6: Science Literacy Beats Misinformation

We didn’t really need a pandemic to show how much we all need science; but it certainly helped. We were awestruck at the speed and ingenuity of medical staff and vaccine makers but, equally, were shaken by the work of mischief makers and conspiracy theorists. When a president suggests COVID-19 could be treated with disinfectant,¹ and his followers applaud, the dangers of a scientifically naïve public are all too apparent. Without some concept of the infection process, exponential growth and relative risk, it's all too easy to side with those opposing vaccination and mask wearing.

But, of course, scientific concepts have always been poorly understood across the population as a whole. Damaging foodstuffs have been gleefully consumed, ecosystems negligently treated and even the foundational concept of evolution widely denied. Ignorance of science and maths is socially acceptable, even amongst the otherwise well-educated. Young children begin life with a profound sense of curiosity (as parents know only too well), probing the natural world and testing physical structures around them. At some point in the secondary school curriculum, however, many become disenchanted with science and drop the subject as soon as possible. As a consequence, many adults lack basic concepts needed to navigate an increasingly technical world. This leaves them prey to false reasoning and simplistic ideas about cause and effect.