Why It's So Hard For Americans To Talk About Science [View all]

[eridani]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2015/02/19/why-its-so-hard-for-americans-to-talk-about-science/

A new report from the Pew Research Center helps crystallize the challenges in communicating science. The Pew researchers surveyed two groups—scientists and the public— with the same questions to highlight where views are similar and where they diverge. For example, the vast majority of scientists (88 percent) said genetically modified foods are generally safe, while only a third of the public group (37 percent) agreed. There were similar splits on the topics of whether childhood measles vaccines should be required (86 percent of scientists say yes, compared to 68 percent of the general public); whether humans have evolved over time (98 percent of scientists concur, but only 65 percent of public respondents); and whether climate change has been mostly caused by human activity (87 percent of scientists said yes, compared to 50 percent of lay people).

Education plays a role in this divide. Based on results of standardized tests, the U.S. lags behind more than 25 other developed nations in its citizens’ science proficiency. When people who have zero education about genetic science have to make a decision about whether GMO food is good or bad, they may just as easily base that decision on bad information or gut reactions as on solid scientific data.

But there are other contributing factors. Scientists are notoriously inept at translating their work for a non-technical audience, often leaning so heavily on jargon and esoteric concepts that even interested people can’t figure out why it matters. Another issue is that the public has often been burned: bad or incorrect science gets reported alongside good science, so why trust studies you hear about when at least some of them will later be proved wrong? Religion is also a factor for people who have trouble accepting scientific findings that challenge their beliefs.