President Trump may not love following the science but this new survey says Americans do
President Trump doesn’t appear to be very keen on listening to the science community on COVID-19, but America at large is sure voicing their support for a scientific profession under siege from the Oval Office.
“Science is having a moment in 2020,” 3M Chief scientific advocate Dr. Jayshree Seth told Yahoo Finance’s The First Trade.
New data out of 3M underscores Seth’s point.
Trust in science and scientists is the highest it has been in three years since 3M’s State of Science Index was launched. About 89% of those surveyed trust science, 86% trust scientists and 77% are more likely as a result of the pandemic to agree that science needs more funding. Some of the other findings are equally as compelling, and run counter to the ongoing narrative out of the White House.
More than half (54%) agree that science is very important to their everyday lives, a double-digit increase from pre-pandemic data amassed by 3M and partner in the project Ipsos. Roughly 92% of global respondents believe actions should follow science to contain the global pandemic.
The latest State of Science survey was taken from responses in 11 countries throughout July and August 2020, or about six months into the pandemic.
Seth acknowledges Trump’s repeated attacks on science, but believes the field isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — which makes 110% sense in the age of pandemics, disease and big tech.
“Science transcends politics. Science is here to stay. It will be. It has been, and we see what the world is saying,” Seth says. “People still think about sustainable solutions to the problems we face are important and science is critical to that.”
Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and co-anchor of The First Trade at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.
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