From the anti-vaxxers to flat earthers: what makes people distrust science?

Scientists lie to protect their funding.

 

So Jon, you must be all into the "climate change" thing then.

 

We as people are not as rational as we think we are. People use a belief as a way to enter a group and identify others as part of the group. We have an almost insurmountable urge to find a group and then try to establish ourselves and excel and maybe even lead that group. This is what happened with the mask wearing controversy. It is a great symbol because of its visibility and your position on that functions as a shorthand to identify where you will probably stand on a lot of issues. If I see someone very anti mask I can tell with good accuracy where they stand on home schooling, who they voted for, where they are on gun control, views on vaccines, critical race theory, homosexuality and so on. All from seeing where they are on masks! And people know this instinctually. The flat earthers are probably having great fellowship with on another and some are excelling and leading their group. Why should they worry whether it's true or not? Scientists do it too. A doctor may spend his days dosing patients on antibiotics that require different calculation parameters for men and women but by golly he's going to quietly go along if his association says that you can change your sex at will. He will not risk his place in his professional group. We all do it.

 

Seems like the flat earthers could easily prove their point - if it was true. Go to the edge and take a picture and publish it. Reminds me of Richard C. Hoagland and "The Monuments of Mars". It was fun to speculate about it but higher resolution photographs proved that there was no human face-like artificial structure on Mars.

 

Regarding conspiracy theories, G.Gordon Liddy used to say the reason conspiracy theories aren't true is because human beings simply cannot keep their mouths shut. You cannot put together a complicated conspiracy without someone blabbing. It's not in our DNA.

 

when the "science" allegedly tells a physician to direct his patient to "go home" rather than prescribe meds/action/both EARLY ...

well.

 

when the VAST majority of docs are giving the same first step ... go home/wait and see ... there's a problem larger than "on the doc"

As I've shared from experienced physicians ... most of 'em have no time to do their own research. That's what managed health care has done. Looking (first) to government to solve a problem results in greater problems.

 

The science is not divorced from the scientist and political ideologues who manipulate the data.


It is incorrect to say one distrusts science. That is propaganda the far left uses. It is correct to say one doesn’t trust the scientists.

 

Here ya go, @JonC

Is this believable? Is it conspiracy? Does the source matter?

Professor: Vaccinated People Have 'Relevant Role' in Spreading COVID-19

 

Gaslighting OP. Who has time for this? Don’t validate by engaging.

 

From Galileo Galilei to Albert Einstein, why do great scientists distrust the “science” of the status quo? (Ether it is, or ether it’s not. )

 

Yep. Scientists almost universally interpret Science to day there is No God. Science believes from the goo, to the zoo, to you.

 

I still want to know if @JonC believes in fossil fuel driven global warming and if he believes in Macroevolution.

 

I have never "distrusted" science as such, but since all scientists are human I've allowed for some discrepancies and/or disagreements among them!
HOWEVER, since the overt politization of covid & multitudes having different takes (polar opposite opinions maybe??) on this bug, and the gov. attempting such forceful control, just makes the whole concept of this brouhaha appear to be POLITICAL from bottom to top; a problem that should have been history within a year at most!
Yes, I pretty much trust science, but not necessarily the SCIENTIST !!
Oh! Also, whether I believe a flat earth or not means precisely zilch as to my thoughts concerning the handling of the bug by the gov''t!
Also DO NOT TRY TO USE THAT LAST STATEMENT AS LABELING ME A "FLAT EARTHER" - as one poster seems to be very adept at doing by his "assumptions"!!

 

If you really wanted to have a meaningful discussion with a “science denier,” you would not ignorantly conflate the issue with politics and religion as this author is doing.

“[R]epublican pushback against the Mueller report”? Really? The Russian Collusion conspiracy theory has been exposed as a real Dem Progressive Left conspiracy.

And he cites religious “evolution denial” as a problem, suggesting he believes in the atheistic model.

If he can’t think of bigger threats to democracy than what he cites, clearly he has too little imagination, and a very poor understanding of the current political scene.

 

I think an Old Testament-based Christian World View helps alleviate mistrust knowing God causes all that happens. And everyone is merely playing the score God wrote for each to follow. Coupled with knowing all things work together for good for those who love God.