Climate change and evolution denial is going to decrease with time

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

Reading this Pew Research Center survey on views of scientific issues, the age demographics for both climate change denial and evolution denial are quite apparent.

For climate change, 60% of people aged 18-29 say that it's a result of human activity. Only 31% of people aged 65+ say the same thing. Conversely only 20% of people aged 18-29 say there is no solid evidence for climate change, versus 33% of people 65+.

Similarly with evolution, 73% aged 18-29 say that living things have evolved over time. Only 54% aged 65+ say the same thing.

In both cases there is a general trend from more acceptance of both climate change and evolution in younger demographics versus older demographics.

What does this mean? Well, older people tend to die before younger people. This results in a demographic shift over time; we can expect a reduction in both climate change denial and evolution denial. In the latter case Gallup polls on creationism/evolution have already shown a greater acceptance of evolution and decline in creationist beliefs for the last couple decades.

edited to add: Found a Gallup poll suggesting an increase in concern regarding climate change over time: Global Warming Concern at Three-Decade High in U.S.

This corresponds with the demographics and suggests at least partially a demographics shift.

RC1970 · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
Reading this Pew Research Center survey on views of scientific issues, the age demographics for both climate change denial and evolution denial are quite apparent.

For climate change, 60% of people aged 18-29 say that it's a result of human activity. Only 31% of people aged 65+ say the same thing. Conversely only 20% of people aged 18-29 say there is no solid evidence for climate change, versus 33% of people 65+.

Similarly with evolution, 73% aged 18-29 say that living things have evolved over time. Only 54% aged 65+ say the same thing.

In both cases there is a general trend from more acceptance of both climate change and evolution in younger demographics versus older demographics.

What does this mean? Well, older people tend to die before younger people. This results in a demographic shift over time; we can expect a reduction in both climate change denial and evolution denial. In the latter case Gallup polls on creationism/evolution have already shown a greater acceptance of evolution and decline in creationist beliefs for the last couple decades.

I would have agreed with both climate change and evolution when I was younger, I don't now.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

RC1970 said:
I would have agreed with both climate change and evolution when I was younger, I don't now.

The increase in acceptance of evolution over time (as per Gallup polls) suggests that for evolution, the demographic shift is real. Namely that views of people aren't changing as they older on average, but that the overall proportion of evolution acceptance is increasing.

I'd be interested to see if the same applies to climate change, but it wouldn't surprise me if it does. Especially since it's a comparatively younger science and the evidence for climate change is a lot more paramount.

OldWiseGuy · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
The increase in acceptance of evolution over time (as per Gallup polls) suggests that for evolution, the demographic shift is real. Namely that views of people aren't changing as they older on average, but that the overall proportion of evolution acceptance is increasing.

I'd be interested to see if the same applies to climate change, but it wouldn't surprise me if it does. Especially since it's a comparatively younger science and the evidence for climate change is a lot more paramount.

There is a definite correlation between growing belief in evolution and increasing obesity. Of course "correlation doesn't mean causation", butchya gotta wonder.

RC1970 · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
The increase in acceptance of evolution over time (as per Gallup polls) suggests that for evolution, the demographic shift is real. Namely that views of people aren't changing as they older on average, but that the overall proportion of evolution acceptance is increasing.

I'd be interested to see if the same applies to climate change, but it wouldn't surprise me if it does. Especially since it's a comparatively younger science and the evidence for climate change is a lot more paramount.

Since the world seems to be gravitating towards the irrational, I would expect people to become more skeptical of everything.

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

RC1970 said:
Since the world seems to be gravitating towards the irrational, I would expect people to become more skeptical of everything.

Nah, that's just a sign you're getting older

Brightmoon · Jun 1, 2018

RC1970 said:
I would have agreed with both climate change and evolution when I was younger, I don't now.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

.
Well now you’re not speaking as a child you’re just speaking as someone who doesn’t understand science at all

jacks · Jun 1, 2018

Older and Wiser.

