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Discussion 3: How much do Americans trust Science?
Public Trust in Science
Are you wondering how much Americans trust science? how much Americans will follow policies or lifestyle choices based on science? The article Mixed messages about public trust in science (https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2017/12/08/mixed-messages-about-public-trust-in-science/.) from the Pew Research Center contains some important polling information that may help you answer those questions. Feel free to read other articles for more information on this topic.
In your post please include the following:
- 3 scientific ideas the public appears to question the most
- your own view on why some members of the public may distrust scientific information
Discussion 3: How much do Americans trust Science? Answer
Based on the article, the three scientific ideas that the public seems to question the most are vaccination, climate change and genetically modefied foods. Vaccination is a big deal to most people because it involves introducing a foreign body into our system to develop protection. However, some events in the past have shown some vaccines to have some adverse side effects. Although scientists try to explain that such instances are isolated cases and the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risk, the whole public is still not in major agreement with the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.