This is just one facet of a much bigger problem. America didn’t get weird about just science, America got weird about knowing things.
History, Math, Literature, Music… you name the subject, and its less relevent than it was 50 years ago. Competency in any subject at all, no longer means very much… Its not what you know, its who you know.
As for why, its the end stage of any empire. Corruption eats up any further gains to be made, until citizens no longer feel that participating offers them any advantage. Generally this is recognized several generations after it haa become true.
