American Academy of Arts and Sciences Issues Perceptions of Science in America Report
On February 12, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a COSSA member, issued a new report assessing the current state of public trust for science in the U.S. Perceptions of Science in America is the first report to be issued as part of the Academy’s ‘Public Face of Science project, a three-year activity that looks to better understand and explain the complex relationship between the scientific community and the public.
Drawing from existing public opinion survey data sources, including government and non-governmental surveys, the report identifies three main takeaways about the state of science among public audiences: (1) confidence in scientific leaders has remained relatively stable over the last 30 years; (2) confidence in science varies based on age, race, educational attainment, region, political ideology, and other characteristics; and (3) there is no single anti-science population, but more research is needed to understand what drives skepticism about specific scientific issues.
Check out the Academy’s website for details.