Why does it seem that americans don't trust scientists?

Question

I have my own beliefs on this topic but I am curious about other people's opinion. It seems that in the US people seem to think that science is a more subjective field similar to pyschology or philosophy. I know the scientists themselves feel very differently about this, but why is this the case?

Answer 1

alright now i live in the mountains of virginia ok what would think all your life that pluto was the 9th planet , and now scientist are saying that its not a planet, what would u think

Answer 2

There is very poor science education in the US. Most people don't understand what a scientific theory is- it does NOT mean the same thing the word does in colloquial English! Also, the difference between correlation and causation is lost on most people.

Also, there's the "Frankenstein" view of scientists portrayed in popular culture- the mad introvert obsessed with his work who is totally out of touch with humanity or morality. Most scientists I know are very humanitarian people, working out of a desire to improve human life.

Many religious figures try to set science in opposition with religion. I've never understood it- why can't Christians see Darwinian evolution as God's process of creation? Instead, they insist on parables written down by ignorant, half-savage ancestors who wouldn't understand evolution had it been passed down by the mouth of God him/herself. They also portray scientists as secular god-haters, but quite a few scientists are religious.

Answer 3

I don't know if that applies to most Americans or not, but most humans, not just Americans, have an intrinsic distrust of people and things they don't understand deriving from their fear of the unknown and their unwillingness to admit it.

However, most Americans are clueless when it comes to science and mathematics.

Good science is objective and factual, not subjective. Subjective essentially means merely a matter of opinion, more than anything else, and science is more substantial than that.

 

Answer 4

here are some ideas on this:
-- people feel their religious beliefs conflict w/ science (aka evolution).. if they do not believe in evolution then all science must be a hoax
-- in the news, all we hear about is fraud in science (e.g. the Korean stem cell fiasco)
-- science education in america is severely lacking, people grow up hating science because teachers generally do not inspire their students
-- fear of biotechnology, altering crops, creating monster hybrids that will take over the world, fear of crazy scientists making human-chimp hybrids, fetuses for organ donation, fear of human cloning, stem cells from fetuses, eugenics, nuclear bombs, pesticides, etc., list goes on and on. because fear stems from ignorance and the manipulation by politicians that play on these fears

Answer 5

I am not American, I have never been there. But I can understand what you are saying. But think how many eminent scientists have indeed come from America, for example in the field of palaeontology A.S. Romer and E. Colbert.

Answer 6

Most Americans believe in science. There a few Religious fundamentalist that don't.

Answer 7

Probably because the popularity of religion in America.

Answer 8

Lazy minds breed lazy ideas.

Answer 9

they don't, they believe religion is far superior and more truthful then insurmountable observable evidence because god is magical like that.