Dear all,
As fellow
scientists specializing in structural biology, it's disheartening to witness a
decline in society's trust in science; perhaps many of you have come across the
remarkable book "The Deadly Rise of Anti-science: A Scientist's
Warning" by Dr. Peter Hotez. To help restore this trust, we co-founded a non-profit
and launched an educational app. If you are concerned as well, please read on
(the app even touches on structural biology):
As you know,
scientists and other fact-finding professions like journalism currently face
significant challenges. Our crucial work as reputable sources and the
scientific consensus we build can be readily undermined by misinformation and
conspiracy theories.
There is
probably no bigger problem in today’s world than the battle between facts and
mis- and disinformation, a conflict that not only fuels other large global
struggles such as vaccine hesitancy and climate change denial but also leads to
societal division and its consequential challenges. These dynamics collectively
contribute to heightened stress and suffering, both on individual and global
scales.
It's unlikely
that any of the world's biggest challenges can be solved as long as people
remain so easily swayed by misinformation and disinformation. To address this
pressing issue, we co-founded the non-profit organization Knowledge Advances
Inc., dedicated to educating individuals on navigating the complex ecosystem of
information and misinformation. We assert that information of higher
reliability is a basic human need, akin to water, food, and shelter.
To initiate our
efforts, we recently launched an app called Advance: Life training. The
app employs a comprehensive, active learning approach through quizzes to teach
users how to identify sources of higher reliability, discern information of
greater credibility, and understand biases.
For additional
details and to download the free Advance: Life Training app, please
visit our website: https://knowledgeadvances.org/
If our approach
and app resonate with you, we kindly ask you to support us by rating our
application on the app stores and sharing this information with your friends
and colleagues.
Please feel
free to contact us for further information or feedback.
Best regards,
Focco
Focco van den
Akker, Ph.D.
President,
Knowledge Advances Inc.
Associate
Professor, Dept. Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University
Email:
focco.vandenak...@knowledgeadvances.org
https://knowledgeadvances.org/
https://case.edu/medicine/biochemistry/faculty/focco-van-den-akker
