IMHO, understanding the Scientific Method and, maybe more importantly, why it is as it is (so, understanding things like Confirmation Bias - including that we ourselves have it without noticing it, which skews our perception, recollection and conclusions - as well as Logical Falacies) is what makes the most difference in how we mentally handle data, information and even offered knowledge from the outside.

PS: Also more broadly in STEM, the structured and analytical way of thinking in those areas also helps in things like spotting logical inconsistencies, circular logic and other such tricks to make the illogical superficially seem logical.

Even subtle but common Propaganda techniques used in the modern age are a lot more obvious once one is aware of one's one natural biases and how these techniques act on and via those biases, purposefully avoiding logic.

Personally I feel that that's the part of my training in Science (which I never finished, since I changed the degree I was taking from Physics to EE half way) is what makes me a bit more robust (though not immune: none of us are, IMHO) to Propaganda.

Science is powerful but, as you've stated, balance is most critical. It was one of the most impactful biologists of the modern era that wrote "the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace throughout the world the savage races" based on his theory of natural selection.

As you can imagine, statements like these were used to justify the Atlantic slave trade, the genocide of indigineous people ie. "manifest destiny" and other colonial era horrors.

One should not treat science or the words of scientists as absolute truth. Unfortunately it is not free from human greed or corruption.

Yep, maths and science are only partially about learning maths and science. The even more important purpose is learning critical reasoning skills, which is a requirement for media literacy.

I think the flip side of this is Facebook or wherever the link was pushed to your in-laws (which is what I'd guess happened) feels... empowering. Those apps are literally optimized, with billions of dollars (and extensive science, especially psychology), to validate folk's views in the pursuit of keeping them clicking. Their world's telling them they're right; of course your retort will feel offensive and wrong.

They're in a trap.

And I still see lot of scientists posit 'why is this happening?' unironically on Twitter or something, which really frustrates me.

A 19th century Alex Jones sketch coming right up...

"Gentlemen (and ladies please leave for it is not for your dainty hearts!) These devilish wires that are held upon stakes that plunge into the heart of God's green earth are doing far more than blighting our crops and potatoes! It is this same wire that I have good sources on (show them the papers, John!) *John on another podium waves blank paper piles like they mean something * that afflicted the Irish potato that lead those heathen Catholics to come over here, lorded over by their prince in Rome whose true master is the Jews!

And the main concern on all good Christian minds from these devilish telegraph wire is that they send an evil miasma that has been proven beyond all doubt (John! The proof!) That they even make the beasts of the land and water stray from the path God has lain forth and has sent them onto the path of SODOM! Gentlemen! They have turned the frogs onto sodomites!

But fear not, I have a tonic that will prevent all manner of evil from entering your heart! For but a nickel I have pint flask of the Jones invigorator! Guaranteed to ensure proper masculine strength and function, with the ladies never questioning you, and thus rendering no need to beat them to prevent them from straying onto the path of sapphistry!"

Tbh, reasoning and thinking is hard work, even if you learned how to.

And it's getting increasingly harder to find reliable information, so you have to check the sources of your sources. And at some point down the rabbit hole stuff gets real complex, and maybe, you still haven't figured out what's true...

So the layman has to trust someone, and in our age of disinformation, someone isn't necessarily trustworthy. So between the day to day struggles and constant indoctrination, I get why people just hear what they want to hear. Still doesn't excuse it though.

That's why you teach philosophy and critical thinking. Science will follow if that's the kid's interest. But learning to be being self-aware of your own position amongst others, including the position of Science, is key.

If it wasn't alien tech, we would've built a faster plane by now.