We Want a Broadened Participation in Science

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"We don't want to just say, this is a problem and our hair's on fire about it," says the author. "The worst thing we can do is in knocordin off the scientific reasoners and thinkers from the rest of society." The authors are encouraged by what they've seen social media doing to try to stop misinformation around science. They hope there will be strategies at a higher level that are going to help us confront science denial.

Michael Shermer speaks with Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer about the key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt that can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understanding — critically important at a time when denial has become deadly. Sinatra and Hofer offer tools for addressing science denial and explain both the importance of science education and its limitations, show how science communicators may inadvertently contribute to the problem, and explain how the internet and social media foster misinformation and disinformation. The authors focus on key psychological constructs such as reasoning biases, social identity, epistemic cognition, and emotions and attitudes that limit or facilitate public understanding of science, and describe solutions for individuals, educators, science communicators, and policy makers. If you have ever wondered why science denial exists, want to know how to understand your own biases and those of others, and would like to address the problem, this book will provide the insights you are seeking.