[robbedpeter]

Absolutely, the biggest pitfall with self research is not knowing what set of unknowns you have to fill in the blanks for. The value of education is the deep context in which any particular fact will fit, so it takes a lot of effort to fill in a rational approximation of what a doctor can diagnose. 1 hour of a doctor's time could be worth months of effort on your own.

Someone with MS might have their doctor recommend against being vaccinated. Someone else with MS might be fine, but their two stories could lead people to radically different conclusions, when it's the unique particulars that validate the judgment of the doctors in question.

We need a better culture of scientific discourse in public, allowing for nuanced and depth without the pitfalls of fallacious thinking.

Hyperpartisan and sensational media amplify the feedback loop in ragebait meme propagation. Maybe there's a mathematical tool or theory in graphs or networking that could help identify and shut down the spread of argument and combative discourse - not particular ideas, but particular forms. Seemingly opposite facts and opinions can be true in parallel and it's dangerous to attempt to either validate or censor one side or the other.

The latest crusade on misinformation and "anti vax" views is an example of how spectacularly flawed tools of censorship and rightthink can be.