Belief Is Biased: It's Vital to Know How Our Values Trump Logic

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SOME of the most important controversies we face today are those with a scientific underpinning but a public consequence. Anthropogenic climate change, GMOs and nuclear power are among them. The curious feature of these so-called "scientific" controversies is that most members of the public take a stance, pro or con, without regard for the data.

To put it another way, the science really isn't that important. Instead, a set of social and cultural values determine whether citizens will, for instance, accept that we are changing the climate and vow to do something about it, or instead argue that climate fluctuations are natural and we would be foolish to do anything.

With a set of straightforward survey questions, individuals can …