Science illiteracy

Science used to be associated with progress, but is this relation still valid?

The so called “science illiteracy” is a common phenomenon nowadays. The general public is not interested in science itself, but rather on its` products, those being technologies (made possible only because of science). But why is that? There are a few explanations possible. The contemporaneous society is very dynamic, everyone has a schedule and time is a valuable resource; as a result, people prefer not to spend the little time they have to rest going after science. Another factor may be the “fictious inaccessibility”; people tend to regard science as a hard subject, so they avoid scientific literature, thus restricting (and distancing) themselves from science. But what about the youth-the world`s future?

The natural interest of kids in science (such as with dinosaurs and space) seems to fade away as time goes by. This can be easily explained with the fact that children get a lot of exposure to television and videogames, whose content rarely relates to science. Furthermore, when science does get a representation in the entertainment sphere, scientists almost always get the stereotype of the “bad guy” or the cliché “mad scientist”. As for teenagers, science in school becomes an obstacle to be faced in order to graduate-there is no joy in learning. Those factors demotivate the youth to pursue scientific careers and make the contact with science in the adulthood absent.

Science is not just about math and trying to reveal the mysteries of the universe; it has broad applications in everyday life. People who do not apply the scientific method (even without noticing) may be easily fooled. For instance, if a paycheck comes with a high value, it is reasonable for a person to wonder why, go after the reasons and compare usual prices. That doing can result in save of money. This is, in practice, the scientific method-there was an observation, formulation of hypothesis and experimentation. However, if a person doesn’t get exposure to science by any means, his or her perception to observe and analyze different occurrences will get damaged. The distancing from science is the ultimate responsible for science illiteracy.

Even though it is not as easy to read a scientific article as a comic book, the effort is truly rewarding. Science, as mentioned, can bring or improve critical and analytical thoughts, stronger argumentations (with base in evidences), improvement in creativity, solutions to problems, etc.

The most worrying product of science illiteracy is the rise of conspiracy theories and science deniers. There are a few movements which contest stablished science fervently. Flat earthers and anti-vaxxers are dangerous examples of a resonant failure in society. On the one hand the flat earth movement infects people`s knowledge turning them into lies. With that, an overall regress effect happens, as scientists have to put much effort trying to “reteach” basic understandings (if they are not ignored promptly). The fact that the same humanity that went to the moon 50 years ago now has a growing percentage of flat earthers seems odd; it is a true intellectual setback. On the other hand, the anti-vaxxers movement is even more dangerous, as it threats people’s health.

Science deniers usually declare science as enemy because of stablished opinions and belief. When science provides the objective truths that confront and diverge from those opinions and belief, some people make their life goal to disrupt as they can. The so called “pseudosciences” are counterparts, based mostly on mysticism, of stablished science. For example, astrology is the pseudoscience of astronomy. Lovers of pseudosciences do not will to give in to science, they will stick to those principles and even fight for them, not mattering how many evidences are presented. Furthermore, it is ironic the fact that even science deniers make frequent use of science products, may it be in the form of electricity, transportation, heat generation, GPS, telephones, etc.

But when did that “rupture” happen? When did people start to lose their trust in science? It can be said that World War II was the ignition point; it brought a destruction scale that human kind had never experienced before, and the major pieces for such devastation were the atomic bombs. From that point, there is the rise of individuals who vilify science, for instance, blaming it for the production of bombs, rather than humans.

It is easy to see nowadays how wrong people regard science. Exemplifying: the term theory is broadly used in common talk, and it is frequently confused with its scientific meaning. In colloquial chatting, “theory” means something that is not proved, a mere idea. However, in science that same term has a deep significance, it means that an idea was rigorously submitted to analysis, experiments and every kind of contest, and was ultimately proven true. The ambiguity of the term generates in some a sense that scientific theories are just ideas floating around, susceptible to errors. Science gains an imaginary of something flexible, not rigorous at all (which is clearly not the case). From there emerges the formulation of hypothesis in the common sense, much of the times producing mistaken conclusions. For instance, two parallel events do not necessarily correlate (a person having problems eating bread with cheese may not have lactose intolerance, but rather gluten intolerance or even it may have been the fact that the cheese was expired). This practice leads to the production of false information, promoting the scientific misinformation in society. Furthermore, those “guesses” are not applications of the scientific method, so there is no science at all. Science is, at its most fundamental level, true, trustable and reliable. It is, after all, the engine that pushes humanity forward.