Anti-sciencers Should Stop Stealing Science

One of the things that really irks me is unabashed hypocrisy. Take, for example, the recent report that a growing number of conservatives are increasingly distrustful of science. Fine. Distrust science; you can believe what you will. All I ask is that you stand by your convictions and stop using this science that you find so onerous.

What exactly are we talking about here? What am I asking that you give up? Nothing much really.

• Satellites. Think this isn’t a big thing since only rocket-science nerds understand them? Cool. So we’ll take back your…
• Television
• Internet
• Telephone
• Weather forecasts
• GPS
• etc.
• Airplanes
• Computers
• Medicine
• X-rays
• MRI/CAT/PET scanners
• Antibiotics
• Antivirals
• Vaccines (I guess y’all want smallpox, polio, and a host of other plagues.)
• Monitors
• Defibrillators
• Viagra
• Rogaine
• Electricity
• Refrigeration / Air-conditioning
• Recorded music
• Photos
• Plastic
• Water treatment and distribution
• Rubber
• Construction
• Farming
• Lenses (e.g. eyeglasses, telescopes, microscopes)
• Microwave ovens
• Motors
• Lasers
• CD/DVD players
• Checkout scanners
• Pointers
• Laser printers
• Tattoo removal
• Eye surgery
• And on, and on, and on….

The list is incredible how much we rely on reliable, predictable, objective science. Even so, I don’t want to force something on people when they find it so distasteful. All I ask is they be honest and stop stealing from the rest of us…or open their eyes and acknowledge that science isn’t the enemy, only those few who would vaingloriously corrupt it for power, profit, or celebrity.