Summary

Science and technology are subjects of interest to a substantial minority of Americans - approximately 40 percent. Only 10 percent feel very well informed about science and technology, and studies show that only a small segment of the population has a strong grasp of basic scientific ideas. More Americans demonstrate a moderate level of comprehension of scientific terms and concepts than an understanding of the purpose of science or the nature of scientific inquiry. Only 23 percent of Americans are able to provide a minimally acceptable explanation of the nature of scientific study or inquiry.

Public understanding of environmental terms and concepts was somewhat higher. A quarter of Americans could explain the factors involved in the thinning of the ozone layer, but only 5 percent could provide a scientific explanation of acid rain. Even among the attentive public for environmental issues, the level of understanding of some of these basic concepts was limited.

The public's understanding of basic economic concepts was similar in level and form to that of scientific concepts. Unlike the category of scientific terms and concepts, the overall level of economic understanding was unrelated to the level of formal schooling, suggesting that individuals learn economic concepts from their work experiences and from newspapers, magazines, and other sources.

An analysis of the sources of information used by Americans to obtain public policy information, including scientific and technical information, demonstrated again the continuing importance of newspapers and television news programs. When placed on a common metric of the number of uses or hours per year, these two sources dwarfed all other information sources. The results from the 1995 study indicated that Americans watch 81 science television shows per year and that the rate at which they view science programs is twice as high for cable subscribers or satellite dish owners than for other citizens.

Finally, this analysis found that the American people continue to hold the scientific community in high regard. The leadership of the scientific community and the medical community are the two most esteemed groups in the United States. An overwhelming majority of Americans continues to believe that the benefits of scientific research outweigh any potential risks, but there are some deep divisions concerning the benefits and potential risks of nuclear power and genetic engineering. The general public is also evenly divided over the benefits and costs of space exploration. In all of these areas, however, college-educated Americans and those attentive to the related policy issues continue to have strong positive views of those technologies and their programs.


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