I think it goes both ways, ever wonder why these people are so dumb? yea, because they consume dumbed down versions of actual science, if the popularisers of science took more effort to educate the masses rather than simply trying to write shock headlines for clickbaits, then maybe the average person would be smarter.
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Yeah, I won't disagree at all.
But it's not just science. It seems like people are fooled into all sorts of bullshit, of nearly every type. The idea that people are not actually understanding things, but are instead just "believing it", is very troublesome.
I mean, if you actually "understand" a scientific topic, there is no debate.
It's obvious what the facts are, and there's no reason to even pretend like it's a political issue. You just need all the facts, and then you need to put the facts into a correct formula, in order to figure out the truth.
But that stuff is tough, especially when even if you get one thing right, there's a million other things that you'll never fully understand. It's only made worse when so many people lie, or have no idea, but act like they do. It just misleads people in nearly every aspect.
Of course, I'd harshly condemn anyone who actually looks down on Bill Nye or Tyson. Those people are for sure "science communicators", and not exactly geniuses, but that doesn't make them bad people, and it certainly doesn't make them wrong, even when it comes to the most controversial issues.
' " The idea that people are not actually understanding things, but are instead just "believing it", is very troublesome. '
very well put, but the way I see it , its only natural. Some people are way easily convinced than others, they let others do the thinking and researching for them, its been that way for centuries. Sure, the internet has changed this quite a bit, but when the news media organisations with the largest reach
want people to believe something, they can and will get it done with ease. Their reach and credibility is way more influential than individual thinkers/researchers spreading accurate information.
Anyways, you can't expect the average person to verify everything they're being fed by the media, they have neither the time nor incentive to take those efforts. I don't blame them either, they have different priorities.. they just want to eat good food, have sex, do drugs, enjoy music etc . who cares about the truth when you're happy and content with your life?