Study finds American trust in scientific expertise survived polarization and previous administration's attack on science (phys.org)
from ZeroCool@slrpnk.net to science@mander.xyz on 08 Mar 2024 22:26
https://slrpnk.net/post/7455387

A new analysis shows that trust in scientific expertise among the American public remained high during the last six decades and that the Trump administration attacks on scientific expertise did not modify the basic confidence of Americans in science and scientific expertise.

The study, “Citizen attitudes toward science and technology, 1957–2020: Measurement, stability, and the Trump challenge,” was published in the journal Science and Public Policy.

#science

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acockworkorange@mander.xyz on 08 Mar 2024 22:48 next collapse

Press X to doubt.

FaceDeer@fedia.io on 09 Mar 2024 00:42 collapse

So a scientific study finds that people still trust science, and your reaction is to disbelieve that study based on your personal feelings.

Ironic.

acockworkorange@mander.xyz on 09 Mar 2024 01:20 collapse

I’m sorry for being surprised?

FaceDeer@fedia.io on 09 Mar 2024 01:54 collapse

Surprise is not the same as doubt.

acockworkorange@mander.xyz on 09 Mar 2024 02:22 collapse

You must be fun at parties.

Olhonestjim@lemmy.world on 09 Mar 2024 13:11 collapse

This is not a party. It’s a discussion about science. You didn’t expect the participants to be methodical?

acockworkorange@mander.xyz on 09 Mar 2024 15:18 collapse

Sir this is a Lemmy.

homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world on 08 Mar 2024 23:23 next collapse

The views and actions of the Trump administration with regard to such topics as climate change, environmental protection, and the COVID-19 pandemic were widely condemned as a Republican war on science. But even among conservative Republicans, the proportion with a high level of trust in scientific expertise rose more between 2016 and 2020 than the proportion with a low level of trust.

So the hypocritical cult seekritly still believe in science while still drinking bleach and horse de-wormer.

I guess we’re supposed to be relieved or something.

DrDeadCrash@programming.dev on 08 Mar 2024 23:41 next collapse

Which just means they’re complicit.

irmoz@reddthat.com on 09 Mar 2024 03:31 collapse

Between '16-20? But must of the bullshit happened '20 onwards. Not really a relevant sample, IMO.

conquer4@lemmy.world on 09 Mar 2024 09:35 collapse

16-19 was mostly fraud and abuse, it wasn’t until the pandemic that the stupids started dying because of a lack of trust that science works.

natecheese@kbin.melroy.org on 09 Mar 2024 00:03 next collapse

I generally have a pretty high trust in science, but my faith is shaken when I come across shit like this

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works on 09 Mar 2024 04:42 next collapse

One person does something bad and you doubt the entire discipline?

Accept that perfect doesn’t exist. Some people will make mistakes. Some will be outright evil. But science is the best method we have for understanding the world around us. Nobody has ever come up with a better way.

natecheese@kbin.melroy.org on 09 Mar 2024 12:38 collapse

One person doing something bad? You clearly didn't read the article.

And to suggest that our scientific research institutions shouldn't be scrutinized or there isn't room to improve the process is a little naive.

atzanteol@sh.itjust.works on 09 Mar 2024 12:48 next collapse

You think this suggests there should be no scrutiny?

Accept that perfect doesn’t exist. Some people will make mistakes. Some will be outright evil. But science is the best method we have for understanding the world around us. Nobody has ever come up with a better way.

Understanding that there will be mistakes and bad actors means taking care to scrutinize. That’s why we have things like peer review.

sukhmel@programming.dev on 09 Mar 2024 13:27 collapse

And to suggest that our scientific research institutions shouldn’t be scrutinized or there isn’t room to improve the process is a little naive.

But ey didn’t suggest that 🤔

sukhmel@programming.dev on 09 Mar 2024 13:24 collapse

This was an amazing read, although that doesn’t mean that science is somehow at fault in this. As usual, it’s people and bureaucratic institutions that make this possible, but it’s also people who find it out and call con-artists out

catloaf@lemm.ee on 09 Mar 2024 01:18 next collapse

Okay, but are we talking real science or Dr. Oz science?

Maeve@kbin.social on 09 Mar 2024 03:12 collapse

Yes, I wondered if his base were excluded from the poll.

Mango@lemmy.world on 09 Mar 2024 02:17 next collapse

Science isn’t to be trusted. It’s to be checked on. We’re not out here advocating for appeals to authority.

bmsok@lemmy.world on 09 Mar 2024 03:54 next collapse

The beauty of the scientific method is that you get the chance to be wrong as long as your hypothesis sounds plausible. You’re allowed to explore and innovate.

Failure and success can both advance knowledge. You just have to know when to say “Well, that didn’t work… what if we try this?”

ReallyKinda@kbin.social on 09 Mar 2024 02:53 collapse

Science, the mode of inquiry, is great and generally requires a broad consensus before something is accepted. Singular studies should be processed with a few grains of salt—academics aren’t immune to bias or faulty reasoning.