Human knowledge has progressed exponentially since the dawn of modern science. It is no longer reasonable to accept claims without sufficient objective evidence. The harm from religion, alternatives to medicine, conservatism, and all other false beliefs will be exposed on this blog by reporting the findings of science. This blog will also reinforce what should be the basics of education: History, Civics, Financial Literacy, Media Literacy, and Critical/Science Based Thinking.
Thursday, November 7, 2024
To Fight Health Disinformation, Focus On Low Expertise
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Why Can't The Majority Accept Expert Opinion?
Fact: Biden is ranked 14th in scholars' presidential rankings; Trump is last (link)
Fact: Trump is ahead in most of the latest polls (link)
Fact: Republican and MAGA voters vote against themselves, especially in the south (link)
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Thus, there is a need for universal education in Critical Thinking! (link)
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Tuesday, July 2, 2024
All Experts Out Of The US Federal Government If Republicans Win
'A longstanding precedent at the crux of administrative governance thus falls victim to a bald assertion of judicial authority,' Kagan said of the court’s ruling. 'The majority disdains restraint, and grasps for power.'
"In a 6-3 ruling, the justices on Friday ended the 40-year practice that informed federal judges’ decision-making when federal agencies and their actions were challenged. The high court's 1984 ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council had limited judicial decision-making in favor of agency expertise.
"A range of experts jumped on Kagan’s premonition, joining her in warning that Friday's decision will have far-reaching effects. From the halls of Congress to federal courtrooms, they say the decision opens the window for an increase in litigation against federal rules, as well as a potential chill on new ones.
“The federal government and environmental groups are going to be up to our ears in litigation just trying to preserve the status quo,” Sam Sankar, the senior vice president of programs at Earthjustice, said in a press briefing following the ruling."
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Republicans Reject Experts
Click on the links below for examples of the decades-long anti-expert attitude of the Republican Party:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/10/what-caused-the-u-s-anti-science-trend/
https://newrepublic.com/article/158436/republican-murderous-anti-intellectualism
https://www.amazon.com/Republican-Brain-Science-Science-Reality/dp/1118094514
Saturday, May 13, 2023
History, Authority, Expert, And Growing Up
Authority: the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.
Saturday, August 6, 2022
A Look At Expertise
What is the science-based view of expertise, "skill or knowledge in a particular area"? Click on the link below for an in-depth look at this topic that is misunderstood by anti-science/magical thinkers, as well as many science-based thinkers:
Thursday, May 21, 2020
No Matter The Topic, Experts Are Ignored In The USA
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Most of what we, as individuals, "know" is not from direct experience but from those around us and from other sources to which we are exposed.
If one is a magical thinker, it is difficult to determine if claims are true because there is no way to justify claims with such an epistemological method. The background of the party making the claim, nor the level of evidence for the claim, are not major considerations whether one should accept the party's opinion.
If one is a science-based thinker, however, one uses the scientific method to evaluate all claims on our objective reality. The method contains internal elements that justify/verify the results through such measures as peer review and replication. The higher the level of expertise in the appropriate areas and the quality of evidence supporting the claims, the more confidence one may have in the findings.
The link below highlights the history and our present crisis of generally rejecting the experts and it's consequences:
Why Don't Americans Trust Experts any more?