Vertrauen in Wissenschaft stagniert – Interest gesunken

Interest in research showed a slight decrease in this year’s representative survey compared to previous years, which, paradoxically, could also be due to the recent Nobel prizes.

The starting point of the initiative for an annual picture of the state of mind was the skepticism that is more noticeable, especially in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic or in discussions about climate change, which is brought against the representatives of science and research in this country. According to EU surveys, the phenomenon is particularly pronounced in Austria, but also in Germany. The “Barometer” poll is conducted by the Gallup Institute among 1,500 people who are supposed to represent the total population as closely as possible.

If you look at the new Austrian data collected in the fall, there are indeed differences compared to Germany, where a comparable study was recently conducted: in Germany, the group of “strong” or “very strong” believers is significantly smaller, at 55 percent. than in this country. In Austria, five percent belong to the group of those who have little or no confidence in science and research, in Germany, however, nine percent.

About a third feel well informed on the subject in both Austria and Germany. However, at 28 percent, significantly more Austrians feel underrepresented (Germany: 17 percent).

In data on curiosity about science topics, the proportion of people who claimed to have little or no interest rose slightly from 13 to 16 percent since the Science Barometer premiered in 2022. Two years ago, 25 percent were “very interested,” but this year only exactly one-fifth of participants reported this.

The slight drop is interpreted by opinion pollsters involved in the study as being due to the much increased attention paid to science during the pandemic, which was even more present in 2022. Furthermore, Austria did not win any Nobel Prizes this year. For comparison: in both 2022 and 2023, researchers with Austrian connections managed to win the coveted prizes in the field of physics – before that, there was a decades-long drought in the natural sciences.

I often agree with statements that more information about science and research should be made public. “More than half of the Austrian population has a high desire for information about science. A well-rated level of information improves acceptance and trust in a topic,” says Andrea Fronaschütz, CEO of Gallup Austria. Even greater is the approval of scientists who make efforts to explain their own work and scientific contexts.

“Three quarters trust science, we have to fight for a quarter,” ÖAW President Heinz Faßmann is quoted as saying in a press release. The survey also reveals: “People in Austria want more science communication.”

This is also evident when looking at the now seemingly ubiquitous topic of artificial intelligence (AI). Here, 15 percent even claim to know too little about the subject to form an opinion. According to the survey, about a third of the population has a “rather” or “very negative” view of AI.

This article was automatically translated, read the original article here.