Whether from belief in magic exploited by hucksters, false news stories created and exploited by politicians, disinformation promulgated for profit, flat Earth and young Earth dogmas, and entertainment fantasy taken too seriously, reality in history and science seem under attack. Is this actually getting worse? Could the inability of a faux-news fed public to deal realistically with the scientific issues of diseases, overpopulation, and climate change pose an existential threat to humanity? What, as writers and readers, should we do about it?
