One-quarter of Americans have little to no confidence in scientists to act in public’s best interests, per report
America’s trust in scientists and positive views of science has continued to decline, according to a new report.
The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank, asked a random sample of 8,842 American adults this fall about their views on science and scientists. They found that roughly a quarter of Americans — 27% — said they have not too much or no confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, compared to 12% who said the same in April 2020. “Ratings of medical scientists mirror the trend seen in ratings of scientists generally,” the report notes.
