There's been a lot of talk recently about fake news, and the way in which people are splitting off into self-reinforcing echo-chambers; however, something that I find potentially even more worrying is the way this phenomenon is manifesting itself in regard to science. It seems, no matter what it is you want to believe, there's now a scientific study that you can wave in somebody's face that backs up your position—especially when it comes to medicine and behavioural science.
And what's worse is the language that tends to accompany this face-waving: "Are you denying science?", "Don't you believe in science?", "How can you argue with science?", "Science has proved this beyond a shadow of a doubt.", "Science has reached a conclusion on this."
It's this accusatory tone, along with a weird personification/deification of science itself that I find … disturbing.
What're your thoughts?
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