A significant portion of reality deniers, found in internet chat or page comments, are not Trolls, but are totally mind-fucked by Evangelical Media Lies.
I also see science misunderstood by many who comment about: climate, evolution, space, geology, etc. Again, a methodical media attack on The Scientific Method has confused these people. They don't know how to cope with all the conflicting opinions. They cannot recognize fallacies.
What can we do about it?
I reckon one of the big problems is school league tables.
If schools are rated on test performance, then there is a huge pressure to 'teach the test'. The examinable content is mashed into student's brains, at the expense of any deeper understanding of the subject at hand.
So a student can recite 'the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell' and 'the kidneys produce urine' and still buy crap from GOOP because they have no understanding of how metabolism and the removal of waste actually works.
That, and the way journalism and journals work in diametrically opposed ways.
Totally agree. The only thing I remember about biology is that “osmosis is the movement of a fluid through a semi-permeable membrane”. I can’t tell you why that is important, however, which would have been much more useful!
Educate our politicians and school boards about real science. Get the "alternative narratives" out of our classrooms and let them stay in Sunday school, the only place they belong. And get out and vote, let it be KNOWN that you vote, so that politicians won't be terrified of the fundamentalists who want creation taught as an "alternative" to science.
It’s sad. I think it is important that kids are taught these kinds of key critical thinking skills at school, and are also taught to remain open minded about learning new things. I remember the first time I came across a chart of the logical fallacies on Reddit, it taught me a few new ones.
The simple scientific method is beyond the capacity to understand by so many people it is criminal. I do not know if the schools are not able to teach or if the people are to stupid to understand or are so controlled by their religion that they refuse to accept what they are being taught. There is a breakdown happening somewhere and it is a crisis.
Speak slowly, using little words and using analogies they can understand. Repeat as necessary
Totally agree! When I am learning something new, particularly of a tech nature I asked to tell me in ABC language and treat me as if I am 5 years old. It’s amazing the number of people can’t do that!