Latest news with #Faulconbridge
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Public trust in science has been eroded, from Covid-19 to climate
Jane Qiu rightly identifies that public trust in science has diminished in recent times (The Covid 'lab leak' theory isn't just a rightwing conspiracy – pretending that's the case is bad for science, 25 June), but she misses some root causes. Scientists and the media often don't differentiate or clearly distinguish between hypotheses, initial findings and accepted scientific understanding when publishing information, leaving the reader/listener confused. The media get viewers, readers or clicks (money); the scientist potentially gets interest that leads to longer tenure or funding. The public gets confused when a report is later refuted or overturned. Universities and the scientists employed by them used to be largely government-funded and independent of industry and politics. Now they are competing for government and private funds and are willing to muddy the waters around hypotheses, preliminary findings and peer-reviews. By doing so they are playing into the hands of anti-science groups. Scientists are now as market-oriented as any other professionals, and it isn't doing society any good. Why believe climate science when the boffins can't even agree on how Covid-19 arose?Steven LeeFaulconbridge, New South Wales, Australia Jane Qiu makes a lot of excellent points. But it is not fair to imply that blame for mistrust in science lies with scientists themselves. It lies with the populist right, and decades of sustained and largely baseless attacks on scientific integrity. Climate denial, anti-vaxxing and lockdown scepticism are three major examples. As well as manufacturing doubt, these bad actors remove any nuance from public debate – reducing complex issues to a binary shouting match. Meanwhile, climate denial has taught us that even statements in private emails can be ripped out of context and splashed across the global media, to promote a false narrative. In such an environment, any communication with the public on contentious issues is a minefield, and it is hardly surprising that many conscientious scientists avoid it. Scientists need to communicate openly and honestly with the public, but we need support from the media, challenging anti-science voices instead of platforming them. Only then can we achieve the sort of thoughtful and honest discussion of scientific evidence that the public deserves. Dr Richard MilneEdinburgh Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- News.com.au
Fresh delay in case of Faulconbridge mother who allegedly murdered two sons
A mother who allegedly murdered her two children will not have her case heard again in court until later in the year. The 42-year-old was arrested in September last year after her two boys, aged 9 and 11, were found in their beds with stab wounds at their Faulconbridge home in the NSW Blue Mountains. The woman was taken to Westmead Hospital under police guard with self-inflicted injuries. She was later charged with two counts of murder (DV). She is yet to enter any pleas. After more than nine months in custody on remand, the woman's case was briefly mentioned before Penrith Local Court on Friday. Magistrate Stephen Corry was told that both the defence and the prosecution were waiting on a psychiatrist report before the matter could proceed. Police said they were called to the Faulconbridge home last September due to a concern for the welfare of a woman and two children. The boys' bodies were found inside the home by a relative, police said. The close-knit Blue Mountains community came to a standstill at the time of the alleged crime, with Mayor Mark Greenhill stating his community 'lost two precious souls in the most awful circumstances'. 'Now is a time to come together and remember these two beautiful children and their extended family whose grief must be as unimaginable,' he said at the time. The woman will next appear in court via AVL on August 29, 2025.
