“Woe is the Science Establishment. They’re wringing their hands and gnashing their teeth because a reputable poll from the University of Chicago found that only 48 percent of the public has a ‘great deal of confidence in the scientific community.’ Unsurprisingly, the distrust is not evenly divided throughout society. According to the poll, 64 percent of Democrats expressed trust in the scientific community, contrasted with only 34 percent of Republicans.

To say the least, such a partisan divide is not healthy for society. But it can’t just be waived away or cured by calls from the scientists to “trust us.” No. To cure a problem, its cause must first be identified accurately so that remedies can be fashioned and applied. But the science establishment refuses to engage in such dispassionate introspection. Instead, they moan, ‘People believed in the polio vaccine. Why won’t they trust us now?’

Let me count the reasons. …”

Originally published here at Discovery Institute on 1 February 2022.