The scientific method involves recognizing problems, collecting observational and experimental data, analyzing results, formulating and testing hypotheses, and selecting a final hypothesis when possible. Rigorous application of that method enabled achievements such as disease eradication and exploration of the galaxy. The current administration prioritizes attacks on science and encourages doubt about established knowledge. Government scientific programs have been gutted, life-saving research ended, scientists discredited, and disinformation disseminated. Funding cuts have prompted a brain drain of top researchers leaving the U.S. Programs that improved health and safety globally have been deprioritized in favor of a political agenda.
I am not a scientist, but I've always placed great faith in scientists, and in the scientific method, for which one standard definition is "the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and definition of a problem; the collection of data through observation and experimentation; analysis of the data; the formulation, evaluation and testing of hypotheses; and, where possible, the selection of a final hypothesis."
Rigorous application of the scientific method has led humankind to remarkable accomplishments, from eradicating or controlling deadly diseases to exploring the outermost frontiers of our galaxy. While there will always be some disagreement within the scientific community-scientists, after all, come with their own biases and interpretations of data-most people can agree that the scientific method has overall been a huge plus for humanity. Until now. One of the most dangerous tactics of the current administration is that they have made it a priority to attack science, and to cast doubt on everything we thought we knew.
Huge swaths of the government's scientific programs have been destroyed-departments gutted, life-saving research abruptly ended, scientists discredited, disinformation disseminated. Programs that have saved countless lives, and made not just Americans, but also people around the world safer and healthier have been cast aside. With funding for research abruptly ended, we are seeing a massive brain drain of the best and the brightest researchers leaving the U.S. to continue their work in other countries.
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