Scientific illiteracy— a lack of understanding regarding scientific concepts and developments— has been plaguing the United States for decades now in the form of uneducated decisions implemented by political leaders. Misinformation, especially regarding recent discoveries in the biomedical sciences, has caused this country to fall drastically behind in the scientific world. Lack of understanding of scientific concepts among political leaders has become a growing issue impeding scientific advancements through misinformed premises, restrictions on research, and lack of funding.
In the past, misinformation has caused many political leaders to form opinions without the support of scientific research. For example, thimerosal vaccines, which are…show more content… . .] from use of thimerosal vaccines” (qtd. in Wetzstein). The truth is that the type of mercury found in thimerosal vaccines is not toxic, but upon hearing “mercury,” much of the public jumps to accuse the substance of being deadly. Thimerosal vaccines are usually utilized in third world countries where more expensively preserved vaccines are unaffordable. According to specialists in the American Academy of Pediatrics, these vaccines “protect children from tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough[,] and hepatitis B and save 1.4 million lives a year” (Wetzstein). Even when faced with these statistics, most members of the UN are advocating for the ban of thimerosal vaccines. Clearly, lack of understanding regarding basic scientific properties and research studies has caused many political leaders around the world to consider banning a vaccine that saves the lives of countless numbers of children. Not only have many political leaders fought against medication proven safe by experts, they have also impeded the process of scientific research. When cloning was still in its developmental phase in the early 2000s, many political leaders did not stand behind the…show more content… In fact, according to a recent report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), “[t]he federal budget for research has fallen from around 10% in 1968, to under 4% in 2015” (Taylor). This drastic reduction in federal funding has caused the United States to fall behind in terms of scientific advancement while many other countries are speeding toward progress. Over the past several decades, America has invested 2.5 to 3 percent of its GDP on research while countries like China continue to invest around 8 percent every year (Bidwell). As reported by MIT, these statistics prove why in 2014 “the European Space Agency landed the first spacecraft on a comet, and Chinese researchers unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer” (Taylor). Once the most scientifically advanced nation in the world, the United States has lost its status and the cause lies in the lack of scientific literacy found in political
