ABSTRACT
Attacks against science by postmodernists, Conservative Christian activists, and professional obfuscators can pollute, polarize, and paralyze the public discussion of science to the point that policy makers, lawmakers, and others simply cannot use scientific research as a basis for action. The scientific enterprise that produces risk assessments and crisis plans has been marginalized by these critiques. This chapter describes each critique, shows how each can confuse and paralyze discussion, suggests that scientific literacy and journalism are affected by attacks against science, and poses some conclusions. The science curriculum that reflects partisan attacks and ideas leads to confusion, and that makes it extremely difficult for students to develop science literacy, which can be defined as “the evolving skills and competencies needed to find, comprehend, evaluate, and use (science and) health information and concepts to make educated choices, reduce health risks, and improve quality of life”.
