This is such an important topic for the successful future of our species.
First, most societies have a poor understanding of math, statistics, logic, science, and physics. So, they are unarmed against charlatans.
Second, they are correct in observing that much of science is broken. There are people who fudge statistics/results to suit their biases or to get more grant money. Hell, there are entire industries dedicated to rejecting valid science.
Third, some people are simply ignorant and placed in positions of authority. For example, from the book, Merchants of Doubt:
Blockquote
The distinction between the troposphere and the stratosphere became part of the Supreme Court hearing in the case of Massachusetts v. EPA, in which twelve states sued the federal government for failing to regulate CO2 as a pollutant under the clean air act. Justice Antonin Scalia dissented, arguing that there was nothing in the law to require the EPA to act - but the honorable justice also got lost in the science, at one point referring to the stratosphere when he meant the troposphere. A lawyer for Massachusetts replied, “Respectfully your honor. It is not the stratosphere. It’s the troposphere.” The justice answered, “Troposphere, whatever. I told you before I’m not a scientist. That’s why I don’t want to deal with global warming.”
And there are rogue scientists who arm the ignorant masses with doubt (E.g., Fred and Russell Seitz, and Fred Singer) as their articles would appear in business journals whose readers were all about free-markets and no government intervention. During the Reagan administration, it was frowned upon to mention acid rain just as George W, Bush didn’t want to hear about global warming. Think tanks like the CATO institute paid these scientists to publish misleading articles.
Most people do not place reason over emotion. It’s easy to scare/anger such people. As Fox News clearly illustrates.