Science Denial in the Next Administration: A Threat to Humanity’s Progress"

Science denial has always been a quiet undercurrent in certain segments of society, but under the next administration, it promises to take centre stage. This denial, epitomised by the 6,000-year Earth narrative promoted by some Christian sects, is no longer confined to fringe beliefs—it is becoming institutionalised through policy. Fuelled by a neoliberal agenda that siphons public funds into voucher programs supporting private religious schools, this push represents a broader attack on evidence-based knowledge. In these schools, children are taught a version of reality that denies the fundamental principles of geology, biology, and astronomy, erasing humanity’s deep evolutionary history.

This rejection of science extends far beyond the age of the Earth. The same administration will likely deny the evidence of climate change, dismiss the natural diversity of gender expression in nature, and allow those in the “cures” movement to dictate the conversation on autism. The result is a dangerous erasure—not only of knowledge but also of identities that have shaped human survival and progress.

In today’s article, we’ll explore how science denial threatens society at large, indoctrinates children into rejecting evidence, and erases profound truths about our shared history. We’ll examine how the Solitary Forager Hypothesis of Autism—a model that reveals the integral role of neurodivergent individuals in human evolution—stands in stark contrast to the 6,000-year Earth belief and its denial of the rich complexity of our world.

The Broader Patterns of Science Denial

Science denial is rarely confined to a single issue. It tends to metastasise, weaving itself into a worldview that rejects evidence-based understanding across disciplines. The next administration will likely amplify this denial in several critical areas, shaping policies that exacerbate harm for generations to come.

Climate Change Denial

The rejection of human-induced climate change is one of the most glaring examples of science denial. Despite overwhelming evidence from the global scientific community, this administration is poised to double down on policies that ignore or actively undermine the realities of climate science. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and resource scarcity are not hypothetical future events—they are unfolding now. Yet, the refusal to address these crises ensures not only environmental devastation but also a widening chasm of inequality, as vulnerable communities bear the brunt of the consequences.

The same ideological rigidity that supports a 6,000-year Earth narrative fuels climate denial. If the timeline of Earth’s history can be reduced to a few millennia, it becomes easier to dismiss the cumulative impact of humanity’s actions over time. This denial isn’t just inconvenient—it’s catastrophic.

Denial of Gender Diversity

The natural diversity of gender expression is well-documented in biology, anthropology, and sociology. Intersex individuals, whose physical characteristics don’t fit typical definitions of male or female, are a clear and natural example of this diversity. Yet, under this administration, policies are expected to reinforce binary gender norms, rejecting the evidence of nature’s complexity.

This denial doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It stems from the same literalist worldview from hundreds of years ago that denies the diversity of life itself. Policies targeting transgender and intersex individuals aim to erase their existence, undermining basic human rights and creating a culture where anything that deviates from rigid norms is treated as unnatural.

Denial of Neurodiversity

Neurodivergence, including autism, is increasingly understood as a natural variation within the human species, not a disorder to be eradicated. Yet the “cures” movement, backed by elements of the Christian right, refuses to accept this science. Instead, it weaponises education and policy to perpetuate the idea that neurodivergent individuals are broken, their differences something to be fixed or eliminated.

This framing denies decades of research showing that traits associated with autism—such as heightened sensory perception and unique problem-solving abilities—have been vital to humanity’s survival. The denial of neurodiversity is part of a broader attempt to homogenise society, erasing the very diversity that has allowed humans to adapt and thrive across millennia.

Indoctrination and Its Dangers

Science denial doesn’t emerge in a vacuum. It is cultivated, often through the deliberate indoctrination of children, using education as a battleground for ideological control. Under the next administration, this effort will likely intensify, with voucher-funded schools becoming a central tool in shaping young minds to reject evidence-based understanding.

Targeting Children

The neoliberal push for school vouchers, which often funnel public funds into private religious corporations, is often justified under the guise of “school choice.” But the goal here is ideological: to teach children creationism, climate denial, and other dogmas that conflict with scientific consensus. In these classrooms, the Earth is presented as 6,000 years old, evolution is dismissed as a myth, and humanity’s role in climate change is ignored entirely.

