Science Snippet: Wide Gap in Opinion between Scientists and Public

A recent poll covering a variety of topics reveals a wide gap between the opinions of scientists and those of the general public. Two thousand adults participated in a poll conducted by the Pew Research Foundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The adults were selected to be representative of the public at large. Here are some of the questions asked, followed by the results.

• Is climate change mostly due to human activity?

Eighty-seven percent of scientists said yes, while only 50 percent of the general public agreed. What accounts for this difference?

• Do you believe humans have evolved over time?

About 98 percent of scientists said yes, while only 65 percent of the public agreed.

• Should more nuclear plants be built in the U.S.?

More than half the scientists (65 percent) said yes, while only 45 percent of the general public agreed.

• Is it safe to eat genetically modified foods?

Most scientists (88 percent) said yes, while 37 percent of the public thought eating these foods is unsafe.

• Should childhood vaccines such as MMR be required?

Eighty-six percent of scientists said yes, but 68 percent of the public answered no.

Although the public is generally supportive of science, these results underline some major differences in the beliefs of the two groups. (Nature, Feb. 5, 2015)