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To the editor: The declining trust in science reported in Hayley Smith’s article came as no surprise to this former medical writer currently living in the intense heat of Arizona (“The Earth keeps getting hotter, and Americans’ trust in science is on a down trend,” Jan. 15).
Periodically, I’ve had chats with neighbors about the heat. Most of the talks have been thoughtful, but some have veered into cuckoo territory. One conversation in particular sticks with me.
Discussing the difficulty of staying cool on a 111-degree day, one neighbor said, “Oh, Arizonans have been dealing with really hot weather since dinosaurs lived here. People always figure out a way, and we don’t need hysterical scientists telling us what to do.”
I felt like asking which type of dinosaur designed the air conditioning still running in her car as she picked up her mail. But I thought better of the idea.
Mary Stanik, Tucson
