During the COVID-19 pandemic it often seemed as though science was at the heart of every public discussion. Public argument flared about the science behind novel vaccines, masking recommendations, and decisions around school closures. Much of this discussion was entirely reasonable debate about still contended and new science. But some of it was fueled by political actors, aiming to advance particular political—and heavily partisan—agendas. Science tries to identify truths about our natural and social world. Politics aim to advance a vision of the world informed by a particular ideology that often looks to whatever means are available, including science, to advance its own ends.
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