Even if we debate the specifics, most of us agree that there are broad topics where the popular consensus is more or less right. But I’m not sure we should believe that.
Facebook has only been working its magic on the popular consciousness for a relatively short time, and already some seemingly-basic certainties have begun to crumble (vaccination, sex criminal presidents, the Earth being round etc.). And that’s with a population that mostly learned about these things initially in school or on TV news. What will people believe in 50 years if everyone’s primary understanding of the world comes from social media yelling?
Science, in particular, is terrifyingly vulnerable to this, since it depends absolutely on not being influenced by popular opinion.
