In addition, science has a built in self-correcting mechanism where, eventually, after enough data comes in, the truth will come out. All the more worrisome then, that according to a 2002 survey by the National Science Foundation, 70 percent of Americans do not understand the scientific process (defined by them as grasping probability, the experimental method and hypothesis testing). To tackle this problem Shermer recommends better communication about science in the media and especially explaining how science works versus only explaining what science knows. Mark Hoofnagle adds that conspiracy theories are often an important element of denialism because, in order to deny well proven facts, you have to assume a huge number of people are lying. He writes that pointing out the absurdity of these theories can be a successful strategy as well in convincing some deniers they are wrong. Unfortunately, as we have seen, the majority of our deeply held beliefs have turned out immune to attack by direct educational tools, especially for those who are not ready to hear contradictory evidence. The pope won’t become an atheist anytime soon and conservatives suddenly turning into liberals or vice versa are rare. Shermer concludes belief change ultimately comes from a combination of personal psychological readiness and a deeper social and cultural shift in the underlying zeitgeist, which is affected in part by education but is more the product of harder-to-define political, economic, religious, and social changes. In other words, it can take a lifetime for someone to change their mind if they ever change at all.
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