Trust in science and researchers has fallen since the coronavirus pandemic, according to the largest survey of public confidence in science to date. Led by Wellcome, London’s global biomedical funding organization, and published on October 10, the book examines attitudes toward science and health, including vaccines, pandemic preparedness, clean energy and, for the first time, artificial intelligence.
“We need to pay attention and think about what we need to do to earn that trust,” says Philippa Michael, Wellcome’s director of public initiatives, who led the project. This is the third survey of its kind conducted by Wellcome, following surveys in 2018 and 2020.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a science-communication expert at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said the analysis presents a “mixed” picture that varies by country and region.
Regional and economic differences
The survey found that trust in science increased only in Europe. It also highlighted a connection between confidence in science and people’s wider experiences, including their perceptions of financial security.
“If people feel economically insecure, they’re going to distance themselves further from science and scientists,” said sociologist Gordon Gosha of Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This disconnect “is not about the effectiveness of science or its ability to solve problems,” he added.
Health-care access and trust
Countries in which people reported high levels of trust in hospitals and clinics were “likely to have higher levels of trust in science,” Michael said. Confidence was also higher among respondents who felt confident that they could access health services when needed.
“It’s so important that science is reliable, relevant and beneficial to people’s lives,” Michael added.
Source: www.nature.com