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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories BLM eyes first phase of Jack-Ash non-motorized trail Since You Asked: Noise issues may have changed Ashland streets Snapshots in time Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Body found in creek north of Central Point Emergency services, Feb. 8 Emergency Services, Feb. 9 Man stabbed by wife during argument in Medford Saturday The Sovereign Among Us Politics and Elections Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right Walden sets town halls on Friday Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Education Sharing black culture SOU board names officers, committees SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Parent files discrimination complaint against Ashland schools Some gains, some losses Environment Solar pavilion going up at Coyote Trails GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Jackson County won't set up wolf kill compensation program Commercial users can get rid of pesticide waste for free Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills State News Letter says Kitzhaber official fired after Hayes criticism Attorney general says Kitzhaber's ethics allegations 'troubling' Willamette football player pleads not guilty to manslaughter 'In God We Trust' leads to Klamath County debate Bill calls for relocation of Washington state wolves Nation - World Obituaries Helmut "Harry" Podlech Alson "Al" Velma "Ruth" Thornton Trudy Butler Jean Yvonne Baumer Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Perfect Fit Varsity 541 College Sports Young, Oregon dominate Washington State Plum, Washington overwhelms Oregon Perfect Fit No. 7 OSU downs WSU Beavers defeat Cal Poly, 26-10 Pro Sports Blazers take charge late in Houston Spartans come up short on road Great day for Day Mavericks rally, down Blazers in OT With Davis hurt, Bulls rout Pels Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Erickson layoffs land hard in Jackson County People in Business Blog: Stay Calm Erickson announces 150 layoffs, mostly in Oregon 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Agriculture 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Feb. 9 Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you George Will: Education is the business of the states Dana Milbank: Ashton Carter likely to break hawks' hearts Our View: Call for resignation is premature Editorials Our View: Call for resignation is premature Other Views: Overhaul the national firefighting budget Our View: Waiting is best approach to wolf damage Our View: Our growing disagreement with science Our View: A gesture, but one worth making Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 9 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 8 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 5 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way Help wanted: The Medford School District needs you Lifestyle Latest stories Day Trippin': Green Springs Inn offers a tranquil getaway — and great food Home Help: Repurposing garage doors into stunning walls with a view Community blog: Simple Solutions A long-harbored dream may be realized Plenty of life in Death Valley Food Restaurant Inspections Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Warm up your winter with Hearty Vegetable Barley Soup Community blog: Cupcakes can be good for sweetheart's heart Cupcake love affair Fish stew is a winter delight Home and Garden Home Help: Repurposing garage doors into stunning walls with a view Landscape lighting for beauty, safety and value Dear Monty: First time home buyer seeks differences in housing lifestyles Home Help: 3 upgrades sure to turn kitchen time into quality time Dear Monty: Is a home ‘trade-in’ a good idea? 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Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label Dining Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Snapshots in time ... Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 9 ... Snapshots in time ... Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 9 ... OUR VIEW Our View: Our growing disagreement with science MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Feb. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this editorial? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter. » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this editorial? Send a letter to the editor at www.mailtribune.com/sendletter . » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Talk to anyone concerned about American education, and the discussion will soon turn to the need for stronger emphasis on what are referred to as STEM courses: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. America's position as a world leader in technology is threatened, the conventional wisdom holds, because too few American students are pursuing careers in those fields. That's certainly cause for concern. But what is even more troubling is the apparent lack of understanding — or willingness to understand — of even the most basic science among many Americans, and a growing distrust of scientific conclusions reached after decades of research and experimentation. The result is widespread disagreement between scientists and the public at large over a wide range of public issues. A story in Friday's Mail Tribune highlighted the divide. The Pew Research Center surveyed matching groups of scientists and the general public. On eight of 13 science-related issues, the divergence of opinions between the two groups was 20 percentage points or more. Those issues included whether it is safe to eat genetically modified organisms — 88 percent of scientists said yes, 57 percent of the public said no. On climate change, 87 percent of scientists said global warming is human-caused, 50 percent of the public did. On evolution, 98 percent of scientists said humans evolved over time, while 65 percent of the public agreed. There was a time when science and scientists were held in high esteem — when developing the polio vaccine and sending humans to the moon were celebrated achievements. Now, otherwise educated adults question the need for vaccines and criticize space exploration as a waste of money. A striking finding of the Pew surveys was that political leanings did not explain the disagreement between scientists and the public. Those on the right deny evolution and climate change; those on the left distrust GMOs and vaccinations. The common denominator, to use a mathematical term, is people's increasing ability to dismiss scientific data in favor of their own preconceived notions of what is true. A contributing factor may be the explosion of information — and misinformation — available on the Internet. Pick any unscientific belief, and there are dozens, even hundreds, of websites that will reinforce it. So it's easy to find support for your own belief system, whether it's that GMOs are harmful or climate change is a hoax. We look down our noses at others who ignore science in order to make the facts fit their viewpoints. Maybe we all should instead look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we're doing the same thing.   MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 5, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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