This indoctrination isn’t just a distortion of reality; it’s an active suppression of critical thinking. When children are taught to mistrust evidence and accept dogma, they lose the ability to question, analyse, and engage with the world. The long-term effects are profound. An ill-educated populace is less likely to pursue careers in STEM fields, less equipped to address complex societal issues, and more susceptible to manipulation by political and corporate interests.

So, who benefits from this? Not the children. Not society. The beneficiaries are those who profit from maintaining the status quo: fossil fuel companies avoiding accountability for climate change, politicians exploiting ignorance for power, the so-called ‘non-profit’ corporations that line their private pockets with public money, and institutions seeking to control through fear and misinformation.

Weaponised Education

Education should empower students to explore, question, and innovate. Yet, in voucher-funded schools prioritising dogma over inquiry, education becomes a weapon wielded to enforce ideological conformity. Creationism is not taught alongside science—it is presented as the only acceptable worldview, whilst legitimate scientific disciplines are dismissed or distorted.

This weaponisation has far-reaching implications for diversity. By rejecting scientific evidence, these schools reinforce rigid and exclusionary definitions of normalcy, marginalising anyone who doesn’t fit their narrow frameworks. Gender diversity is erased, neurodivergent individuals are labelled as disordered, and a false sense of uniformity is imposed.

What is lost in this process is not just knowledge but the beauty of human variation. A generation raised on dogma is less likely to appreciate or protect the diversity of life, whether in nature, gender, or neurobiology. The very things that make humanity adaptable and resilient are dismissed in favour of rigid hierarchies and outdated norms.

Erosion of Public Trust in Science

The harm of this indoctrination extends far beyond the classroom. When children are taught that science is negotiable, they grow into adults who mistrust evidence-based fields like medicine, environmental science, and technology. This erosion of public trust has dire consequences. We’ve seen it during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vaccine scepticism fueled preventable deaths, and in climate inaction, where denial delays the policies urgently needed to address a warming planet.

Science denial spreads like a virus, undermining society’s ability to respond to crises. When a population doubts the efficacy of vaccines, the reality of rising sea levels, or the need for environmental preservation, the consequences are measured not only in lost opportunities but in lives. Indoctrinating children into this worldview ensures that these consequences persist for generations.

By teaching denial as valid, voucher-funded schools contribute to a society where facts are optional, truth is subjective, and progress is stymied. The greatest danger lies not just in the immediate harm but in the lasting damage to our collective capacity for evidence-based decision-making. A world that denies science denies its future.

The Solitary Forager Hypothesis as Counter-Narrative

In the face of the 6,000-year Earth narrative and its erasure of scientific truth, the Solitary Forager Hypothesis offers a powerful counter-narrative. This hypothesis, explored in depth in my book, No Place for Autism?, and supported by nearly 30 pages of references from peer-reviewed journals, highlights the evolutionary importance of traits associated with autism, demonstrating that neurodivergence is not a deficiency but an essential part of humanity’s survival story.

The Hypothesis Explained

Reser’s Solitary Forager Hypothesis of Autism posits that many traits linked to autism—heightened sensory perception, exceptional pattern recognition, and innovative problem-solving—evolved as adaptive advantages. In early human societies, autistic individuals thrived as solitary foragers or small-group specialists, contributing unique skills to their communities. These abilities were not only valuable but essential for survival in challenging environments, where attention to detail and unconventional thinking could mean the difference between life and death.

The persistence of autism-related genes through natural selection underscores their importance to humanity’s success. These traits are not anomalies; they are evolutionary adaptations that have helped humans navigate and survive on this planet for tens of thousands of years. By denying the deep evolutionary history of humanity, narratives like the 6,000-year Earth erase the very foundation of these scientific insights, dismissing the contributions of autistic individuals to our shared survival.

Creationism vs. Science

The 6,000-year Earth narrative, rooted in centuries-old suppositions by an obscure priest, denies humanity’s profound evolutionary history. By compressing the timeline of Earth’s existence into a few millennia, this belief rejects the vast span of time necessary to understand how traits like those associated with autism evolved and thrived.

