New analyses from the Annenberg Public Policy Center find that public perceptions of scientists' credibility—measured as their competence, trustworthiness, and the extent to which they are perceived to share an individual's values—remain high, but their perceived competence and trustworthiness eroded somewhat between 2023 and 2024. The research also found that public perceptions of scientists working in artificial intelligence (AI) differ from those of scientists as a whole.
A zoom in into the complexities of some scientific (or, sometimes, other debates) revealed oftens that both sides has had their arguments, their reasons. In the historical treatement of this or in the cause of school stuff, it appears that one side has a self evident truth and the other side simply doesn’t get it.
For instance, the The Great Debate aka Shapley-Curtis-Debatte. Everyone at least vaguely familiar with astononmy knows that the universe is much greater than one galaxy. But back then, there were mixed evidence. And the reasons one side won is often complicated, and involved some theoretical assumption you could doubt. Who knows about the theories about standard lights and all that stuff? It’s not that difference from today.
The power of science, in my opinion, is the acceptance of doubt. You are not forced to believe but think about ways to test.