Unfortunately so many who would call themselves educated have cut themselves off, or have been cut off, from this one aspect of culture. In part this appears to be a problem in the teaching of mathematics, and an ever-worsening one, as those who become primary schoolteachers, those who first expose us to the area, are often those whose feeling for the subject has been prejudiced by themselves having received inadequate preparation. No doubt, or even perhaps because of their ignorance, those for whom mathematics is anathema can accept its power. It would take a flat earth mentality not to recognise the contribution of mathematics to the development of computers over the last decade or so. And when such a powerful tool is recognised, we can be sure that it will be employed and not necessarily for the good of us all.
Statistics is one area which is wide open for such practices.
The book, 'How to Lie with Statistics', by Darrell Huff, is now 40 years old but still worth the read. All we need to do here is to recall the differing interpretations put on statistics such as unemployment rates or inflation indices, by spokespersons of differing political persuasion. If one of these indices is 'up' on last month, then we should compare it with last year, or note that the trend is basically downward, or that a special set of circumstances last month biased the result. I suggest that because such indices are believed to have been constructed on a mathematical basis, then they are perceived as being exact representations of a real situation. Certainly not those who are unsure of their mathematics.