this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2025
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We need to be better at explaining to people what their education equates to. If you stopped taking hard sciences when you graduated high school you don’t have a good to great understanding of those subjects rather you have the absolute basic understanding.
I learned a lot of great scientific facts and rules in high school. I could predict things that would happen in the real world, like a projectile’s motion or a chemical reaction.
But it was in college, and media that I sought for myself, where I learned about how research is done, how important it is to prevent the million distant cognitive biases we have including subconscious ones, and basically HOW we even determine what is objective truth in the first place.
There aren’t simple “f=ma” equations for that shit. It is all complex messy human activity that requires oversight and continuous improvement forever.
What about me I'm not educated technically to anything beyond high school level education and even I understand that the Earth isn't flat, time dilation is a thing, an atom doesn't look like a small solar system, and perpetual motion machines are impossible.
Mostly because I actually paid attention in science class.
Also if the Earth wasn't one centimeter closer to the sun we wouldn't all burn up, but that's based on simple observation that small hills exist.
The key is not to be intentionally ignorant. These people aren't stupid because they're uninformed, they are stupid by choice.
And I would argue that you still have the basics of a science if you stopped with high school. I hit the 200/300 levels for biology in college. I have a degree in poli sci and international relations. I have slightly beyond an entry level grasp of biology and a basic grasp of chemistry because that did stop with high school. if you asked me how to prove most of what I understand to be true about chemistry I could not because my level of expertise isn’t that deep.
We have a lot of people in America who think basic/entry level = a good grasp of science.
Even if you aced science in highschool, I'd argue that's not the case. AP sciences, maybe, but after seeing the current basic curriculum...oh hell no. Worse if you went to a Christian science school.
College taught me I didn't have a basic understanding of anything really, and there will always be someone out there who knows more. College research also gave me the critical thinking and research skills to wade through most of the bullshit we are being fed daily.
The kids who stop at highschool or go into a trade really don't get that level of problem solving and critical analysis.
I wouldn't be too hasty with the condescension towards the blue-collar working class. Problem solving and analysis is just a service at the end of the day, just like repairing an air conditioner. The value of both services also fluctuates.
I knew I'd kind of eat shit for that...and rightfully so I guess.
Don't get me wrong, the blue collar guys I know are fantastic people mostly. They're probably better people that the elite white collar guys I know.
But give them a problem outside their comfort zone and they flounder bad. They'll get a=b...struggle but do ok with a=b=c...but get to a=b, b=c so now what is a? Don't know.
I think that's a more personal situation. My public school in elementary and middle school/jr high stressed critical thinking skills and utilized programs to teach them. The average kid there had those skills going into high school. If you could read/do math outside your grade level there was a class room in my elementary school they sent ypu for critical thinking exercises while everyone else learned to read or do math.