HEALTH AND HUMAN Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seems fond of the phrase “common sense.” In April, he insisted that autism is now an “epidemic” (a view not shared by most scientists who study autism), asserting that “it just takes a little common sense” to agree with him. At a White House event in May for a new report on children’s health — one subsequently criticized for multiple significant errors, including misrepresentation of study results — Kennedy said, “We’ve relied too much on conflicted research, ignored common sense, or what some would call ‘mother’s intuition.’” In June, he fired the 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, replacing them with eight allies he described as “committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense.”
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Often what in good faith seems to be “common sense” isn’t the right solution. Experience or new information can overturn accepted wisdom. Careful policymakers might advocate a solution to a societal problem that in practice has unintended negative outcomes. But Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, is also a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccine activist who picks and chooses among studies, scientists, and influencers. Perhaps he is a true believer in his social engineering schemes, but his consistent undermining and avoidance of rigorous expert review feels too convenient.
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