David S. Meyer, UCI professor of sociology and political science writes, “So, who do we trust for expert judgment? The criteria for expertise are achingly obvious and conventional: specialized training in a relevant area, experience in working on similar problems, and engagement in a professional community which shares a set of methods for adjudicating disputes. In truth, the COVID-19 case provides a particularly garish example of the costs of ignoring the relevant experts—professionals from public health, epidemiology, and infectious disease—generally agree.” 

For the full story, please visit https://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/mobilization-polarization-and-erosion-of-public-expertise.