Opening Up Science—to Skeptics

By Rohan Arcot & Hunter Gehlbach

My (Rohan’s) dad claims that “you guys can find anything you want in your research studies.”  

This claim echoes a steadily increasing cynicism regarding scientific research. Having read enough social science articles that looked like this exercise—in which anyone can reaffirm their political biases by manipulating a few variables to “prove” that the country is (statistically) significantly better off when their party is in charge—we found it hard to quibble with him.  

Recently, the soaring trajectory of science skepticism seems to be rivaled only by global temperatures. Empirically established facts—around vaccines, elections, climate science, and the like—face potent headwinds. Despite the scientific consensus on these issues, much of the public remains unconvinced. In turn, science skepticism threatens our health, the health of our democracy, and the health of our planet.