Immunizing Against Anti-Science with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Peter Hotez

I just want to give a shoutout to Paul. Every time he is on the show he has done his homework. Reading the guest’s book. Thank you for that!

How do you try to combat anti-science?

The problem with the internet is that it does not monetize truth - to the contrary, you can make more money posting lies than truth. The problem with society in general is that we do not value the truth and have not given people the tools to be able to distinguish truth from lies. We could easily do so and in an entertaining way - by creating entertaining games or shows that require you to determine the truth. However, there is a large vested interest in keeping people ignorant of these tools - which makes people more susceptible to marketing pitches, or to do things that are against their own self-interest.

But I'm not scientifically literate (MSW), never having made it past 10th grade biology, but I love your channel. I'm subscribed and watch it every day. ❤

I read a book recently called "The Great Influenza" and it's chilling how similar the reactions, socially and politically, were to the Covid19 pandemic.

The reason why social media and the internet are so key is because of narrowcasting. You no longer have a few outlets that cover things across the spectrum. Now you only have to listen to the things you like and want to hear.

This reminds me: a) my planting zone has changed from 5, to 5a, to 5b, to 6 over the last 30 years, and b) we now have armadillos regularly here, though we were told they couldn't survive the winters, which has also happened over the past 3 decades. It makes me so frustrated that my neighbors, those in my county, etc., that have also lived through these changes, and couldn't have NOT noticed these changes... STILL don't realize that this IS part of the Climate Crisis, and no, it's NOT a very slooooooooow natural change! You shouldn't have lived through changes this freaking dramatic! Your grandkids shouldn't even live long enough that your great-grandparents' climate would be that drastically different to your great-grandchildren's climate. And then, trying to explain to them that this rapid change is also rapidly changing what diseases we are exposed to seems to also be like trying to convince an unpainted brick wall it's not painted. It's not listening... and it's like these deniers are also not listening. They're just like flat earthers, moon landing deniers, and young earth creationists, IMO. They let the facts given out to them go right into one ear and straight out the other, with nary a brain cell noticing them go past. To fight educational illiteracy, vote in better school board members aa well as politicians who will freaking FUND education! That means watching to see if there are any elections in your neighborhood at any time, every single year, NOT just every 4 years.

In my lifetime, as someone who used to teach ecological sciences to the public, I began noticing this evident divide between science and public discourse really kicked up a year or so after the Space Shuttle Program ended (2011). Where I lived here in Florida, the Space Shuttle was a shining beacon for students - an awe-inspiring reminder of what can be accomplished with human commraderie and scientific endevours. In addition to this, Florida's rich ecosystem of fauna and flora captivated many people - and inspired swathes of teenagers to become biologists and what have you. But as the spectacle of space-science died down, and Florida's ecosystem became increasingly tourist-centric, it felt like science was losing its favor and respect within the public's eye.

Bill Bryson wrote a book called The Body, in one of his chapters covered pandemics and how unprepared the world was at the time of his writing. The book came about a year before Covid came along. He was spot on.

The difference between professional peer reviews and civilian peer reviews(aka social media) is that one has experts trying to poke holes in your theory while the other often does not.