The Politics Of Science Denial

Originally, I’d planned to write about how Americans seem to have lost faith in science, as evidenced by the facts, as follows:

• 1 in 4 Americans doesn’t know that Earth revolves around the Sun
• Only 43% of adult Republicans believed in human evolution in 2013, compared to 54% in 2009, according to Pew Research Centersurvey
• In Kentucky there is a whole museum devoted to showing life on earth is only about 6,000 years old (and definitely no more than 10,000 years old!), where human children are shown putting saddles on dinosaurs

I’d planned on discussing the apparent disconnect in our love of science-based television (CSI, sure, but also Cosmos, Nova, How It’s Made, Mythbusters, etc.), and what seems to be a complete lack of faith in science among the right wing.  My thesis statement was going to be, “Even as scientific information becomes more available in the form of popular TV, our belief in the precepts of science is diminishing.”

And then I did a bit more research.  What I found has left me feeling uncertain about things, insofar as the WHY of things.

Originally, I thought that the right wing had lost faith in science because of their apparent increase in faith as right wing Christians.  Because somehow it seems that today’s Christianity can NOT allow for both faith and science.

I tried to confirm something I thought I’d read about juries starting to doubt DNA science in criminal trials, and I struck out.  Thank goodness!  From what I found, today’s juries are as likely as in years past to rely on DNA science when they vote on guilt or innocence.  (The real danger may be that juries seem increasingly unable to decide on guilt or innocence without benefit of DNA science, which is not always available.  Nor is it necessary.  People say “circumstantial” like it's a dirty word, but circumstantial evidence is often harder to refute than scientific evidence in a court of law.)

My research suggests that Republicans currently distrust science because fewer Republicans are scientists than ever before.  

A couple generations ago, when Republicans had careers in science in equal numbers to other political party members, Republicans had a rock-solid faith and belief in science.  A couple generations ago, Republicans might even have been more confident in science than Democrats.

My research suggests that Democrats also have areas of science they don’t believe in, such as vaccination science and the benefit of animal research.  It seems the more progressive one is, the more one is likely to have moral objections to animal research.  Which is inconsistent with the fact that these same people believed it was “anti-science” when G.W. Bush spoke out against stem-cell research for what he declared were moral reasons.

In today’s climate (pun intended), Republicans distrust climate science most of all.  They also distrust biology, but so do Democrats, though in fewer numbers.  

It seems the older one is, the less likely they will believe in evolution.  Also, and to my utter dismay, it seems women are less likely to believe in evolution than men, irrespective of political leanings.  It also seems that we, as Americans, are more likely to think the OTHER political party is full of idiots, so we tend to believe science the way that our political party represents its general beliefs.

I’m no fan of Republicans in our current world, but I can see that what the world needs now more than ever before is new Republican scientists.  And a lot of them, too.

image credit SMBC

DISCLAIMER:To my Republican friends:  As far as I know, I'm not talking about any of you.  I think ALL my friends are wonderful and have interesting thoughts.  I hope you know the type I refer to in my views.  
Sources:
http://www.science20.com/science_20/when_it_comes_denying_evolution_these_two_large_demographics_have_been_ignored-127063
http://www.science20.com/cool-links/climate_change_no_brains_right_wing_people_are_not_defective-117919