[jufemaiz]

A fundamental problem that I see is twofold:

First, we have a more educated populace globally (not just in the US) - this leads to more confidence in our own opinions, and when combined with "the university of Google" and trusting everything one reads on the internet you'll get echo-chambers of likemindedness repeatedly referring to each other. We tend to believe things that we hear over and over. Add in the lack of accountability within the media to appropriately question all claims from all sides in a scientific manner and you can easily become highly insular in your views and opinions.

Secondly - science has moved on in ways unfathomable a century ago - a time where the wealthy could afford an education and those without could not (and hence trusted those with an education more, although you can also claim that corporations have also lessened the trust in anyone too). The sciences today are so incredibly complex that the scientific community has the option to either: a) dumb it down; or b) dumb it down. The problem there is that when you simplify science, you lose some of the details and open yourself up for cherry-picking critique. Add in the issue that most science is now not black-or-white (something that the conservative in everyone prefers) but rather is based on probability (yes, I know all about the black swan events that through out prior observations, however scientific method requires repeatability) - irrespective of whether or not the lifestyle that they currently live is based on such approaches. Add in the proud to be innumerate and scientifically illiterate and you've got some major problems. Mix in that science now looks like religion to the lay person, due to the complexity and lack of comprehension, and you're going to have big problems.

What is the scientific community to do? I'm not sure. We need to change the perception of science in the community. We need to educate people on the scientific method (even though there are many in the hardcore religious groups who oppose it). Then we need to build a better grounding in science for the next generation and make it valued in the same way that the financial and legal sectors are. After all - they're all dependent on the discoveries for their own operations.