Across the United States, experts warn anti‑intellectualism has evolved from an occasional reflex into mass‑market entertainment. Historians link its rise from post‑war suburbia’s comfort culture to today’s outrage algorithms. Education data show eighth‑grade science scores falling for a decade, while public library budgets shrink. Cable news monetised the loudest, wrongest voices; social media perfected the model, rewarding provocation over accuracy. Consequences cross party lines: vaccine refusals in conservative counties mirror wellness‑industry pseudoscience on the coasts. Economists blame the STEM‑skills gap for stalled infrastructure and supply‑chain failures; public‑health studies tie hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths to viral misinformation. Yet resilience persists. Grass‑roots maker spaces, new media‑literacy curricula, and a wave of “explain‑in‑public” scientists work to rebuild trust, one workshop at a time. Skeptics say these efforts are too small; advocates reply that every repaired bridge and reopened library proves curiosity still pays dividends. In a nation hooked on easy answers, the hardest question remains: can thinking regain its value before reality forces the issue?
