Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist who is famous for narrating such science shows as Cosmos and Startalk. He also appears on many talk-shows to share the word about science.
We often think of Republicans as being closed-minded about science. That is true, as many deny evolution and other scientific principles. Many also deny climate change, and the Governors of Florida and Wisconsin even forbade lawmakers from use the words “climate change” in bills and environmental discussions last year.
Liberals are often seen as more science-friendly than conservatives. That is true in some cases, but deGrasse Tyson says that people from all over the political spectrum are anti-science sometimes. He mentioned that it is compartmentalized with liberals; they deny science when talking about certain issues.
deGrasse Tyson went on Real Time With Bill Maher and said that there are “hotbeds” of anti-science rhetoric on both sides. Presumably, deGrasse Tyson was talking about Maher being anti-science.
deGrasse Tyson said that the anti-vaccine movement, alternative medicine, and opposition to genetically modified organisms are examples of anti-science views on the left side of the spectrum. These movements started with some liberal New-Agers.
We had measles outbreaks in California because some parents did vaccinate their children. In April, a child at a school in Nevada County, California, tested positive for measles after traveling overseas. This brought the scare back into the media’s attention.
Health officials are concerned that other children could get infected from this child. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. Parents need to vaccinate against this disease so we don’t have any widespread outbreaks.
Bill Maher was not very receptive to deGrasse Tyson’s argument.
Maher is a long-time vaccine skeptic. He told David Letterman to quit taking his medications after having a heart attack. During the swine flu epidemic, Maher declared himself immune because of his “superior lifestyle.”
deGrasse Tyson makes a good point with his views. It has been proven that vaccines don’t cause autism, among other things. We need to combat anti-science views on all sides of the political spectrum.
Featured image by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
