Isaac Asimov suggested that a weak point of democracy is the notion that “my ignorance is as good as your knowledge”, and rarely is this more on display than in debates over atomic energy.
Activists with notions that come entirely from their own imaginations are routinely placed on an equal footing with scientists, engineers, and others who have direct experience and practical as well as theoretical knowledge. These activists are often allowed to frame the terms of debate, to define (at least implicitly) what questions are asked, and what kinds of answers are accepted. Indeed, the feeling that the whole subject is somehow morally corrupt is strong enough that anti-nuclear campaigners often succeed in getting subject-matter experts excluded from public discussion, on the ground that they are “part of the nuclear establishment” and therefore untrustworthy.
