‘The public wants certainty’: why have Americans stopped trusting in science?
In the age of the anti-expert, Christopher Reddy has a daring proposition for scientists – put yourself out there.
Reddy, a chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who specialises in oil spills and related environmental disasters, has watched in despair as public confidence in scientists has plummeted in recent years, culminating in widespread pushback against public health measures and vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Just 29% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the best interests of the public, Pew Research. In a reflection of how politicised science has become, including medicine, Democrats are three times as likely as Republicans to trust
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