Anti-Science BS Isn't Working Anymore

Carl Sagan wrote about how newspapers were letting their science columnists go -- but every newspaper in America ran a horoscope.

The people that asked to cheat on your high school science homework because they were out partying all weekend are now in charge of everyone’s health. That’s a scary thought.

Tell one of them they have cancer and see how fast they run to a cancer center for treatment.

Peter Thiel pays the Weinstein's and many others millions of dollars to discredit science and experts. No wonder ppl without the best educations are being convinced of bs.

"If it bleeds, it leads," used to be the standard for legacy media. Now it's "If it's absurd, it leads." Steve Bannon got his wish.

I'm a scientist, and we are trying to do more communication. I reach out on social media, try to debunk nonsense. But antiscience is now purely political. They have more $, more time (my postdocs I was working 70 - 80 hrs / week), and pay off 0.1% of us to BS. Great shout outs to Steve Novella and Prof Dave! They do a great job.

I'm a molecular biologist and I'll own that we are only taught science communication for the purpose of talking to other scientists. During the pandemic I managed a lab that collected samples as well as running tests, and as the man in charge I had to learn very quickly how to explain things to people who don't have an extensive scientific education. That being said, people also need to be willing to listen and be open that the answer to their question might not be the one they wanted, or that there is no current definitive answer. And this is something that, IMO, isn't taught by science but by philosophy. Critical thinking, an acknowledgement of the unknowable, and a desire to learn. We don't just need more science education; we need philosophy education.

I just wanna say I'm glad that you guys continue to talk about trans issues. I know not everyone can cover trans issues, but it feels like so many other channels/outlets on the more progressive side just avoid talking about it entirely. Its nice to see a larger channel not afraid to talk about it.

Skeptic's Guide and Professor Dave are both excellent! Lighthouses in a storm of ignorance.

6:38 Another huge cultural shift was the death of educational learning media. The Learning Channel, Discovery, History Channel all moved toward reality shows in the late 90s. They traded learning for fake drama, and its absolutely dumbed down the collective wisdom of the population.