Quote:
Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf
|
It's strange that science seems to have disappeared from public view as scientific output has increased annually by about 4% in the last 30 years.
The politicization of science and the resurgence of fundamentalist interpretations of religion seem an unsatisfactory explanation of this phenomenon to me. Especially since it occurs simultaneously in different developed countries.
I'm more tempted to blame the fragmentation and dumbing down of mass media content. It's still the primary source of information for the general public.
Sumeragi also touched upon another point; everyone is an expert on everything. We are capable of creating our own reality bubble around ourselves and we can keep it alive by selective consumption of information. The internet in particular is great place for crackpots to meet and enforce their own beliefs.
I encounter it frequently in my line of work. Outdated economic concepts never seem to remain dead for long, even if disproved centuries ago. To waylay the same misconceptions regularly get's old pretty fast.