tallguywrites

The general public has no way of knowing that, thanks to the media's distortions and incompetence. I don't think most non-scientists are able to tell the difference, so it's hard to decide what we should ignore as fake science and what we should embrace to avoid sounding like we're from the Middle Ages.

The general public is supposed to know that, assuming they've got more than a fourth grade education. I think anyone can tell the difference and that's exemplified by the arguments of the anti-vaxers boiling down to "I don't care if science has proven me wrong, I'm going to believe what I want. They're just lying"

They actually acknowledge that they are proven wrong. They simply refuse to accept that proof as valid. Obviously they are aware of the process by which ones science is right or wrong. It's not the process - the scientific method - which they have problems with, it's the fundamental respect for the scientific community as a whole which is lacking.

The general public is supposed to know that, assuming they've got more than a fourth grade education

As a college professor teaching freshman & sophomores (and returning students) I would have to argue with you. They do not know the scientific process at all.

Case in point, after several classes involving the scientific process I brought in an article exclaiming "milk causes cancer!" I then proceeded to rip it apart, with the help of the class (asking them leading questions like, "what is the control?" and them realizing there were no controls and "is the concentration of the protein linked with cancer the same in raw milk as it is in the store?" "no, it's much higher in store-bought milk!"). We spent a half an hour on it and at the end of the presentation the entire class expressed agreement that you could not make that conclusion based on the evidence shown.

At the end of class (so an hour of lecture later) I always ask them what the most confusing and the most interesting topics in class were. Over 75% of the class put as the most interesting thing they learned was that milk caused cancer.

I think the lack of respect for science stems from a fundamental lack of understanding of the scientific method. My parents don't believe scientists have linked smoking to cancer - because they've never purposefully exposed a human to enough smoke to cause cancer, so they haven't done a true study in their eyes. Ridiculous, I know.