One of the biggest hurdles to scientific literacy is people’s perception of what science is. When science is presented as a finite “thing” that exists “out there” and can be ignored or avoided, it’s not wonder people become scientifically illiterate. All it means to be scientifically literate is that you have an appreciation of the scientific method as a way of thinking; it doesn’t mean that you’ve memorized the periodic table of the elements. It’s about seeing the world through the prism of objectivity, logic, reason, and evidence. It’s about being skeptical of all forms of bias, anthropocentrism, and anecdotes. Religions and charlatans rely on a populace that are not able to see the world this way. Unfortunately, they’ve been quite successful with it.