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Antiscience

Examining the rise of the anti-science movement (5) Time: 6:02) 2026-03-21 Climate scientist Michael Mann joins CBS News' The Takeout to discuss Science Under Siege, the book he co-wrote with vaccine scientist Peter Hotez. Mann, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, is best known for the "hockey stick" graph of global temperatures and has spent decades on the receiving end of organized attacks on climate science. What the interview covers Criticism that U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration are pushing an anti-science agenda The book's argument that the threat goes beyond government, to the wealthy interests, fossil-fuel states, propagandists and media that amplify anti-science Why attacks on climate science and on vaccine science follow the same playbook Why it matters Mann and Hotez come from different fields, climate and public health, but describe the same pattern: manufactured doubt, personal attacks on scientists, and policy decisions that ignore the evidence. Seeing the common tactics makes them easier to recognize and counter, whichever field they target. Play Time: 6:02	Examining the rise of the anti-s (5) Time: 6:02) >2026-03-21
How Anti-Science Influences Public Health and Safety (15) Time: 13:51) 2026-05-06 This clip from The Proof with Simon Hill, a science-focused health and nutrition podcast, looks at the real-world costs of misinformation. From GMO myths to climate denial, it argues that when facts lose to fear, people get hurt and billions of dollars are lost. What the clip covers The human and financial costs of disinformation What most people get wrong about Monsanto and GMOs How climate denial delays action Why scientific literacy is essential for a functioning democracy The evidence Major scientific bodies, including the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, have concluded that approved genetically modified crops are as safe to eat as conventional ones. Fear of GMOs has still had real consequences: Golden Rice, engineered to fight vitamin A deficiency, was delayed for decades, and some countries have restricted crops that could raise yields and cut pesticide use. Criticism of corporate behaviour is fair, but it is a separate question from whether the technology is safe. Play Time: 13:51	How Anti-Science Influences Publ (15) Time: 13:51) >2026-05-06
Science Under Siege (7) Time: 6:01) 2026-03-24 Peter Hotez and Michael Mann, a vaccine scientist and a climate scientist, join CNN's Jake Tapper to discuss their book Science Under Siege. The book argues that anti-science is now organized, well funded and politically powerful, and that it is "obstructing the needed response from government and civil society." What the interview covers Why the authors see attacks on vaccines and on climate science as one movement rather than two How anti-science slows the response to public health and climate threats The cost to scientists who become targets of harassment What citizens, institutions and the media can do in response About the authors Hotez is a pediatrician and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and co-developer of the low-cost Corbevax COVID-19 vaccine. Mann is a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, known for the "hockey stick" temperature record. Both have been targets of sustained campaigns against their work, which gives the book first-hand authority. Play Time: 6:01	Science Under Siege (7) Time: 6:01) >2026-03-24
Understanding Science Denial (14) Time: 11:00) 2026-04-29 In this TEDxUNB talk from 2021, Richelle Witherspoon explores why some people fall for false or pseudo-scientific information while others don't. Her conclusion surprised her: the two groups have much more in common than either would like to believe. What the talk covers Why science denial isn't simply a lack of intelligence or education How everyone, believers and skeptics alike, relies on shortcuts when judging information Questioning your own information habits before judging others Principles of persuasion that focus on how beliefs form, not just on facts Why it matters Research on science communication supports her point. Beliefs are tied to identity, values and trust, so presenting more facts often doesn't work, and can make people dig in. Approaches that respect people's concerns, build trust, and explain how we know what we know tend to work better. Recognizing that we all share the same mental shortcuts is a good starting point for more productive conversations. Play Time: 11:00	Understanding Science Denial (14) Time: 11:00) >2026-04-29
Why Don't Some People Believe In Science? (8) Time: 5:14) 2026-03-24 This Seeker explainer asks a simple question: why do some people reject well-established science, such as vaccine safety or climate change, even when the evidence is strong? The short answer is that belief is rarely just about evidence. What the video covers Why some people distrust vaccines, climate science and other well-established findings The psychology behind rejecting evidence Why simply repeating facts often fails to change minds The research Psychologists describe several overlapping causes. Motivated reasoning: people tend to accept evidence that fits what they already believe and reject what threatens it. Identity: when a scientific question becomes a marker of political or group identity, accepting the evidence can feel like betraying your group. Trust: people judge a message by who delivers it, so distrust of scientists or institutions spills over onto the science. A widely cited 2022 review in PNAS, "Why are people antiscience, and what can we do about it?", groups these into four bases: the source, the recipient, the message, and a mismatch between the message and how the recipient thinks. Play Time: 5:14	Why Don't Some People Believe In (8) Time: 5:14) >2026-03-24