Strengthening Science in the Long Term
Read the full article in Issues in Science and Technology
Erica Palma Kimmerling and Eve Klein call for more survey data about public views of science as the nation navigates unprecedented times. We couldn’t agree more. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.” Research!America has answered this call for decades, keeping a finger on the pulse of public sentiment. Currently, we are examining attitudes toward science among 18- to 24-year-olds (tomorrow’s leaders), seniors, and moms (the latter two being among today’s most civically active groups).
We strongly agree with Kimmerling and Klein about the need for improved collaboration between researchers and the public they serve: “[People] don’t want to be passive recipients of the outputs of science—they want to be partners (my emphasis added) in how science shapes our collective future.” Further underscoring this point, Research!America’s commissioned survey in January 2025 found that about 85% of Americans say scientists should consider it a part of their job to inform the public about their research and its impact on society.
For too long and too often, scientists have either taken public support for granted or attempted to force their expertise and knowledge on the public. What needs to happen instead is true engagement with those who are supporting science with their tax, consumer, and perhaps philanthropic dollars. Engagement means more listening and takes time. Both will be worth it if we are to see improvement in the dismal statistics about the public’s ability to name a living scientist (only about a third can do that); name a place where research is conducted (less than half), or agree that research takes place in all 50 states (only about half agree). The science community has work to do to deploy scientists themselves to help overcome public invisibility—one person, one Thanksgiving dinner, one conversation on the sidelines of a child’s sports event, one letter to the editor of a local newspaper, one visit to the local office of a member of Congress at a time.
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