« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy  (Read 1139 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline William Wallace

  • Posts: 2791
Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« on: September 18, 2011, 12:47:10 AM »
I've never held Dr. Oz in high esteem, but this about does in his reputation as far as I'm concerned. If you're unaware, Oz started a scare on his show over the levels of arsenic in apple juice and he's completely wrong. That being said, I don't know who I'm more annoyed with - Oz or his gullible audience.

So a broader question: how do you improve the public's bullshit detectors?
Logged

Offline El JoNNo

  • Posts: 1779
  • Gender: Male
  • EMOTRUCCI
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2011, 05:08:07 AM »
Honestly, I used to watch the show when it first came out, now I can't stand it. It went from being fairly legit to grasping a straws, like the apple juice nonsense. I wish I could remember what the last episode I watched was about but it pissed me off. 
Logged

Offline El JoNNo

  • Posts: 1779
  • Gender: Male
  • EMOTRUCCI
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2011, 05:10:15 AM »
Also when it first started there was a diverse audience now it is all cackling hens.
Logged

Offline GuineaPig

  • Posts: 3754
  • Gender: Male
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2011, 06:53:16 AM »
Vaccines cause autism!1!11!!!1!!1!
Logged
"In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry, and has been widely regarded as a bad idea."

Offline El JoNNo

  • Posts: 1779
  • Gender: Male
  • EMOTRUCCI
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2011, 07:02:06 AM »
Really? Was he perpetuating that lie? Fuck, I hate those people.
Logged

Offline millahh

  • Retired Pedantic Bastard
  • Moderator Emeritus
  • *****
  • Posts: 3800
  • Gender: Male
  • RIP Mark
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2011, 07:34:22 AM »
I think this all points to a need to seriously rework the high school science curriculum in this country (which I've been saying for years).  Some basic scientific literacy is way more important than being able to balance equations.  Besides, the basics that get hammered in high school science courses all get covered again in the intro college courses, so it's not like it would be leaving a gap in the education for those who actually need it.  This would actually lessen the gap between the "scientific knowledge holders"....it would lessen the distrust of expertise, allow better communication between the scientific community and the general public, and allow the public to come to informed conclusions regarding policy issues, rather than having to choose which politician they believe about science (when the politician doesn't even understand it).  I believe a baseline level of scientific literacy is essential for good citizenship in this society, and unfortunately the educational  system is not giving people that.
Logged
Quote from: parallax
WHEN WILL YOU ADRESS MY MONKEY ARGUMENT???? NEVER???? THAT\' WHAT I FIGURED.:lol

Offline El JoNNo

  • Posts: 1779
  • Gender: Male
  • EMOTRUCCI
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2011, 07:50:56 AM »
I couldn't agree more.

A friend of mine is a Tech at a local school and is (for a Computer tech) quite involved in the politics of the school board. He was telling me that because of the provincial testing that ranks schools teachers are basically only teaching students how to pass the tests and not a full variety. Which would be fine if the tests weren't so baseline. Beyond that the students don't know how well they did; only a pass or fail.

Another problem is a lot of teachers are not teaching there field.
Logged

Offline ehra

  • Posts: 3362
  • Gender: Male
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2011, 09:07:38 AM »
Quote from: El JoNNo on September 18, 2011, 07:50:56 AM
Beyond that the students don't know how well they did; only a pass or fail.

This use to piss me off to no end and I still really don't get why we don't get to see the results.
Logged

Offline William Wallace

  • Posts: 2791
Re: Dr. Oz and lack of science literacy
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2011, 09:22:05 AM »
Quote from: millahh on September 18, 2011, 07:34:22 AM
I think this all points to a need to seriously rework the high school science curriculum in this country (which I've been saying for years).  Some basic scientific literacy is way more important than being able to balance equations.  Besides, the basics that get hammered in high school science courses all get covered again in the intro college courses, so it's not like it would be leaving a gap in the education for those who actually need it.  This would actually lessen the gap between the "scientific knowledge holders"....it would lessen the distrust of expertise, allow better communication between the scientific community and the general public, and allow the public to come to informed conclusions regarding policy issues, rather than having to choose which politician they believe about science (when the politician doesn't even understand it).  I believe a baseline level of scientific literacy is essential for good citizenship in this society, and unfortunately the educational  system is not giving people that.
I'm not so sure that would work. I'd be for it nonetheless, but what we really need is for people, upon hearing about junk science, to say, "I think this is bullshit; I'm going to look that up." So maybe a required course in critical thinking in high school would be a better recourse, or perhaps a unit on critical thinking in each class as it applies to the material.

EDIT:
Though I will say I was pleased with how the scientific community pounced on Oz this round.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »