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In Public Understanding Of Science, Alternative Facts Are The Norm
If we are committed to combatting "alternate facts" in science — as we should be — then we must also combat the alternative theories that license them, says guest blogger Andrew Shtulman.
In an interview on Meet the Press in January, Kellyanne Conway introduced a new phrase into popular discourse: "alternative facts."
Conway, a senior advisor to President Trump, was asked to defend the claim that Trump's inauguration drew "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration." She denied that it was a falsehood (despite photographic evidence to the contrary), claiming instead that the White House had based its conclusion on "alternative facts."
The notion of was roundly mocked on social media. One viral post depicted the cover of a fake children's book — — on which a bird was labeled "butterfly," a chair "table," and a dog "cat."
