Sins Against Science How Misinformation Affects Our Lives and Laws

About this book

Misinformation has had dramatic and dangerous effects, as evidenced by numerous events of the late 2010s and early 2020s. Reading a steady stream of misinformation leads to distrust, potentially leading to conflict in one's family and workplace, and even to civil unrest. At the heart of many such matters is scientific illiteracy. Many people enjoy a life of ease and convenience because of science – and since science also crosses courtrooms, classrooms and cultures, it has great potential to debunk misinformation and untangle the confusion on such issues as vaccines, sexual identity, race and evolution, alternative medicine, and human reproduction.

This book addresses those issues and the popular stories, conspiracies, and misleading headlines that circulate across media platforms. Bringing accurate knowledge into people's agendas is challenging, and Sins Against Science uses science and facts as a basis of every deliberation over laws and policies. The chapters weave together history, politics, human biology, and law, and demonstrate how our lives are dependent on understanding the nature of things.

Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Jim Obergefell
Preface
Introduction. Approach the Bench: Opening Statements and Newsfeeds

1. Blinded by Science: The Discipline of Facts
2. Hello Dolly: Genetics
3. Time Travel: Evolution and Race
4. Jungle Love: Sexual Identity
5. Birds and Bees: Human Reproduction
6. Staying Alive: Vaccines and the Immune System
7. Snake Oil: Complementary and Alternative Medicine
8. I Want a New Drug: The Good, the Bad and the Unknown
9. The Final Chapter: Death and Dying

Bibliography
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Judi Nath is an internationally acclaimed textbook author, biology professor, certified health education specialist and past president of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society. Her skill for making complex topics easily understood and relevant has earned her numerous teaching and faculty excellence awards, including Ohio's Memorable Educator. She lives on the southern shore of Lake Erie.