Opinion: Why do some people deny science? Blame a fear of math.

To the editor: I am a retired engineer and I defer to no one in my skepticism. Before a theory is accepted as valid, it must be able to predict measurable test results, evidence that is replicated independently by unbiased, independent observers. (“Psychologists ask: What makes some smart people so skeptical of science?” Jan. 21)

However, the kind of skepticism described in The Times (of climate change and vaccination, for example) is not healthy; it is based on hearsay, anecdote and an innate fear of mathematics and science.

I have taught undergraduate mathematics and physics to college students seeking to satisfy graduation requirements — I am not talking advanced calculus or quantum mechanics here. Nonetheless, there were a number of students who simply could not do math; they froze when confronted with even the simplest equation. The fear and anxiety were palpable, and it blocked otherwise bright students from thinking clearly and acquiring any understanding of mathematics and science. This anxiety is a serious problem that breeds antipathy toward legitimate science.

I have a question for the anti-vaccination crowd: Smallpox has been eradicated from this planet. Please explain how, if not for vaccination.

Robert Mandl, El Segundo

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