To believe or not to believe

I'm a scientist, therefore I believe in facts. That seems a very absurd statement, to believe in facts. A fact is just that, you shouldn't have to believe in it. It would be crazy to not believe something that has been proven through rigorous trials and testing. However, it saddens me that many people choose not to believe in science.


I think this is largely due to a lack of understanding by the general public, but this isn't entirely their fault. I blame the mainstream media for portraying scientific stories in a misleading light. 


Genetic modification (GM)
Cloning
The Large Hadron Collider
Vaccination


That list is just a small fraction of subjects which induce fear into some people. That is because the media doesn't provide the full picture of these subjects. Instead it covers them at an angle which provides the biggest, most shocking, story; leaving the public confused and misinformed. They don't lie; they just don't tell all the facts (just as bad in my eyes). These are beneficial scientific advancements and we need to embrace them!


Science is about being skeptical. An idea is formed and you develop a solution. Then you spend decades constantly testing it and improving it. You don't prove something right, you prove it wrong. When you can't prove it wrong any more, it is accepted beyond all reasonable doubt. Then you create a better solution and the whole process starts again.


I am a skeptic. That doesn't mean that I believe facts. It means I don't believe anything that isn't a fact.


The picture above is provided courtesy of Crispian Jago and his wonderful blog - Science, Reason and Critical Thinking. Please check it out for a satirical, tongue-in-cheek look at science and skeptisicm.