Dr. Conca opines that although blaming the school system for not teaching critical thinking, or the Alex Jones’ and Fox News’ of America for fake news, or the internet for flooding the public with what looks like legitimate discussions may seem likely, Pitts thinks the real news media in general will take a large part of the blame for "failing to be energetic advocates for, and defenders of, the actual, factual truth." His main thesis is this – "Be aware of false balance. Don’t surrender to a boneless both-sideism that simulates professional impartiality at the cost of clarity and fact." Having geologists on with creationists to discuss evolution is such a false balance.
This appears to be a symptom of modern society in the 21st century where Google Graduates have replaced Ph.D.s as the pillars of knowledge. Maybe we did too good a job as scientists, solving major problems like polio, and engineering amazing technologies like our electrical grid, water and sewer systems, supermarkets, things that allowed the American people to no longer worry day to day about basic survival.
Maybe we’ve removed the average person so far from the nature of the world that we allowed them to not care about reality at all, and instead focus on their personal desires and beliefs. As if beliefs could hold up your car as it drove across a river. As if beliefs could keep you alive in the face of diseases, so you don’t vaccinate your children anymore.
Taking the above 10 steps further, see Michael D. Campbell's recent editorial on the matters at hand:
http://www.i2mconsultants.com/downloads/corp/TheRussiansareComingRevised.pdf
Original URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2018/09/18/nuclear-energy-needs-truth-not-truthiness/#924cbb1591f7
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
