BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2020
In a column titled “Science and politics don’t mix,” Matthew Gagnon misinterprets the phrase “we believe science is real.” Scientific research is our best source of knowledge on those topics where science can be applied. Science does not tell us what our values and goals should be. But it has a lot to say about how to reach those goals. Where scientific knowledge is relevant, public policy decisions should be based on that knowledge. Inconvenient truths should not be denied because they conflict with what one wants to be true. The problem is that some politicians and others deny scientific findings that conflict with their personal needs and goals. ~ Bill Farthing, Bangor