“Alternative facts,” the phrase made famous by Kellyanne Conway in 2017, intrigues me both as a scientist and an artist.

When questioned by the news media, Conway used “alternative facts” to explain away the difference between inauguration attendance numbers provided by the White House and the verifiable figures from several federal agencies. By her action, Conway ushered in a new standard operating procedure – namely, misdirect the narrative by employing biased opinions to transform verifiable facts into either “alternative facts” or the now-infamous deflector “fake news.”

As an artist, I am often puzzled as to why a specific painting was rejected by one juried exhibition while given an award in a different venue. Could exhibition judges also be guilty of employing “alternative facts” to justify their decision-making? Why? The painting in question is exactly the same physically: same colors, same texture, same style. How, given these identical verifiable facts, does one juror reject it while another presents it with a prize? Could these same verifiable facts be altered by personal opinion and emotion?

As a scientist, no, facts are facts. As an artist, yes, emotions, passions and opinions can temper the acceptance of facts as true or not. Could this same psychological phenomenon provide a means of understanding how emotions and opinions influence our understanding of how politics are now conducted?

In our current political climate, emotions and opinions appear to “sway” the followers of former President Donald Trump – in contrast to those citizens who truly wish to pursue justice and truth. In the face of numerous state and federal court findings, special committees and congressional investigations, Trump still insists that the 2020 election was “rigged” and he is really the rightful choice of the American people. Even although a virtual mountain of evidence exists to the contrary, a significant number of Republican voters, verifiable facts notwithstanding, with their emotions and rigid opinions intact, still believe in his every word and actions.

Could exhibition jurors be made to reverse their initial acceptance or rejection of the same painting by presenting them with verifiable facts? From my experience as an artist, no. Can supporters of Trump be made to withdraw their support of him by the presentation of verifiable facts? It would appear not.

Our long-established system of local, state and national governance is currently under attack by extremes, namely far right versus far left, verifiable versus alternative facts and fake news promoted by rogue media platforms. As a country, can we ever move toward the center of the political spectrum, and conduct the business of this nation fairly and efficiently, if alternative facts, unsupported opinions and unfettered emotions are more relevant to making important choices than the acceptance of verifiable facts?

In all future elections, Americans will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to accept alternative facts, fake news and unfiltered emotions, or enthusiastically endorse the use of verifiable facts to govern our country. As a scientist relying on verifiable information with an artist’s passion, I hope all Americans will select and support the latter, fact-based choice. If not, a true democracy may cease to exist.