Scientific Literacy-What does success look like?
This is part 3 of a 3 part series on Scientific literacy. In the first installment, I covered “What is Scientific Literacy?”, and in the second installment “Achieving Science Literacy” This installment will rely on the content that is present in the previous posts, and I highly recommend that you read those first.
Science literacy is best understood as a skill that one develops over time, rather than an accomplishment that one acquires. The goal of science literacy is to avoid misinformation and to ensure that one could make informed decisions, both as an individual and as a community. Much of the misinformation around science comes from a misunderstanding of science.
How science works
One of the biggest issues is the misunderstanding that a single study provides answers. Some of the arguments about vaccines and autism use a single retracted study as evidence, and that simply isn’t how science works. First, no single study has the authority or weight to change the scientific consensus. Second, retracted studies are ones that have been shown to be too flawed to trust. So, this one study cannot be used to justify decision-making. Those informed in science literacy should understand the normal processes of science, and therefore be able to see through this misinformation.
Speed of science
Another area where misinformation abounds is where there is no clear answer from the science community. An example of this is the start of the coronavirus pandemic, where science-based information was limited. In the absence of authoritative information, loads of misinformation sprang up. Some of which is harmless, but some of which was not. Reports of people drinking bleach after misinformation show just how dangerous this ‘fake’ science can be. Indeed, the scientific community has altered the response to the pandemic over time as well. Those informed on science literacy should know that science is slow to form conclusions, and then revises the conclusions constantly as new data are available.
What science can answer
Scientists can collect data, analyze it, and then provide results on specific, testable, questions. Questions that deal with the rights of patients, or who gets to decide the acceptable risks and benefits of new technologies, are inherently value-based. When we try to make science answer value-based questions, it fails to do so. This failure is often used to discount science information. However, we don’t discount a blender when it fails to cook a steak. Science simply cannot provide value-based information. These answers depend on ethical and philosophical complexities, not science. However, when science is presented as value-based, we often accept the misinformation as it confirms our own beliefs. This is something else that scientific literacy should address.
Limits of Scientific Literacy
Scientific literacy is crucial for reducing the misinformation in our society, it will not cure all of the problems. First, science literacy does not make people support one particular viewpoint or one future direction. Some have implied that as the general population becomes more informed, they will automatically move to one of the political parties. However, the opposite is probably true. Science relies on arguments and discussions by informed parties. Just look at the topic of this series, the very idea of ‘What is scientific literacy?’ has been debated for nearly 70 years, and there is no end in sight. Instead, we should expect more valuable and informed discussions on anything and everything. Literacy is about making every citizen an informed and empowered citizen to act upon the information in front of them. This means more people will have the knowledge and skills to use, shape, and criticize the way we do science. Disagreement is vital to democracy and science, which is part of why both are slow to come to any answers. Science literacy should mean that the general population would have mature beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge.
While all of this may be true, it is important that science literacy instill a value for the scientific process and scientific information. Science is a valid way to understand the world around us and should be seen as such. However, it is important to identify the areas that science can be useful, and where it cannot provide answers. Many of the conflicts and disagreements we have today are not just scientifically complex but are also socially complex and even ethically complex. The stakes for decision-makers in society are getting higher and higher. It is crucial that our leaders and our people are well-informed and well-educated on science and technology as we move forward.
Now that I have finished this series, I’m looking for a different topic for a deep dive. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I’m currently thinking about some science history deep dives, or a weekly post on the science news of the week. I could always go back to my roots and break out some coffee literature as well.
If you have other suggestions, leave them below. If you disagree with me, let me know why. I’m always open for a civil discussion.
