or the science establishment is. If the Guardian readers would really rather hear about “toxic America,” the paper doesn’t need a science section; with so large a target as the United States, any good propagandist can score plenty of hits.

Berezow is right to call attention to the Guardian’s new focus but the problem seems to be broader and deeper/

Comments
I wonder if any of our Smart Atheist Modern Friends who comment here are Grauniad readers on top of it all. That would be the metaphysical icing on the multiverse cake. Andrewasauber
July 15, 2019
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