GLP podcast and video: Dunning-Kruger debunked? The evil industry, noble activist myth; The real Vandana Shiva

The less informed someone is about a topic, the more likely they are to overestimate their knowledge of it. This is a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect; it’s a simple, compelling theory—and it may be incorrect. Is industry inherently untrustworthy? Activist groups have promoted that idea for decades, but there’s much more to the story. Anti-GMO advocate Vandana Shiva is hailed as a visionary by her followers and attacked as a crank by her critics. Who is the real Vandana Shiva?

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Join special guest Dr. Cami Ryan and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 229 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

The Dunning-Kruger effect is widely accepted in scientific circles. It’s often assumed that people challenging the expert consensus on a given topic do so because they overestimate their knowledge of the subject. However, recent research has started to poke some holes in this seemingly universal cognitive bias. These studies have confirmed, as Dunning-Kruger asserts, that everybody thinks they’re smarter than average. But that’s where the theory’s validity ends, some mathematicians argue. They say incompetent individuals are often keenly aware of their incompetence and able to accurately assess their limited understanding. Are these findings enough to debunk Dunning-Kruger?

Both reporters and members of the general public seem to believe that industry is inherently greedy and dishonest, while the activists who attack industry are motivated by science and a desire to protect consumers and the environment. According to one risk expert, though, this perspective is deeply flawed. Although companies certainly do behave unethically sometimes, they are often incentivized to do so by activists who support excessive regulations that businesses can’t possibly comply with. Is there any real-world evidence to support this idea?

Vandana Shiva is a known promoter of fringe, dangerous ideas. She’s claimed that the first SARS virus originated in farm animals fed GMO corn; that Monsanto developed”terminator” seeds that can sterilize plants in the environment; and that herbicide-tolerant crops are “poison.” Despite her track record of promoting demonstrable falsehoods, Shiva is routinely invited to speak at prestigious universities and paid handsomely for her speeches. Why do reputable institutions continue to give this radical activist a platform?

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter @camjenglish