Encouraging Scientific Thinking

As a society we have had a bit of a hiccup in the public perception of science in our every day life. Scientific principals and advances are everywhere if we only take a minute to look. In some ways we have all become the beneficiaries of years of hard work and discovery. What about the next generation of thinkers? Several studies have shown a drop in scientific literacy in the US. How can this be remedied? I believe the answer is in the packaging and delivery of science to the public. We should take a cue from those who have made psuedoscience so popular. They have learned that taking the time to make a person feel included and knowledgeable are great tools to market an idea. The key is accessibility. Often times scientific ideas are geared toward the people who already have the base knowledge and understanding to grasp the new information to be digested. This isn't something that can easily be overcome by the average lay person. A new approach is needed. We should all slow down and explain things just a little more. Science is exciting and often times excitement is contagious, so that should be taken advantage of. Once we have a person's attention we need to keep it, foster it, and encourage it. Sometimes it's as simple as showing a child the wonder of nature and the universe and then following up with why things are the way they are. Children are curious and want answers.  Adults aren't immune to that wonder either, so let's take advantage of that for the common good. The consequences of a less scientifically literate public could be dire. Not only is psuedoscience silly, at times it can even be dangerous.