The Science of Denial
Is science education broken in the United States? If so, how should the country fix it? The United States has the finest schools in the world, and invests more money in scientific research than any other nation. Yet we are falling behind, and find ourselves at the heels of other countries, especially China, where the Green Gap is growing with regard to clean energy technologies.
Chris Mooney, science and political journalist, commentator, and New York Times bestselling author, will speak at CFI to discuss how the United States has become so unscientific and what can we do about it.
The Science of Denial
7 PM Friday, June 3
Center for Inquiry, 1310 Sweet Home Road, Amherst, New York
Admission: $10 general, $5 Friends of the Center, FREE to students
Americans deny science and the facts constantly, on science-based issues but also on resolvable issues in politics. Even when faced with the facts, people refuse to change their minds or let go of false ideas; more commonly, they believe them more strongly than before. Thanks to new advances in psychology and neuroscience, their resistance can now be scientifically explained. Mooney will explore the science of why people deny science, and what we can do about it.
Chris Mooney is a science and political journalist and commentator and the author of three books, including the New York Times bestselling The Republican War on Science and Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future, co-authored by Sheril Kirshenbaum. He also writes "The Intersection" blog for Discover blogs. Additionally, he is a host on the Point of Inquiry podcast.
