Citations Needed Episode 221: Anti-Science Mugging on the Right and the Ascent of American Anti-Intellectualism
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May 28, 2025 Brenda Ekwurzel, Senior Director of Scientific Excellence at the Union of Concerned Scientists, dives into the troubling rise of anti-intellectualism in the U.S. She highlights how political figures manipulate scientific findings and the media's complicity in mocking research. Ekwurzel discusses the critical role of government-funded studies, often dismissed for their perceived triviality. She also explores the non-linear nature of scientific discovery, emphasizing the societal benefits of pure research and the need for public engagement in scientific discourse, particularly regarding climate change.
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Mocking Science Harms Knowledge
- Mocking so-called frivolous research is a longstanding tactic to distort scientific merit and moral importance. - These attacks reduce complex careers to punchlines, fueling public ignorance and anti-intellectualism.
Understanding Anti-Intellectualism
- Anti-intellectualism involves resentment and suspicion of intellectuals and expertise. - It favors common sense and conformity over mind and individuality, often casting intellectuals as elitist and subversive.
Elites Fuel Anti-Intellectualism
- Many who publicly rail against intellectualism are themselves highly educated elites. - Their demagoguery plays to the crowd, attacking science to gain status without genuine conviction.