As consumers of science, we need to be capable of scrutinising what we are told and making a judgement as to whether or not we believe it. When authorities make assertions of the truth, we need to have the skills to hold them to account. Much of what passes for ‘evidence-based practice’ is neither scientific nor evidence-based. Much of it is weak science, groupthink and dogma. People accept it on faith. Sometimes they submit to the authority of the elites even though they sense that it is not right. That is usually because they don’t know how to argue their case. It is essential that we are all well educated in scientific and philosophical thinking, so that we can be alert to abuses of science and poor quality science.