This week, Lee Rainie, director of internet, science and technology at the Pew Research Center, presented findings about Americans’ trust in scientists at the Aspen Ideas Festival. In a session called, “The Genetic Revolution, Unintended Consequences, and the Public Trust,” he lead a discussion about public institutional trust in scientific work. Some of the key points Rainie presented include:
- 67% of Americans say science has an a mostly positive effect on society
- Nearly half or more expect the following changes to be implemented within 50 years:
- Routinely transplant artificially-made organs for humans
- Cures for most forms of cancer - Computer chips routinely embedded into our bodies
- Lab-grown custom organs
- Computers that create art as well as humans do
- A wide mix of factors influence public views on science-related issues:
- Party affiliation and ideology
- Education and/ or science knowledge
- Age
- Gender
- Race/ ethnicity
- Religion
- Trust in climate scientists is low among conservative Republicans; considerably higher among liberal Democrats
The presentation also focused on American public opinion on potential human enhancements and briefly delved into the wide controversy of gene editing.
