Thread by @kareem_carr

I think the failures of the pandemic have exposed some cognitive biases in the science community.

We overestimate how much people care about avoiding death

We overestimate how much people care about other people

We overestimate how much people trust scientists

The main reason I think it must be some kind of cognitive bias is we seem to be having trouble absorbing this information no matter how much evidence we see for it.

I think the public has cognitive biases about scientists as well:

They underestimate how much we care about truth and our reputations as truth tellers

They overestimate how much we care about money and political power

They underestimate how much we care about others

This is why I think science outreach is so important. It’s not just a way to teach people cool facts about the world. It’s a way to teach people about scientists and the science community and reduce misunderstanding.
If people don’t know who we are, they aren’t going to trust us.

It’s also important that people in the science community understand the needs and preferences of the communities who fund our quests for truth.