The Political Climate for Science

(and Skepticism)

Kenneth Silber

Monthly meeting of the

Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT)

Sept. 16, 2017

Quicksilber.blogspot.com

My perspective

•  Republican 1983-2016; RINO-turned-independent; Hillary voter •  Journalist covering science, politics, finance; writer/editor/fact checker •  Experience in both ‘MSM’ and right-leaning opinion journalism •  Interested in sci/tech history; author of book about the Erie Canal

The political climate for …

¤ Science

¤ Science journalism

¤ Skepticism

Political climate: science

Source: Pew Research Center. “Democrats far more supportive than Republicans of federal scientific research,” 5/1/17.http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/01/democrats-far-more-supportive-than-republicans-of-federal-spending-for-scientific-research/ “Americans Divided on Whether Recent Science Protests Will Benefit Scientists’ Causes,” 5/11/17. http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/11/americans-divided-on-whether-recent-science-protests-will-benefit-scientists-causes/

Source: Gauchat, Gordon, “Politicization of Science in the Public Sphere: A Study of Public Trust in the United States, 1974 to 2010.” American Sociological Review 77(2), April 2012.

Source: Pew Research Center. “Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media,” 7/9/2009. http://www.people-press.org/2009/07/09/public-praises-science-scientists-fault-public-media/

Source: RushLimbaugh.com, “Global Warming Scientists: We Were Wrong,” 9/13/17. https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/09/17/global_warming_scientists_we_were_wrong/ See also: RushLimbaugh.com, “Climategate Hoax: The Universe of Lies Versus the Universe of Reality,” 11/24/09. https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2009/11/24/climategate_hoax_the_universe_of_lies_versus_the_universe_of_reality/

URL: https://twitter.com/energypresssec/status/890628847984492545?lang=en

Source: Pew Research Center. “Sharp Partisan Divisions in Views of National Institutions,” 7/10/2017. http://www.people-press.org/2017/07/10/sharp-partisan-divisions-in-views-of-national-institutions/

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, “Sidelining Science Since Day One,” executive summary, 7/20/17. http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/sidelining-science-es-ucs-7-20-2017.pdf

Source: AAAS, “Science Funding Holds as Congress Begins Recess: Where We Are and What’s Left to Do,” 8/1/17. https://www.aaas.org/news/science-funding-holds-congress-begins-recess-where-are-we-and-whats-left-do

URLs: https://www.aaas.org/page/historical-trends-federal-rd; https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/DefNon;.jpg

URLs: https://www.aaas.org/page/historical-trends-federal-rd; https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/RDGDP;.jpg

Political concerns facing science

¤  Budget cuts

¤  Availability and integrity of data

¤  Reductions in federal staff and advisory expertise

¤  Ignoring scientific input into policymaking

¤  Limits on immigration/travel of scientific talent

¤  How political should scientists be in response?

Political climate: science journalism

Source: Huffington Post/YouGov poll. URL: http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/tabs_HP_science_20131209.pdf Also: “Americans Have Little Faith in Scientists, Science Journalists: Poll,”12/21/2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/21/faith-in-scientists_n_4481487.html

Source: Pew Research Center, “Sharp Partisan Divisions in Views of National Institutions,” 7/10/17. http://www.people-press.org/2017/07/10/sharp-partisan-divisions-in-views-of-national-institutions/

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/employment-trends-in-newspaper-publishing-and-other-media-1990-2016.htm

Concerns facing science journalism

¤  Financial pressures (ad revenues, jobs)

¤  Maintaining standards in Internet age/fake news

¤  Hostility to media/”fake news”

¤  Relationship to science community

¤  Distinction from public relations

¤  How political to be?

Political climate: skepticism

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016). “Paranormal Beliefs.” https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2016/10/11/paranormal-beliefs/

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016). https://blogs.chapman.edu/press-room/2016/10/11/what-do-americans-fear-most-chapman-universitys-third-annual-survey-of-american-fears-released/

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 1 (2014); Washington Post, “Study: Americans are as likely to believe in bigfoot as in the big bang theory,” 10/24/14. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/24/study-democrats-are-more-likely-than-republicans-to-believe-in-fortune-telling-astrology-and-ghosts/?utm_term=.7f4f8300514c

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Source: Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 3 (2016).

Concerns facing skepticism

¤  Persistence of pseudoscience, irrationality more broadly

¤  Dependent on health of science and science journalism

¤  Pseudo-skepticism – attempts to deny facts, evidence, science; under guise of practicing skepticism

¤  Questions about the breadth of the mission, particularly

¤  How focused on (skepticism of) religion?

¤  How political to be?

Looking back and ahead

•  Science is ingrained in U.S. history; from Ben Franklin, DeWitt Clinton onward

•  Retains formidable resources, prestige

•  But current political antipathy from governing party has little precedent

Looking back and ahead

¤  How political should scientists, science journalists, skeptics be? Answers will vary among individuals and organizations, but …

¤  Very likely, more political than in the past; neutrality/aloofness will be hard to maintain

¤  New issues will arise; near-future hot buttons may include AI and genetic manipulation

¤  U.S. science leadership at stake; China rising