At the University, I learned about the principle of free examination, initiated by René Descartes
Our motto: (babelfish translation)
The first article of the statutes of our University proclaims that its teaching has as a principle the free examination. This one postulates, in any matter, the rejection of the argument of authority and the independence of judgement. "the free examination which is at the base of the scientific method, is also a principle to which one subscribes by engagement... The free examinist thus commits himself putting his words and his acts in agreement with what it holds for truth. Its truth, it has courage to say it and defend it."

However, there are political problems closely related to science, like smoking cigarettes, nuclear war and global warming.
If one fights them for their lack of scientific accuracy, then one can be accused of denying the problem. That's also a problem with companies hiring scientists supposed to defend their product.
James Lovelock was once hired by NASA to demonstrate life existed on Mars. His studies led him to understand not only that there was no life on Mars but also that the Earth had a regulatory mechanism which led to his Gaïa hypothesis.
It's also the media problem! Why invite one scientist more often than another in a TV show (really meant for artists)? Obviously, as Mary Anne wrote:These worlds, art and science, are connected at the hip. We generally don't notice because we are too interested in what the hands are doing to shift our focus away from them. Again, we only see what we are prepared to look at.

Why is it that privately owned commercial TV stations rarely show real hard science? It's boring, too technical, not sexy enough?
That's why I don't agree with those against universities, public TV. We need a much broader knowledge of what goes on and not merely be specialized in one field. General culture can help develop a free examination spirit.

Raoul