A question on conservatives and science

[DetlefK]

The republican/conservative disdain for science is pretty much established. It boils down to the misunderstanding that they think, people are smart or care about this "stuff-that-requires-hard-thinking" purely so they can elevate themselves above normal people. That's why you are automatically an elitist if you care about statistics or elaborated simulations or nasty formulas or if you seek answers more complicated than the Bible or "I-can-feel-it-in-my-guts". You only talk about this stuff to make them feel stupid.

"Folks, I'm really not trying to make you feel stupid. I know, I talk a lot about abortion, but trust me: I'm not a doctor. I'm one of you."

To conservatives, being smart is a lifestyle choice with the intent to provoke and belittle.
for example:
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/right-wing-backlash-against-smartypants-neil-degrasse-tyson
salon.com also has tons of articles on this


My question is: Does this cover all of science? Is there a field of study that carries respect among conservatives?

[el_bryanto]

1. I've said it elsewhere - but i think Conservatives are much more comfortable with technology

If it has practical and, in particular, commercial applications they are generally a lot happier with it.

Or to put it another way when the answer science give seems pro-business, they are in favor of it.

Bryant

[unblock]

3. or if they can twist it to serve any of their arguments, e.g., the moment of conception.

that whole dna combination thing. even though dna wasn't discovered until the 1800s (and not well understood until much later), apparently god said in the bible that the moment a new human is created is when sperm and egg unite.

sperm, not human;
egg, not human;
sperm + egg = human.
no placenta or incubation required.
no brain, no mind, but a soul.
sperm and eggs separately don't have souls, ha, ha, that would just be silly.


anyway, that moment of conception, that moment that the "blueprint" for development is fixed, that's a tiny bit of scientific understanding that they can latch on to. to the exclusion of all else, such as anything science has to say about viability, never mind any scientific understanding of the fact that the pregnant woman is without question human....

[BillZBubb]

2. It is situational for them. If they find science backs their position they use it.

At its core, though, conservatism must be anti-science, since most of its key tenets aren't supported by science and in many cases are contradicted by science.

So, no there is no area of science that is respected by conservatives.

[Orsino]

4. Science is about learning. Conservatism is about not learning.

These two schools of thought have been at odds since the former came to be.