> Eighty-four percent of the public thinks that science has had a positive impact on society<p>And the remaining 16% thinks we are not better off because of electricity, medicine and buildings & bridges that don't collapse?<p>People who think science is optional in any society have not realized our entire lifestyle has been made possible by science.
<i>... finds that some of science's conclusions are widely mistrusted, and hints at a widening partisan divide.</i><p>Obviously. Lets face it, the majority of kids don't actually think through and convince themselves of everything they are thought.<p>Partly because kids are like little fact sponges for facts that come from adult authority. And partly because they don't have to think to pass exams.<p>The earth goes around the sun. Sure thing Mr. Teacher, I can see the sun going around the earth but I still believe what ever you say. And that's not fake, that's really how it works most of the time. I'd guess only about 15% or less actually think it through.<p>But now in some regions, for some groups there are competing authorities and they say the earth is 6000 years old. Sure Mr. Preacher, what ever you say.<p>Fact is, public education is a mass product, a government provided mass product/service. It's crap. More often then not we get smart kids despite public school, not because of it. What public school does reasonably well is teach you the three Rs. You want anything more? Educate yourself.<p>Solutions:<p>1. Improve, and I mean really improve, public education in this union of states which covers most of a continent.<p>2. Do nothing. Wait for this strange modern day cult of anti-Darwinists to run its course and peter out.<p>3. Give them more rope to hang themselves. Radically shrink the size and role of the feds and increase the economic competition between the states.<p>Problems:<p>1. Extremely difficult will take centuries.<p>3. Counter to the strong natural tendency of governments to grow and grow and grow.<p>2. Requires no effort - is most likely scenario.<p>A humble suggestion. Stop trying to save the anto-evolutionists from themselves. Why not ignore these real life trolls? Please point out where they are doing real world damage that matters? And no, it hurts (their) kids is not something you can help with.
If the scientific community's portrayal in the media only tells the story of one side of a controversial issue, that is going to make the public think that the entire community agrees with that stance. How often are things portrayed as "scientific fact" or some other such when they are still widely debated within the scientific community? Each of those issues erodes the public's trust of the entire community, even those that are adamantly declaring, "We don't know yet" about the issue.
I think scientists are partly responsible for their loss of credibility by bowing to leftist pressure and endorsing slogans like "global warming", "global cooling", "the population bomb" and other such nonsense.