OldWiseGuy · Jun 1, 2018

jacks said:
Older and Wiser.

I couldn't agree more.

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

jacks said:
Older and Wiser.

Also, deader sooner.

OldWiseGuy · Jun 1, 2018

Brightmoon said:
.
Well now you’re not speaking as a child you’re just speaking as someone who doesn’t understand science at all

The problem with science is that it sucks all the air out of the room.

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

OldWiseGuy said:
The problem with science is that they suck all the air out of the room.

Climate change is doing just that. Atmospheric oxygen levels have been dropping.

OldWiseGuy · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
Also, deader sooner.

But some of us were teenagers in the '50's, and you weren't.

OldWiseGuy · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
Climate change is doing just that. Atmospheric oxygen levels have dropped in the past couple decades.

Isn't technology developed by science responsible for most of that?

I may be the first to ask this question, but, looking at the state of the world since then wouldn't it have been better to defeat Japan using conventional weapons instead of the atomic bombs regardless of the estimated casualties? I'm beginning to think it might.

USincognito · Jun 1, 2018

RC1970 said:
I would have agreed with both climate change and evolution when I was younger, I don't now.

I'm sure your political beliefs have nothing to do with that.

RC1970 said:
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

Aww, it's cute when you guys wield Scripture like a cudgel. Of course I would love to hear your scientifically based objections to climate change to learn how "manly" they are.

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

OldWiseGuy said:
Isn't technology developed by science responsible for most of that?

Enabled by scientific knowledge, developed by people. One of the challenges of technological development is being careful how we use it given the long-term consequences.

USincognito · Jun 1, 2018

RC1970 said:
Since the world seems to be gravitating towards the irrational, I would expect people to become more skeptical of everything.

Those two things don't tend to go hand in hand.

1 John 4:1 · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
Reading this Pew Research Center survey on views of scientific issues, the age demographics for both climate change denial and evolution denial are quite apparent.

For climate change, 60% of people aged 18-29 say that it's a result of human activity. Only 31% of people aged 65+ say the same thing. Conversely only 20% of people aged 18-29 say there is no solid evidence for climate change, versus 33% of people 65+.

Similarly with evolution, 73% aged 18-29 say that living things have evolved over time. Only 54% aged 65+ say the same thing.

In both cases there is a general trend from more acceptance of both climate change and evolution in younger demographics versus older demographics.

What does this mean? Well, older people tend to die before younger people. This results in a demographic shift over time; we can expect a reduction in both climate change denial and evolution denial. In the latter case Gallup polls on creationism/evolution have already shown a greater acceptance of evolution and decline in creationist beliefs for the last couple decades.

edited to add: Found a Gallup poll suggesting an increase in concern regarding climate change over time: Global Warming Concern at Three-Decade High in U.S.

This corresponds with the demographics and suggests at least partially a demographics shift.

This is in the U.S. not over the whole world, am I correct? Like religious affiliation is decreasing in the U.S. but going up world-wide: The World Is Getting More Religious

pitabread · Jun 1, 2018

1 John 4:1 said:
This is in the U.S. not over the whole world, am I correct? Like religious affiliation is decreasing in the U.S. but going up world-wide: The World Is Getting More Religious

Yes, this is in the U.S.

I have in the past tried to pull data from other countries, but trying to find trend data isn't always easy.

redleghunter · Jun 1, 2018

pitabread said:
In both cases there is a general trend from more acceptance of both climate change and evolution in younger demographics versus older demographics.

It worked for Lenin and Mao.

Climate change and evolution denial is going to decrease with time

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Wake me when it's soup.

post tenebras lux

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Apes and humans are all in family Hominidae.

Er Victus

Wake me when it's soup.

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Wake me when it's soup.

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Wake me when it's soup.

Wake me when it's soup.

a post by Alan Smithee

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