What percentage of the population is scientifically literate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A very small percentage. I think people who don’t understand statistics (which is most people IME) or logic (also most people) are fundamentally incapable of understanding science.

Sadly I also think the majority of people don’t have any clue how much capitalism dictates scientific study. Not necessarily for any intentionally nefarious purposes, but scientists need to have their research funded, and journals like to have their publications subscribed to, and all of this means that what is being studied and what is being reported is heavily influenced by those (most likely scientifically ignorant) who control the purse strings.

I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constant access to articles and journals via our phones is the biggest problem. I am a doctor, and was talking to one of the maintenance guys in our building. He held up his phone and said “this is the great equalizer. When I’m at the doctor and he tells me something, I can look it up on my phone and tell him if he’s right or wrong.” ?!?!? People actually think this way. That googling something is the equivalent of 4 years undergrad plus 4 years Med school plus residency plus years of practice and continuing education. It’s baffling.

I think you need a little humility. I’ve actually been in the ER googling my condition and then discussed the latest medication recommendations with the doctor, which changed what he prescribed. Similarly with my child, looking up the risks of sedation for a non-urgent MRI they were pushing to do ASAP. Likewise for myself, I’ve done a lot of research on sleep medications to understand why my doctor doesn’t want to prescribe benzos.

I definitely don’t think I know better than my doctors. If I did, I would go to a different doctor! But I am always going to do my own research when it comes to a serious condition/medication/intervention. The key is that this is the basis for a conversation with my doctor and shared decisionmaking.

This is a valid flip side to the PP you are responding to. Everyone should do their own research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constant access to articles and journals via our phones is the biggest problem. I am a doctor, and was talking to one of the maintenance guys in our building. He held up his phone and said “this is the great equalizer. When I’m at the doctor and he tells me something, I can look it up on my phone and tell him if he’s right or wrong.” ?!?!? People actually think this way. That googling something is the equivalent of 4 years undergrad plus 4 years Med school plus residency plus years of practice and continuing education. It’s baffling.

I think you need a little humility. I’ve actually been in the ER googling my condition and then discussed the latest medication recommendations with the doctor, which changed what he prescribed. Similarly with my child, looking up the risks of sedation for a non-urgent MRI they were pushing to do ASAP. Likewise for myself, I’ve done a lot of research on sleep medications to understand why my doctor doesn’t want to prescribe benzos.

I definitely don’t think I know better than my doctors. If I did, I would go to a different doctor! But I am always going to do my own research when it comes to a serious condition/medication/intervention. The key is that this is the basis for a conversation with my doctor and shared decisionmaking.

Can’t believe doctor PP hasn’t had to Google something in front of a patient. People can have very uncommon conditions and no doctor can know about them all and how to treat them.

Has happened to me with an unusual injury and often with a child with a very uncommon genetic condition. Am relieved that the doctors are listening and willing to admit there is something they don’t know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A very small percentage. I think people who don’t understand statistics (which is most people IME) or logic (also most people) are fundamentally incapable of understanding science.

Sadly I also think the majority of people don’t have any clue how much capitalism dictates scientific study. Not necessarily for any intentionally nefarious purposes, but scientists need to have their research funded, and journals like to have their publications subscribed to, and all of this means that what is being studied and what is being reported is heavily influenced by those (most likely scientifically ignorant) who control the purse strings.

I agree with you.

It’s not just what is being studied. The motivation of those involved is ultimately to get published. Scientific fraud far more common than you think…in fact, I’ve seen it in every lab I’ve worked in. Not driven by the PI, but by desperate grad students and postdocs who needed p to be less than 0.05 so they could move on with their lives. I don’t believe any dataset until it’s been replicated.

It’s also pretty astounding how many people with PhDs don’t understand basic statistics (I’m in the biomedical sciences).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Constant access to articles and journals via our phones is the biggest problem. I am a doctor, and was talking to one of the maintenance guys in our building. He held up his phone and said “this is the great equalizer. When I’m at the doctor and he tells me something, I can look it up on my phone and tell him if he’s right or wrong.” ?!?!? People actually think this way. That googling something is the equivalent of 4 years undergrad plus 4 years Med school plus residency plus years of practice and continuing education. It’s baffling.

I think you need a little humility. I’ve actually been in the ER googling my condition and then discussed the latest medication recommendations with the doctor, which changed what he prescribed. Similarly with my child, looking up the risks of sedation for a non-urgent MRI they were pushing to do ASAP. Likewise for myself, I’ve done a lot of research on sleep medications to understand why my doctor doesn’t want to prescribe benzos.

I definitely don’t think I know better than my doctors. If I did, I would go to a different doctor! But I am always going to do my own research when it comes to a serious condition/medication/intervention. The key is that this is the basis for a conversation with my doctor and shared decisionmaking.

Can’t believe doctor PP hasn’t had to Google something in front of a patient. People can have very uncommon conditions and no doctor can know about them all and how to treat them.

Has happened to me with an unusual injury and often with a child with a very uncommon genetic condition. Am relieved that the doctors are listening and willing to admit there is something they don’t know.

Never mind how I know this, but if you need a minor procedure (for instance, toenail removal) in, oh, say an urgent care, it isn't unheard of for the doctor to be learning it on YouTube in the back before they come out and do it.