Pseudoscientific attitudes - such as climate denial, anti-vaccine movements, and creationism - seem to be on the rise around the world, particularly in Poland, where even the former Minister of Science and Education participated in and promoted several events organized by entities known for disseminating pseudoscience.
It cannot be stressed enough how dangerous various pseudoscientific sentiments are for global human society, as they promote irrational and conspiracy thinking, increase polarization, and undermine trust in science. This, in turn, has negative consequences, as more and more people, for instance, tend to question modern, evidence-based medicine, the efforts of conservation biologists to protect Earth's ecosystems, or the idea of sustainable development.
One could argue that one of the main reasons for the popularity of pseudoscience is the complexity of science, which rarely offers simple answers. On the other hand, the human mind often seeks such straightforward solutions and has a tendency to avoid excessive complexity. This creates a real challenge for science communicators, who must balance between oversimplification and overcomplication of scientific ideas.
Through various actions, including the publication of a number of videos as well as the organization of a series of lectures and events during a popular Polish scientific festival, we plan to initiate a debate in Poland concerning the complexity of science and its philosophical, practical and social consequences. We also intend to discuss current developments in scientific investigation in the fields of biology, physics, and psychology, and emphasize that the complexity of scientific ideas and methods is to be expected—since it corresponds to the complexity of the universe. Additionally, we would like to show that this complexity should be seen not as a daunting feature of the world, but as a source of inspiration and admiration.
