## Thinking Like a Scientist Will Make You Happier - Nautilus Science Connected ### Thinking Like a Scientist Will Make You Happier - Nautilus | Science Connected  #### Metadata * Author: [[Nautilus]] * Full Title: Thinking Like a Scientist Will Make You Happier - Nautilus | Science Connected * Category: #articles * URL: <https://nautil.us/thinking-like-a-scientist-will-make-you-happier-19974/?cmdid=VBPLIJE9NKNBCB> #### Highlights * The Joy of Science was motivated by this sense that a lot of us have, that public discourse is becoming increasingly polarized," Al-Khalili tells Nautilus. "There seems to be a rise in irrational, anti-scientific thinking, and conspiracy theories. And there's no room for debate, particularly amplified by the internet and social media." His message is that we should all be thinking more critically. "If we could export some of the ideas of science, when science is done well, into everyday life, I think we would all be happier, more empowered." * We are bombarded by information all the time, and your average person really doesn't know who or what to trust. But we can learn to know who and what to trust. We can employ some of the ways that we do science—examining biases, the importance of uncertainty, being prepared to change your mind in the light of new evidence. Those sorts of things go against human nature because we want to be right about our opinions. We don't like to be told we are wrong. But that's not the way we do things in science * It's even more difficult for the wider public, who are not trained in science, to know who to trust and what to trust. You see something on YouTube or you read an article online—how do you know (a) whether it's good science and it's based on firm evidence and data, and (b) whether whoever is getting that idea across has their own vested interests? Many scientists work for corporations and industry, in the pay of people who do have other vested interests, so it is difficult. # Thinking Like a Scientist Will Make You Happier - Nautilus | Science Connected  ## Metadata - Author: [[Nautilus]] - Full Title: Thinking Like a Scientist Will Make You Happier - Nautilus | Science Connected - Category: #articles - URL: https://nautil.us/thinking-like-a-scientist-will-make-you-happier-19974/?cmdid=VBPLIJE9NKNBCB ## Highlights - The Joy of Science was motivated by this sense that a lot of us have, that public discourse is becoming increasingly polarized,” Al-Khalili tells Nautilus. “There seems to be a rise in irrational, anti-scientific thinking, and conspiracy theories. And there’s no room for debate, particularly amplified by the internet and social media.” His message is that we should all be thinking more critically. “If we could export some of the ideas of science, when science is done well, into everyday life, I think we would all be happier, more empowered.” - We are bombarded by information all the time, and your average person really doesn’t know who or what to trust. But we can learn to know who and what to trust. We can employ some of the ways that we do science—examining biases, the importance of uncertainty, being prepared to change your mind in the light of new evidence. Those sorts of things go against human nature because we want to be right about our opinions. We don’t like to be told we are wrong. But that’s not the way we do things in science - It’s even more difficult for the wider public, who are not trained in science, to know who to trust and what to trust. You see something on YouTube or you read an article online—how do you know (a) whether it’s good science and it’s based on firm evidence and data, and (b) whether whoever is getting that idea across has their own vested interests? Many scientists work for corporations and industry, in the pay of people who do have other vested interests, so it is difficult.