Science vs. the People
No. Just no. Kill the idea with fire.
There is no us vs. them. There is no separation between the Regular World and the Science World. Science is a mere act, a process of questioning and research and failure and success and exploration and discovery. It is performed by people, for people. “Science” is not the kind of noun that comes with geography or elevation or worth. It’s just a thing that we do.
Yes, some human beings more frequently act based on information and reason, and some are able to see the world for the beauty of its molecular and physical construction instead of for the mystery of its magic. But every man, woman, and child on Earth brings a lifetime of experiences and influences to each instant and judgment in their life. We all tote a caravan of experiential baggage, and each of us fills our neurological suitcases with a different value history. None of us are set in stone, all of us deserve respect for our experiences, no matter their agreement.
We should smash this idea. We should not play on a playground of intellectual privilege.
If you build an ivory tower to preach some superior message of Science™, then you’d better build high walls and a moat, because people will try to knock that down in a hurry.
And behind those walls, what good are you?
That being said, it would be nice if more people would vote for climate legislation, research funding, stem cell research, etc.
(I don’t mean to pick on your comic, Toothpaste for Dinner, I just really, really, REALLY don’t agree with this attititude)
had to have this conversation with a friend the other day – this idea of “believe in science” (note believing, also remember that science is a constant act of discovery and revision of what we thought we knew) as a reason to feel morally superior to others is absolutely as blind a faith as any religion. I’m not trying to bash religion here, merely pointing out that no matter what you put your faith in, it doesn’t make you a better human being.