by Chris Becker
Here’s a feel good story to get you away from thinking about nuclear armageddon, or worse, Trump re-elected in 2020. From HuffPo:
Australians feel better informed about science than ever — but less than half believe in human-induced climate change and one in eight don’t think all Australian children should be vaccinated.
Almost all Australians (90 percent) believe that, overall, science has made our lives easier and almost as many (80 percent) say the benefits have been greater than the harmful effects. But almost half of us want the pace of change to slow down.
These are among the findings of a report, The Australian Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Science Survey, released by the Australian National University on Monday.
Well okay, feeling somewhat better. But the best takeaway is the finding that most Australians consider scientists to contribute more to society than any other profession or undertaking – including doctors, teachers and farmers who make up the other three in the top 4.
And the bottom four? No surprise there, as almost all of these are what I would call the “caboose” of human society, unlike the locomotive filled with scientists and engineers:
Professions Rated As Contributing Least:
1. Priests or ministers of religion
2. Politicians
3. Journalists
4. Entertainers
The questions remain – why are we rewarding the bottom four monetarily and reinforcing their disproved economic and moral ideologies at a totally incommensurate level compared to the top four?
Why are sport “stars” and Kardashians paid millions when they provide almost no benefit to society? Why are countless priests protected from incarceration when they have damaged and destroyed so many young peoples lives? Why are the economists who cling to disproved models of endless growth and blow asset bubbles on purpose or the CEOs who walk away from failed businesses with golden parachutes continually paraded as paragons of virtue within an economy of a dwindling middle class?
Why are farmers paid so poorly for their top quality produce – most of which is thrown in the bin or left to rot because its not 99% perfect – or left to hang themselves while the bank forecloses?
Why are the politicians whose sole effort in their “career” to ensure a well paid post-career political life and through surveys like this one, ignore the vast majority of public opinion time and again and vote the way their lobbyist says to?
Time to pull the pin on that huge caboose, with the journalists and other media shillls with their backs to the real engine, instead shining their lights and cameras on these loud, but empty vessels filling up the rear end.
And the best way to do that is to encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education at all levels – not just scholastic – but in journalistic political circles and in online discussion. Oh and providing massive public funding to that engine to make it go harder, better, faster and stronger.
A better informed society that elevates those professions with not just monetary reward, but respect and understanding, benefits all of us.