Select one of the reasons given by Achenbach in the National Geographic article regarding why the public is distrustful or dismissive of scientific findings.
The first article you will read in this activity from National Geographic lists several reasons why people have become more distrustful of science and the reported findings from research. The author points out many very human fallibilities that scientists and the general public may wish to recognize and overcome as best we can. The article also addresses the “science communication problem,” which is now a hot topic for research.
First:
- Read the National Geographic article by Achenbach titled “The Age of Disbelief (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.”
- Explore the interactive page Major Gaps Between the Public, Scientists on Key Issues (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Read Study Reveals Wide Gaps in Opinion Between Scientists and General Public (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
After carefully reading the National Geographic article, the PBS News Hour page, and visiting the interactive web page by the PEW Research Center, please respond to the following two questions in your initial post:
- Select one of the reasons given by Achenbach in the National Geographic article regarding why the public is distrustful or dismissive of scientific findings. Identify clearly which reason you will be discussing, then restate this reason in your own words.
- Give an example of this type of faulty reasoning from your own experiences or from some popular publication, website, or information source.