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dippin · 12-03-2009, 07:55 AM

I am going to take this into another direction, and instead of talking about why science is losing credibility in the modern world, I am going to discuss whether science is losing credibility in the modern world.

Because our perception of long term societal change is often wrong.

Let's look at the vaccination issue: during the 18th century, there were actually violent revolts against attempts to build a hospital in New England to do Small Pox inoculations.
Regarding creationism, not too long ago we had the Scopes trial, the Butler Act, and other laws banning the teaching of evolution.

If you look at the data, MCV vaccination, for example, is at all time highs in the US, France, and near all time highs in Canada. Even in places where it declined, like the UK, vaccination rates have since strongly rebounded.

DTP3 (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccination has a similar pattern: vaccination rates in the US have gone from 83% in 1992 to 96% in 2008. Polio vaccination in the US is at 93%, after reaching a low of 72% in 1992.

Even newer vaccines for rarer conditions, like the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine have been widely accepted (16% of 1 year olds vaccinate in 1993, 92% in 2007).

So the revolt against modern science is actually weaker now than it was in the past.

What we have here is a two-fold phenomena that gives us the impression that it is stronger: first, with the internet, cable, and an ever increasing number of media, fringe positions are more visible now than they were in the past, even if the number of people who believe in that has actually decreased. That is, Jenny McCarthy might be more vocal and have more space in the media nowadays, but the number of people who believe her is at an all time low.

Second, with the so called culture wars , a number of conservative politicians have adopted this radical relativistic position that all science is politics. That is s US specific issue, and though it shapes political discourse, it is more like the nationalization of a regional phenomena, as the republican party has come to rely more and more on southern voters.

But, again, this doesn't mean that science has actually lost a great deal of respect.

12-03-2009, 07:55 AM	#12 (permalink)
dippin Crazy, indeed Location: the ether	I am going to take this into another direction, and instead of talking about why science is losing credibility in the modern world, I am going to discuss whether science is losing credibility in the modern world. Because our perception of long term societal change is often wrong. Let's look at the vaccination issue: during the 18th century, there were actually violent revolts against attempts to build a hospital in New England to do Small Pox inoculations. Regarding creationism, not too long ago we had the Scopes trial, the Butler Act, and other laws banning the teaching of evolution. If you look at the data, MCV vaccination, for example, is at all time highs in the US, France, and near all time highs in Canada. Even in places where it declined, like the UK, vaccination rates have since strongly rebounded. DTP3 (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccination has a similar pattern: vaccination rates in the US have gone from 83% in 1992 to 96% in 2008. Polio vaccination in the US is at 93%, after reaching a low of 72% in 1992. Even newer vaccines for rarer conditions, like the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine have been widely accepted (16% of 1 year olds vaccinate in 1993, 92% in 2007). So the revolt against modern science is actually weaker now than it was in the past. What we have here is a two-fold phenomena that gives us the impression that it is stronger: first, with the internet, cable, and an ever increasing number of media, fringe positions are more visible now than they were in the past, even if the number of people who believe in that has actually decreased. That is, Jenny McCarthy might be more vocal and have more space in the media nowadays, but the number of people who believe her is at an all time low. Second, with the so called culture wars , a number of conservative politicians have adopted this radical relativistic position that all science is politics. That is s US specific issue, and though it shapes political discourse, it is more like the nationalization of a regional phenomena, as the republican party has come to rely more and more on southern voters. But, again, this doesn't mean that science has actually lost a great deal of respect.