Why do conservatives hate science? Perhaps because it keeps reminding them of how easily duped they are by bullshit. For proof, see (1) the acceptance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary, and (2) this study showing conservatives are worse at recognizing fake medical information than the rest of us:
Individuals who like to think critically are better at identifying false information online, while those with conservative political affiliations struggle more with detecting fake medical information on social media, according to a PLOS One study.
…The results indicated that those with a high need for cognition were significantly better at identifying false information. At the same time, political leanings influenced how certain posts were perceived, particularly on polarizing topics such as COVID-19 vaccines and FDA warnings about drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine [Sanjukta Mondal, “People with Conservative Political Leanings More Likely to Believe in Health Disinformation, Study Finds,” Phys.org, 2025.09.18].
We could all use a bullshit-detector booster shot; study participants’ success rate in discerning medical fact from fiction was only 66%. But the researchers’ finding that conservatives fall for fake medical info more easily than liberals fits with broader research on fake news:
Studies focusing on fake news have shown that, when compared to those who espouse liberal or centrist views, political conservatives were more likely to: believe fake news stories were true [6,8,38]; believe false headlines [4]; and not recognize fake news [7]. In concert with these findings, a literature review by Baptista and Gradim [23], of papers about North America and Europe, concluded that conservatives were less able to discern fake news than were liberals [Joey F. George, “Political Affiliation or Need for Cognition? It Depends on the Post: Comparing Key Factors Related to Detecting Health Disinformation in the U.S.,” PLOS One, 2025.08.26].
My prescription for better medical intelligence: trust California and Connecticut, not Kennedy, for medical information
The commitment to reproductive rights is helping to drive New Mexico’s film industry while movie producers shun horrible red states like South Dakota.
At his Faceberg page Republican former South Dakota legislator and retired Rapid City ophthalmologist Scott Eccarius releases racist tirades especially against asylum seekers. He and this interested party clashed at the Protecting South Dakota Kids page where he argued against free will and reproductive rights; but he didn’t get to rabid racism on his own. Michigan ophthalmologist, John Tanton held white nationalist beliefs and wrote that to maintain American culture, “a European-American majority” is required.