We quickly trust the science of aeronautical engineering when we have to take a flight to Cleveland. We trust the math to E = mc² and when we send out a text it will reach the recipient.
But we struggle to trust it when it contradicts our worldview. When something is too complicated to explain, we are more prone to dismiss it. As humans, we are afraid of what we can’t understand.
As a result, we question carbon dating or the efficacy of vaccines, because the friction caused by misinformation is enough to cause us to question. We grab the low-hanging fruit of explanation (i.e. a quick Google search, a Facebook post, or a tweet). It’s quicker to put a bow on it and to move on than to read a book on the subject.
Josh Allred's Blog 