Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
quillette.com
Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
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Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#2> It remains a badge of honor for many who like to describe themselves as highly cultured or artistic to describe themselves as mathematically challenged, or to say that their brains aren’t wired for mathematics. Because many of those they hold in high esteem have made similar claims, there is no real social penalty to them for doing so.
For many scientific illiteracy is in the same category as mathematical illiteracy -- but the problem starts there already. Everybody should at least know what a Fourier transformation does -- it's not necessary to exercise it rigorously, but at least an idea... I think this video is enough to give even laymans an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6sGWTCMz2k
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#3It's really not. We are going to pay very high price for this.
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#4Indeed. It puzzles me why in our society numeracy doesn't seem to be as important as literacy. If kids struggle with learning to read we won't give up until they get it. If they struggle with fractions we often shrug and say their brains aren’t wired for mathematics. Sad.
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#5Because its not so important to survival.
You will derive more pleasure in your life knowing how to pickup chicks (or guys), or caring to your family, than having any pain thinking the earth is flat. No pain at all. Ignorance is bliss.
Science is interesting but interesting does not make it fundamental for you as an animal.
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#6Specific illiteracy is positively omnipresent.
Try talking to an accountant about Renaissance art. Try talking to a butcher about linguistic theory. To a neurosurgeon about Egyptian architecture.
Specialisation is what our society mandates, and you don’t improve your lot by having knowledge which is extraneous to your specialisation - unless you have a lot of extraneous knowledge, in which case, congratulations, you’re an undesirable generalist.
We live in a world built with the scientific method, however, which means that scientific illiteracy has greater scope for making poorly informed impactful decisions. Likely nobody will die if you don’t know a finial from a pilaster.
So - rather than viewing this as a problem of scientific illiteracy, I view this as a problem of overspecialisation. We are taught, from early on, to focus on that which interests us, and to hone in on a tiny slice of information to pursue a specialised career.
Crack that, make being a generalist desirable, and you have your scientific literacy - but doing so is incompatible with our current economies.
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#7Quilette is an interesting choice of publication, given that they don't mind promoting one particular kind of "scientific" literacy:
https://quillette.com/2018/05/12/biosocial-criminology-lombr...
https://quillette.com/2019/06/05/superior-the-return-of-race...
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#8Quilette is an interesting choice of publication, given that they don't mind promoting one particular kind of "scientific" literacy: https://quillette.com/2018/05/12/biosocial-criminology-lombr... https://quillette.com/2019/06/05/superior-the-return-of-race...
What's scientifically illiterate about this?
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#9Math is much more binary. I can describe a problem quite well, and describe it well enough that I could be said to understand it. But I really can't put many problems into math. I've seen others do it, and it seems like a wonder to me. I'm not a dumb guy either, but my english and math scores on my SAT were off by more than 130 points. Some people in this thread are claiming that it's foolish to think that some people don't have math brains. I'm not sure what to tell you -- you're simply wrong. Could I understand math better than I do? Almost certainly, but it's unlikely I could ever be an engineer.
Re: Why Is Scientific Illiteracy So Acceptable?
#10Indeed. It puzzles me why in our society numeracy doesn't seem to be as important as literacy. If kids struggle with learning to read we won't give up until they get it. If they struggle with fractions we often shrug and say their brains aren’t wired for mathematics. Sad.
As someone who isn't 'wired for math' (but still knows my fractions, so to speak) I can't imagine putting math up against literacy. Reading is so fundamental to both communication and learning. Why do you equate the two?