Chris Mooney talked about his book Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future (Basic Books; July 13, 2009). In this sequel to his book, The Republican War on Science, Chris Mooney argues more broadly that the scientific illiteracy of Americans is detrimental to the future of the country. He makes a detailed argument that science needs a larger presence in the media and public discourse. Mr. Mooney talked about the lack of scientific role models and the divide between science and politics, entertainment media, the news world, and religion. He talked about the communication of scientific ideas and the fragmenting of journalism about science. He advocated understanding between the two cultures. He responded to questions from members of the audience.


This talk at University Book Store on August 6, 2009, was part of the Seattle Science Lectures by Town Hall, with Pacific Science Center and University Book Store.