The pandemic has shown us the real world consequences of science denial and widespread distrust of experts. While click-bait headlines, disinformation campaigns, and conspiracy theories spread like wildfires online, the people over at CBC Radio's, "Quirks & Quarks" have been hard at work giving researchers and experts a platform where they can address the public directly. I believe these interviews conducted on "Quirks & Quarks" should be included within the regular news cycle on CBC's 24 hour National News Network to better promote science literacy. 

An informed democracy is only as good as its people and when the people have a gross misconception of something which plays such a huge role in our day to day life like Science, it can be dangerous. Having a platform where scientists can explain the "how's" and "why's" of their work is more important today as it has ever been. Sometimes the "how's" and "why's" can be very complicated and filled with technical jargon that the average layman may not understand. This is where the host, Bob McDonald comes in. He is an expert at breaking down even the most complicated concepts and making them palatable for the general public. It's an excellent knowledge delivery system that demands a larger audience.

One of the most important aspects of "Quirks & Quarks" is that they let the researchers speak for themselves instead of just reading off a press release. This not only helps ensure accuracy in reporting, but it also helps combat the image of the "ivory tower scientist who dictates how people should live." The reality is these scientists are just everyday people who happen to have a profound curiosity in a particular subject. Futhermore, hearing them speak about their passion can be humanizing and even inspirational.  

When it comes to science denial, this is not a silver bullet solution, but it could help reach those who can be reached before they too fall down the science denial rabbit hole.