Do you ever wonder how, every year, the International Panel on Climate Change publishes a report about the drivers, impact and solutions to climate change based on thousands of the most recent scientific papers, and yet many people still doubt the reality of climate change?

Science and skepticism have a long history together, considered by most—especially scientists—to be natural partners. Questioning, investigating, and critiquing are the methods of both scientists and traditional skeptics.

But today, skepticism is being increasingly pitted against science. Individuals with political agendas or ulterior motives are exploiting the element of uncertainty in scientific results to breed unfounded skepticism of scientific knowledge as a way to advance their own causes.

In response to anti-scientific skepticism, four professors at Trent University coauthored an article to help people understand uncertainty and its place in science as way to differentiate between credible critics and sensational skeptics.

Read the full article, “Scientific certainty survival kit: How to push back against skeptics who exploit uncertainty for political gain.”

The piece was originally published in The Conversation and co-authored by:

• Dr. Marguerite Xenopoulos, Canada Research Chair in Global Change of Freshwater Ecosystems and professor of Biology
• Dr. Paul Frost, David Schindler Professor of Aquatic Science
• Dr. Michael Hickson, associate professor, Department of Philosophy
• Dr. Michael Epp, associate professor, Cultural Studies