A student works in a biology laboratory. (Photo by Jess Daninhirsch/Capital News Service)

Americans have long maintained a healthy instinct to be skeptics. We pride ourselves on demanding proof.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the explosion of social media in which every person has a public platform has allowed this natural skepticism to fuel a situation in which distinctly unscientific conspiracy theories get way too much attention.

And this, tragically, has led millions of people to waiver in their faith in science.

This trend is on display right now in Washington where federal budget writers are planning to slash scientific research funding at a time in which the need in numerous realms — like combating disease and developing clean energy – has never been greater.

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And that would be a terrible mistake.

The bottom line: Science — genuine science — is the ultimate expression of a skepticism-based search for the truth. By forsaking it, we head down a very dangerous road indeed.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.