Anita Makri argues that the form of science communicated in popular media leaves the public vulnerable to false certainty.
What is truth? How do we find it and does it still carry weight in public debate? Given recent political events, these are important and urgent questions. But of the two industries I work in that are concerned with truth — science and journalism — only the latter has seriously engaged and looked for answers. Scientists need to catch up, or they risk further marginalization in a society that is increasingly weighing evidence and making decisions without them.
[...] What's overlooked by many is how science is losing its relevance as a source of truth. To reclaim this relevance, scientists, communicators, institutions and funders must work to change the way that socially relevant science is presented to the public. This is not about better media training for researchers. It demands a rethink about the kind of science that we want to communicate to broader society. This message may sound familiar but the new focus on post-truth shows there is now a tangible danger that must be addressed.
[...] If the public is better equipped to navigate this science, it would restore trust and improve understanding of different verdicts, and perhaps help people to see through some of the fake news that circulates on scientific matters.
http://www.nature.com/news/give-the-public-the-tools-to-trust-scientists-1.21307
What do you think, will the general public trust these tools, if available ?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 18 2017, @05:15PM
When you start out from a "rock solid" foundation it is easy to see the bias. Jmo you started off with the preconception of liberal ivory tower elitism and thus read into everything like a true conspiracy nut. You don't care about what the author is trying to say, only how it fits into the pieces of your pet theory. The problem is that you and your fellow crazies actively destroy attempts at communicating science. For all the talk about agendas and echo chambers you sure do a good job at trying to derail anything that doesn't fit your worldview. I almost never see rational debate from your posts, just rambling about the evils of progressives.
Trump winning sure lifted the veil on the divide which has been lurking for a long time. I'll just sit back and watch you crazies do mental backflips to try and justify the next 4 years of Big Cock being repeatedly shoved up your ass.