Public opinion of science and scientists

[jayem]

This is kind of old news (July, 2009) but it's interesting information, and I don't think it's been posted before.

Last spring, the Pew Organization polled 2000 random members of the public, and 2500 scientists (randomly chosen members of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.) They asked about their opinions on the role and status of science in society. Some of the more intriguing results:

Good news: 84% of Americans believe science's effect on society is mostly positive. And scientists in general rank 3rd on the list of those who contribute a lot to society--right behind the military and teachers, and just above medical doctors.

Science and religion: While 55% of the public say that science and religion are often in conflict, only 36% say science conflicts with their personal beliefs, and 61% say it does not.

US vs. World Science: Only 17% of the public think American scientific acheivements are the best in the world, whereas 49% of scientists report that. It's also interesting to me that a large plurality of scientists, 39%, say that the Human Genome Project is the greatest achievement of the past 20 years.

Science and Media: 83% of scientists rate TV coverage of science topics as fair or poor. 76% say a major failing of the media is not adequately distinguishing well-founded from lesser supported findings.

There are tables and other data on opinions about controversial topics like evolution, global climate change, and stem cell research. This takes some time to get through, but I think it's worth it. On the whole, I'd say the results show less public disagreement with prevailing scientific opinions than one might think from the tendentious postings one reads around here. Which is a good thing.

Public Praises Science; Scientists Fault Public, Media: Section 1: Public Views of Science and Scientists - Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

 

[eldermike]

There is science and then there are agenda driven people who use the bits of science they like. What we see around here has little to do with science.

Good post! thanks for posting it.

 

[John 10:10]

The problem comes when man tries to understand science without understanding/knowing that Creator God is behind all of creation, life therein, and the scientific laws that govern God's creation.

Eccles 3:11 declares this,

God has http://www.christianforums.com/#cr-descriptionAnchor-11made everything http://www.christianforums.com/#fn-descriptionAnchor-bappropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, http://www.christianforums.com/#fn-descriptionAnchor-cyet so that man http://www.christianforums.com/#cr-descriptionAnchor-12will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

Many elements of science say that science must be God neutral; i.e, the supernatural has no place in explaining how the universe came into existance, and how life came to be on earth. The best man can do is come to an true understanding of the principles by which God created the universe and sustains life therein. The worst man can do is to try to come to an understanding of how the universe came into existance, and how life came to be on earth without Creator God.

 

[Letalis]

Scientists are people too. As concerns scientific research, they are just as prone to bias and prejudice coloring their findings. Viewing scientists as incapable of error is just as bad as ignoring science entirely.

 

[jpcedotal]

Pro 8:22-30 "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. (23) "From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. (24) "When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. (25) "Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth; (26) While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world. (27) "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, (28) When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, (29) When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; (30) Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

Wisdom...God used His infinite wisdom to create the universe. That is why there are "natural laws" that govern the way way matter reacts to itself and other matter. God's Wisdom is what is behind science....every legit science. Science simply observes what God has already set as the natural order of the universe.

It was years ago that Herbert Spencer said, "The most general forms into which the manifestation of the Unknowable are re-divisible are time, space, matter, force, motion." Those were his categories of division. A very fine personal worker, George Dewey Blomgren, was talking to an army sergeant who was a law graduate. Mr. Blomgren was attempting to witness to him. The sergeant mentioned Herbert Spencer, so Mr. Blomgren replied, "Did you know that both the Bible and Spencer teach the great principle of creation?" The sergeant's eyes widened and he asked, "How's that?" The reply was, "Spencer talked about time, space, matter, force, motion. In the first two verses of Genesis we find: 'In the beginning [time] God created the heaven [space] and the earth [matter]. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God [force] moved [motion] upon the face of the waters.' It took Spencer fifty years to uncover this law, but here it is in fifty seconds." - Dr Vernon McGee

 

[Voegelin]

The lysenkoists are causing a huge amount of damage to science. NASA just dumped one webpage down its memory hole because the glacial melting data was made up.

I remember when no one would doubt NASA.

 

[rambot]

The lysenkoists are causing a huge amount of damage to science. NASA just dumped one webpage down its memory hole because the glacial melting data was made up.

I remember when no one would doubt NASA.

Yeah,..... like when they were having space shuttle disasters.


So how is it that nobody doubted NASA when they made mistakes in the past

 

[Phylogeny]

I find that while the average American has huge faith in science, they do not have a basic understanding of it, nor how the process of scientific research works. And sadly, under the Bush administration, I feel that science was even more politicized. I hope that was only a blip and not the start of a new trend.

 

[John 10:10]

"So-called evolution science" has evolved now to the point that it confidently declares that life actually evolved from however the first life spark began to the first life form to the first life species to millions of plant and animal species. True science must be able to validate to a high degree of accuracy that start to finish cause/effects actually occur, or rule out to a high degree of accuracy that no other possibility is possible.

Yes, few people really understand how science works.

Blessings