Letters: Science isn’t perfect, but it’s extremely useful

A Jan. 15 column (“Let’s stop pretending science is perfect”) recommended, “In the event that we don’t have a clear answer to a question, we should be more open to the idea of refusing to have an opinion.”

Good advice, perhaps. But when we shrug off scientific arguments as being too confusing, we leave ourselves open to the major problem of false equivalence, where opposite opinions are seen as equally valid.

Our sensation-promoting media reinforce this binary approach.

A fundamental misconception about science is that it is a bunch of major conclusions, such as “humans cause global warming” or “carbohydrates cause obesity.” Science is a process, advancing incrementally and in many arenas. Ocean acidification presents a different problem than the climate impacts of trees.

My recommendation is to find trusted sources of responsible science journalism. Or at least check out the entertaining YouTube series “Global Weirding” by Katharine Hayhoe.

Living in the modern world can require some work on our part. Not everyone can or will make the effort.

But please don’t drop out. We need all hands on deck.

This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Science isn’t perfect, but it’s extremely useful."