Those are the words of a report released today by Gallup and the European Union Commission, as well as 12 other reports, that include the Gallup World Poll and the Environmental Investigation Agency. They say these reports show the public trust in both science and scientific societies is at record levels.
These reports highlight the breakdown of scientific trust between younger generations and older ones.
The standing of scientific societies among millennials is an anomaly, in a sense, as their trust in scientists drops markedly every decade since the Baby Boomers came of age. Gallup, in its latest survey, asked 1,000 American and 1,000 European adults about their trust in various institutions. They asked if respondents trusted the following institutions, as well as their opinions about what would lead to a more reliable and successful system of scientific decision-making.
The poll was conducted April 23-April 30, with a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points.
These shows show that self-described “high” political honesty is the best predictor of trust in scientists, followed by the people surrounding a scientist, with a drop next to the same groups occurring when asked about trust in state and local scientists, and then trust in the power of science itself. Trust in scientific societies also dropped further compared to individuals being associated with the media, universities, government, companies and other establishments.
Low trust in scientific societies leads to climate-change deniers, as well as a number of other personality-related and partisan considerations. Gallup and the EU Commission analysis found that trust in scientists increases, with the lowest trust rates among those who are least likely to trust scientists, and in those who are most likely to distrust scientists.
Following these measures, interest in science rises among those who trust scientists the most. Environmental trust, for example, has a positive effect on scientific literacy, while environmental science literacy also increases among those who are most skeptical of scientists.
Younger generations also have lower trust in scientists than older generations do. Those ages 18-29 had much higher trust in scientific societies than respondents in other age groups. Those surveyed by Gallup and the EU Commission attribute this to “the greater value held by the general public in younger generations for personal involvement in social and political organizations, including scientific societies, and a greater desire to take part in scientific decision-making and data collection.”
Gallup has been researching the trust levels in leaders over the last decade and, according to this report, finds that trust in the global scientific community has climbed from 56 percent in 2006, to 71 percent in 2017.
One thing most European and American respondents agree on: the trust in the scientific community is eroding. Gallup noted that the most countries surveyed viewed scientists more positively in 2006 than today.
“The survey suggests the public is rejecting science and scientific voices in favor of groups or individuals they perceive to have a greater financial or social interest in scientific research,” said Megan McLaughlin, vice president for Europe of the environmental organization EIA, who contributed to the research for this report.
In just 10 years, Americans’ trust in scientists has dipped by seven percentage points, from 66 percent to 60 percent. A quarter of American scientists do not trust the public when it comes to what causes the destruction of our environment, to say nothing of the many other areas of science and science policy that Congress is considering funding.
They have also made it clear that they believe climate change scientists and the United Nations are liars. One survey found nearly 90 percent of Republicans across the United States believe the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring and humans are one of the causes.
Last year, a New York Times/CBS poll found scientists to be widely respected — even outside of their own fields. In that poll, when asked what was the most important thing scientists at every level should do, nearly 85 percent of scientists said “encourage people to interact with scientists.”
“While the question ‘Do you trust scientists?’ may not be garnering headlines, there is at least some good news here — our new reports show a marked increase in trust in science worldwide — even as our political system continues to divide us,” McLaughlin concluded.
Chip Block is the senior vice president for public engagement at EIA, a research and education nonprofit organization. Follow him on Twitter @ChipBlock.