The unspoken agreement around that table was that a person who didn’t trust or value the scientific consensus must be confused, overzealous, or just plain stupid.
In scientific conversation, we try not to take it personally when our peers point out flaws in our thinking.
Early on, though, it hurts. It’s deeply uncomfortable to challenge the things we believe.
The truth is, the version of science taught in the classroom is nothing like the science done by scientists.
Scientific evidence is rarely neat, and by glossing over failed experiments and complex results, we’re omitting important information.