Well, that article hit a little closer to home than I'd like.
I'm finishing up my Meteorology/Climatology degree this Spring, and it's been...interesting to see how science actually works in the public and private thus far.
To put it politely, the U.S. government has an incredibly bipolar relationship with the sciences.0
http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/8q3nmm/burn-noticed
Relevant part: 3:30 onward
(I wanted to find the original congressional hearing, but Stewart's attitude here is shockingly on point, so, there you go)
To put it honestly, we have some incredibly crooked, ignorant, stupid, and anti-intellectual people in places of real power.
Which is to say nothing of the ignorance of everyday people, but as I've learned, part of my job is to try to find ways of bringing understanding without being preachy or pushy. And that's not easy, because most people (who aren't scientists) the attitude and approach to scientific subjects is quite different than it is to an actual scientist.
In my limited experience, I've come to understand that most people "learn" things once and then have a difficult time un-learning them, even when challenged with evidence to the contrary. Global Warming/Climate Change is a firestorm of a subject because scientists don't have as firm of a grasp on the subject.
We understand the POTENTIAL consequences better than the causes, and ongoing research takes a lot of time and effort to produce results, mainly because unlike other sciences, Met/Climate is a VERY YOUNG branch of physical science; we're barely a century into what could actually be called meteorological science (essentially pioneered by Bjerknes and Rosby), and Climatology is even younger than that.
In terms of scale, our raw data collection is WOEFULLY lacking.
The short version of this is: Our understanding of the subject is improving, but it's erratic and rapid.
Imagine having to unlearn and relearn things considered "proof" or "true" every other year due to new insights, methods and just general improvements to existing tech. Most people don't want to deal with the burden of relearning; all too often, it's one-and-done, even if what they learned turned out to be wrong.
It's kinda like how in the United States, during a tornado, some people on the road opt to hide under an overpass, despite literally decades of literature and announcements telling people not to. Why? Because once upon a time, the weather service (and others) actually suggested that as a safe place to hide. There's an old PSA video dedicated to it, in fact.
(It's part of our cultural memory, if that stupid ass scene in Man of Steel was any indication)
Good editorial.
