Science writers can only do so much to validate facts. There
are some that write the truth and others that write pure fabrications. Laws to
regulate the inconsistency need to be mandated. However, even these laws will not be foolproof.
Science can be manipulated just as much as the statistics and facts that come
from science. Since science writers are not always trustworthy, science readers
must become detectives.
As Mark Twain said, “Get your facts first, then you can
distort them as you please.” A person will believe in whatever they fancy. While
their opinion may be wrong, facts can be manipulated to fit and prove/disprove
any idea as needed. Often, science writers manipulate their facts in order to
prove their opinion. Until laws are passed, science readers must find the facts
within the article and research more than one article on the topic in addition
to the scientific studies.
The facts in different science articles usually contain different
truths. Statistics used must come from scientific studies, but the chosen
statistics may only represent one point. In addition, some studies are more
valid than others. The best advice for a science reader is to look at where the
facts originated and attempt to understand the science behind the article. Even
if one does not understand the science, one may begin to see and begin
comprehending the truth.
Readers must be cautious of straight opinionated ‘science
writing’ since there is not much regulation on science writing and so called ‘science’
is everywhere. “Every man at the bottom
of his heart believes that he is a born detective,” said John Buchan. Readers want
to be detectives and form personal opinions. If science writers were to present
true facts, the detectives could continue to find facts from science writing
thereby creating another level of fact finding. The human mind is designed to
be curious. If readers listened to their minds, they would find the truth and not
be misinformed by certain science writers.
