In a globalized economy, where nations are vying for science and innovation supremacy, the US can’t afford to think backwards courtesy of religious zealots and opportunist politicians. There is a chapter in this book with the title “The bloggers cannot save us” in which the author begins his reflection about the unsubstantiated information that circulates on the Internet, with a story about some “weblog awards” in different categories, among them, one for the “Best Science Blog”, a few years ago (this book was published back in 2009). In such popularity  contest, the “winners” were an atheist and a former TV meteorologist, a skeptic of human-caused global warming. Apparently, blogs that discuss science in a more accurate and informed fashion have zero chance of winning popularity contests. This is but a sample of the state of scientific literacy in America, tainted with political and religious discourse, at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century.

Unscientific America : how scientific illiteracy threatens our future. Chris Mooney, Sheril Kirshenbaum. New York : Basic Books, 2009.

Related Website: Unscientific America.