News is a form of entertainment. This is perhaps not surprising in this day and age, but it is important to point out that news networks have to get ratings to stay afloat just like any other show. Not that this is inherently an issue, mind you. That is hardly the point of me bringing it up. The point is, science news, just like everything else that gets brought to our attention, is shined through the lens of glamor, spice, and excitement so that you as the consumer stop and watch. The intention of the news station has never been to promote real science. It is hardly a surprise, then, that the newest exciting thing in the world of pseudoscience comes out it is rarely examined critically. Take, for example, the 60 Minutes piece ran by CBS News in 2009 that brought the idea of cold fusion back into the light[1] (in direct opposition to the first and second laws of thermodynamics). Or perhaps, think about when in 2011 all the major news networks expounded the virtues of faster than light travel (thrilling sci-fi nerds everywhere, despite being a misinterpretation of the data collected by researchers at the Large Hadron Collider)[2]. It could be something as simple as having horoscopes in the back of the local paper. The truth is, misinformation about science, and deliberate misuse of science surrounds us on all sides. The reality is, we cannot as a community and a species escape belief in pseudoscience without cutting down on the messages that besiege us. News stations, with a skillful ability to show both sides of an issue even when scientists are almost unanimously in agreement, muddy the waters and make it even more difficult for people (particularly those without a scientific background) to find out the truth. Without the ability to separate what is true from what is fantasy, it is no wonder that many people continue to put stock in these disproven ideas. [1]http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/more-than-junk-science-50070729/?lumiereId=50070729&videoId=67210b47-8bdf-11e2-9400-029118418759&cbsId=4955212&site=cbsnews [2] Stephens, Ransom. (2015) “The Data That Threatened to Break Physics” Nautilus. <http://nautil.us/issue/24/error/the-data-that-threatened-to-break-physics>
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AuthorI am a student at the University of New Mexico working on a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Professional Writing. I am fascinated by why people believe weird things and how that impacts broader society. ArchivesCategories
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