This denial is not just an assault on science but on humanity itself. It undermines the understanding of how diverse abilities—including those often dismissed as “disordered”—have been integral to our survival. The reduction of Earth’s history to a blink of time erases the nuanced story of human evolution, replacing it with a simplistic narrative that cannot account for the complexity of life on this planet.

Autism as Essential, Not Deficient

The “cures” movement, driven by a misguided belief in autism as a problem to be solved, stands in stark contrast to the reality revealed by science. Autism has never been an obstacle to human progress; it has been a driver of innovation, creativity, and resilience.

Science denial erases not only the truth about autism’s evolutionary advantages but also the diverse identities that enrich humanity. To deny autism’s role in our shared history is to deny the contributions of countless individuals who shaped the world as we know it. This erasure diminishes not only the past but also the potential of the future, where diversity continues to be humanity’s greatest strength.

Why Science Denial is Particularly Dangerous Now

Science denial has always been harmful, but in the current moment, it carries unprecedented risks. Under the next administration, this denial will not just distort facts; it will drive policies that actively harm marginalised communities, erode global leadership, and destabilise humanity’s ability to respond to existential challenges.

Policy Impacts

The Young Earth Creationism narrative, steeped in denial of established science, will serve as the ideological foundation for regressive policies across multiple domains. In education, it justifies teaching creationism, undermining scientific literacy. In healthcare, it emboldens the “cures” movement, targeting neurodivergent individuals with harmful interventions. And in environmental protection, it enables the dismissal of climate science, delaying critical action on global warming.

Marginalised groups bear the brunt of these policies. Neurodivergent individuals, especially those targeted by the “cures” agenda, will face heightened stigma and reduced access to equitable education. LGBTQ+ communities, already under attack from policies denying gender diversity, will find their rights further eroded. These policies are not just misguided—they are deliberately designed to marginalise, oppress, and control.

Global Consequences

The impacts of science denial do not stop at national borders. A denialist administration weakens global efforts to address issues requiring collective action, such as climate change and pandemics. By rejecting scientific consensus, the United States forfeits its leadership role, leaving a vacuum that undermines global progress.

The repercussions extend far beyond the present, threatening humanity’s collective future. Without a shared commitment to evidence-based solutions, international cooperation becomes increasingly difficult, and the challenges we face—rising sea levels, disease outbreaks, resource scarcity—grow insurmountable.

The Long-Term Harm to Knowledge Systems

Normalising science denial destabilises the very systems of knowledge that underpin progress. It erodes trust in evidence, weakens the capacity for critical thinking, and leaves society vulnerable to misinformation. A world that rejects science sacrifices its ability to make informed decisions—and in doing so, jeopardises its own survival.

Final thoughts …

The embrace of science denial by the next administration represents a profound threat—not only to humanity’s progress but also to our understanding of ourselves and the diverse tapestry that makes us resilient. From the 6,000-year Earth narrative to the rejection of climate science, gender diversity, and neurodiversity, these beliefs erode trust in evidence and weaponise ignorance to harm marginalised communities. Science denial strips away the richness of human history, including the vital contributions of autistic individuals to our survival, reducing complex truths to oversimplified dogmas.

To combat this, public advocacy is essential. We must defend evidence-based education and policies with urgency, ensuring that scientific literacy remains a cornerstone of learning. Science is not just a tool for innovation—it is a unifying force that celebrates humanity’s diversity and equips us to face the challenges of the future. Protecting this foundation is crucial, not only to counter misinformation but also to safeguard the rights and dignity of those who are most vulnerable to regressive policies rooted in denial.

Yet there is hope. Science reminds us that truth, when pursued with integrity, can inspire progress and justice. By embracing evidence and celebrating the diversity that has allowed humanity to thrive, we can resist the forces of denial and build a future rooted in equality, sustainability, and knowledge. The beauty of science lies in its ability to reveal the interconnectedness of all things, urging us to work together to protect both our planet and each other.