Scientists can’t fight 'alternative facts' alone | Jenny Rohn

Countering the 'post-truth' mentality with facts is great, but to truly engage with people, scientists and other experts need to be part of popular culture

The uneasy tide of untruths has been rising, so subtly that we are up to our chins without being sure how it ever got to that point.

The recent jaw-dropping performance of Donald Trump and his cronies, firing off random statements without even bothering to check whether they are true, is not as disturbing as the fact that they seem to be getting away with it. It is no longer enough for a reputable press outlet to cry foul - the corrections are shrugged off as partisan conspiracy theorists, and the exposi(C) no longer leads to shame, or the mending of ways. Say something loud enough and often enough, and it starts to sound true. Get away with it enough, and it becomes a viable strategy.