Addressing Public Concerns in Science

SEP 01, 1988

If the public doesn’t understand us, perhaps it’s because we aren’t listening. Answering the right questions in science policy depends on a sustained dialogue with the concerned public.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881133

John F. Ahearne

Mistrust of technical experts by the general public is a growing problem in science policy. The National Science Board reports that whereas 80 percent of the public believes that scientists work for the good of humanity, 55 percent believes that their knowledge gives scientists a power that makes them dangerous. The image of the crazed scientist plotting to master and destroy remains a staple of both children’s and adult fiction, as Spencer Weart explained in a recent article in this magazine (June, page 28).

References

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More about the Authors

John F. Ahearne. Princeton University, 1966.