Do scientists receive funding due to fearmongering?
Scientific research is not PBS. It is not funded directly “by viewers like you.”
Allow me to dispel some myths about how funding works and then explain where the fear-mongering comes in.
Scientific research is not PBS. It is not funded directly “by viewers like you.” Nobody has ever received grant money from Kickstarter. Thus, there is absolutely no point in stoking unwarranted fears in the general public because that does nothing for your funding (besides being pointless, detrimental to science as a whole, and totally unethical). Scientists do not shout their findings on street corners while standing next to a donation bucket like a charity Santa Claus.
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Scientists submit their findings to peer-reviewed journals. Peer, in this case, means other incredibly skeptical experts. They’re incredibly skeptical because you’re presenting your finding to experts who never came to the conclusion you have or never collected the data you’ve got. Peer review means those folks giving you the thumbs up on what you did. If your results aren’t up to snuff, they’re not going to be published and/or will be completely rejected.
There’s a sense among some in the general public that the scientific community is conspiratorial, be it about climate change or evolution or whatever subject you don’t want to believe in. Here’s a little secret, though: no scientist ever wants to agree with another. Ever. If there is room for disagreement, they’ll argue things out over the big details or the minutia; it doesn’t matter. Try attending a scientific conference sometime. Everyone’s constantly trying to prove someone else wrong in some way. When you hear that a staggering proportion of scientists agree that global warming is man-made, that’s not a conspiracy. That’s a stunning testament to the mountain of evidence.
Anyone who tries to pass off dubious results will be torn to shreds. Think Bambi in a tank full of piranhas.
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Scientists with established records of research can apply for grants, almost entirely from public agencies- government or university sources. Grant applications go before a large number of people: scientists, administrators- folks who don’t tend to be a bunch of panicky jackrabbits. If their research has been well-received by the scientific community, if it has been important and if their proposal looks likely to be important and successful, then there is a small chance of the grant being awarded.
Fear mongers don’t get grants. Period.
So, where does the fear-mongering come from? Journalists, irresponsible ones. Oh boy, if there’s one thing that attracts readers, it’s fear. Want clickbait? Take a story you (the journalist) barely understand and sensationalize it. That’ll attract eyes and ad revenue.
Hell, just look at some recent NYPost or FoxNews articles, such as “Herpes infection possibly linked to COVID-19 vaccine, study say”. Then, after weeks of running anti-vaccine misinformation, it is an irony that the NYPost posted “GET VAXXED!”
