Belief in Science

In my limited experience, even the most unintelligent and backwards people say they believe in science but contend (because this is what their online “research” has taught them), that disciplines like epidemiology and climate change are driven by money and politics, rather than science itself.

Frankly, I have some level of sympathy for these folks, and I count myself lucky at some level that I happen to know a significant number of high-level scientists in these fields personally, and that I can vouch for their integrity on an individual basis.

Also, my brain is wired along the lines of what philosopher David Hume wrote: “We always disbelieve the greater miracle.”

What’s more likely?  That millions of people, all around the globe, with “MD” and “PhD” after their names, working in research institutions and hospitals, conspired to develop and disseminate a story that COVID-19 was a serious disease when they knew it was no more dangerous than the flu?  Or, alternatively, that these people followed legitimate science to reach their conclusions, and took measures to prevent even worse outcomes than those we actually experienced?

When I come across a conspiracy theorist whose ideas are completely baseless, it reminds me that, in so many ways, we’ve lost our ability to think.  Then we see phenomena like Trump rising in the polls, and we have to admit that this is all completely predictable.