In this web page, a middle school aged student took on the idea of how easily we are influenced by “science”, especially in the context of human effects on the environment. I believe this experiment was done in order to show that we need to be careful with how quickly we jump to conclusions when given a piece of “science”.
In the study, the people were not able to gather their own information about “dihydrogen monoxide”. I believe that is one of the biggest steps, we as citizens of planet Earth, can do in order do to get a sense of what is fact, fiction, skewed, personal opinion, taken out of context, etc. In order to make better decisions on what is true science, one needs to get background knowledge on the topic and try their best to look at the issue from all sides. I think many of us get caught up in a cause and only see one side of the issue. This makes for a very biased and uneducated opinion.
When researching one should ask what is the source of the data/evidence? Who funded the research? Sometimes there will be specific research done to pursue and certain agenda of a particular company/organization. Knowing who is funding the project can give some insight into possible bias in the conclusions of the study. Is there peer review? Peer review is an attempt to give as straightforward science as possible. Although peer review does not make a piece of science 100% true, it does help grasp the subject from many sides.
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It's funny you should mention the incomplete information that leads to biased and uneducated opinions. It's one of the very tools governments use to keep the population united under their cause. Information control is one of the most powerful tools one can wield--see China and Iran for good examples. We feel that if we could reach the greater population and present a different side to the story than what they hear on their own propaganda programs, then more of them would see our point of view. But how much information is enough to make an informed decision? After all, the information we present to a potential follower is not really the complete story either. One can never have enough education, yet we can't spend our entire lives trying to get more information on a subject that needs a decision!
ReplyDeleteJust some food for thought.
I forgot to add...too much dihydrogen monoxide really can kill you!
ReplyDeleteI think you make an extremely valid point, especially pertaining to the articles we are reading. I've skimmed and read various articles for this assignment and found that when talking about global warming, the facts are thrown in your face. It's not about validating the fact with research information, it's just stating the conclusions that they have drawn that will PROVE that global warming is happening. In the article I read specifically, it seemed like 7 pages full of 'facts' and stories to create a shock value...rather than establishing their research and scientific credibility which realistically would create a better argument.
ReplyDeleteIt's important this this be pointed out over and over again, because we forget that when we get caught up in the 'facts.'