Doing the Math: How Americans view science

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A Pew study found differences between the way scientists and the general public view scientific issues.
A Pew study found differences between the way scientists and the general public view scientific issues.
While many Americans hold a healthy respect for science, they are confused about scientific consensus -- and in some cases, sizable majorities of the public believe that scientific opinion is divided when it is not.

     In a study published Jan. 29, the Pew Research Center compared the attitudes of citizens alongside scientists connected with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a well-known nonprofit. The report, Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society, found that an overwhelming number of adults – 79 percent – agree that science has made life easier for most people.
     But Pew, a nonpartisan organization that researches policy issues, found roughly a third of the general public believes that scientists do not agree that humans evolved over time, while 66 percent said scientists generally agree that humans evolved over time.
   Scientists, however, aren't divided about evolution, according to the report. Indeed, an overwhelming 98 percent of scientists agreed that humans have evolved over time. Among the general public, 65 percent indicated that they believe in evolution.
     Scientists are more likely than other Americans to see climate change  as a reality too. According to Pew:

The majority of scientists say humans contribute to climate change: This is another area where a sizable portion of the public believes that scientific opinion is divided when it is not. In the study, more than a third -- 37 percent of the general public -- said that "scientists do not agree" that Earth is getting warmer due to human activity. The majority, 57 percent, understand that scientists generally agree that this is the case.
     The study found that 87 percent of scientists say climate change is mostly due to human activity, while just 50 percent of the general public believes that.  (With this release, Pew adds to the body of research on scientific views about climate change. But unlike other reports, this study did not focus specifically on climate researchers.)    

Population growth will be a problem: An overwhelming 82 percent of scientists believe population growth will be a major problem, while only 59 percent of the general public agrees.

Space: Must astronauts be at the helm of future missions? Among the general public, 59 percent said astronauts were essential for the future of the space program. But the majority of scientists don’t see it that way – 47 percent say astronauts are essential.

What we’d be willing to eat: A much larger difference involved genetically modified food. While 88 percent of scientists say it is safe to eat, only 37 percent of the general population said the same. 

Views on education: Scientists and the general public apparently agree that children aren’t getting enough science education. When asked about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, only 16 percent of scientists and 29 percent of the general public ranked American STEM education for students in kindergarten through the 12th grades as above average or the best in the world, the survey said. Another 46 percent of scientists, along with 29 percent of the general public, say the system is below average.  

     Related:

     Doing the Math: Scientists and global warming

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