The Standing of Science in America

In my latest Science Progress column, contemplating declining funding levels for university-based scientific research, I ask where science stands in America today. The answer, not surprisingly, is complicated--but also worrisome.

On the one hand, people really respect scientists. But on the other, the appreciation appears to be only skin deep--there isn't the sort of engagement that would really allows them to draw upon science to better their own lives in all aspects. As I put it in one passage:

...consider a very important question for most people: Where should I buy a home? Amid the housing market meltdown, it has become apparent that home investments can be risky ones, especially when they're made without adequate information. And yet how many people weigh the likely impacts of global climate change when making their home purchases? It is going to raise sea levels, worsen droughts in many parts of the west, increase the risk of wildfires...all matters that will ultimately factor into real estate markets and prices. But I for one find it almost impossible to believe that many people are taking this into account in any serious way.

That's what's missing. Americans might tune in to some science news, visit science museums, and even adjust their diets and prescriptions based upon the latest studies. But it's not enough. Without anything beyond a surface-level appreciation of science, they stand far too blind when staring down something of paramount importance: The future.

You can read the full piece here.