Mars And Venus: How Europeans And Americans View And

Mars and Venus: HowEuropeans and AmericansView and Use ScienceAlan I. LeshnerAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008

Serena and Venus:Europeans and Americansare in Similar BoatsTogetherAlan I. LeshnerAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Science and technology are imbedded inevery aspect of modern life:z For people to prosper in modern society, they needunderstanding and comfort with S&Tz For science to prosper, the science-societyrelationship must be positive and strong3

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008For nations to prosper they need a strongscience and technology enterprisez Correlation between strength of a nation’s scienceinfrastructure, its economic strength and quality of lifez Increasing policymaker recognition of the relationshipz In the US and elsewhere4

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Many countries are recognizing the scienceeconomy (jobs) imperativez USz Israelz Chinaz Japanz Canadaz Australiaz Indiaz Belgiumz Argentinaz Swedenz European Union6

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Other factors are also influencing the climatefor science8

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Major global contextual trendsz World eventsz Terrorismz September 11, 20019

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Impacts on science in and with the USz Visa issues – foreign students & visitorsz Restrictive clauses in grants & contracts (exportcontrols)z Laboratory security – “select agents”z Concerns about scientific publicationz “Sensitive but unclassified” informationz New US research priorities10

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008New research prioritiesz Biosecurityz Energy securityz Transportation securityz Cyber-securityz Safety of the food supply11

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Impacts: world eventsz Have made collaboration much more difficultz Altered US science funding patterns14

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Major global contextual trendsz World eventsz Increase in scientific activities around the worldz Science is everywhere!15

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Percent international submissions andacceptances at Science, s2005

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Some Americans are getting worriedz Will the US no longer be pre-eminent?z Is the US losing even its eminence in certain fields?18

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Major global contextual trendsz World eventsz Increase in scientific activities around the worldz Globalization of the research enterprise –international research teams20

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008The broader, societal context for scienceand its uses is equally (or more) important22

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008We have a problemz The science-society relationship is experiencingsignificant tensionz Not just in the US23

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008On the one handWe are living in the best of scientific times24

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008On the other hand .25

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Other issues within science are not goingso wellz Incidents of scientific misconductz Human subjects concernsz Animal welfare issuesz Conflict of interest problems26

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008These are factors internal to sciencez There are problematic external factors as well27

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008People generally still respect science andtechnology .28

Source: Science and Engineering Indicators, 200829

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008European Optimism RegardingContributions of S&T to Quality of Life10090807060PercentAgree50Disagree40Don't know3020100S&T have improved the quality of life S&T will improve the quality of life offor your generationfuture generationsSource: Eurobarometer, 200530

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008They have little understanding of what is andis not sciencez 60% of Americans believe in extrasensoryperceptionz 41% think astrology is somewhat scientificz 47% still do not answer “true” to the statement:“Human beings developed from earlier species ofanimals”Science and Engineering Indicators, 200431

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008What do Europeans consider as scientific?z Medicine – 89%z Physics – 83%z Astronomy – 70%z History – 34%z Astrology – 41%z Homeopathy – 33%Source: Eurobarometer, 200532

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Some Americans have reservations about scienceWe depend too much on science and notenough on faithAgreeDisagree%%5045Science and Engineering Indicators, 200633

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008European Views of Science and Faith605040AgreePercent30DisagreeNeither agree nordisagree20100We depend too much on science and not enough on faithSource: Eurobarometer, 200534

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Much science-society tension results fromconflicts between scientific findings andz Political/economic expediencyz Core human values35

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Political/economic issuesz Climate changez Alternative energy sources36

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Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Current scientific issues that abut againstcore valuesz Embryonic stem cell researchz Studying “personal” topicsz Sexz Genetics of behaviorz Neuroscience – mind/body issuesz Teaching “Intelligent Design” versus evolution inscience classrooms38

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008“Conflict” with politics and values hasconsequences for the science-society relationshipz Creating a growing divide between science and therest of societyz Society wants to influence what science is done39

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Why do/should we care?40

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Scientific agenda can be significantly skewedor constrainedz Inadequate research on alternative energy sourcesz No US Federal funding for embryonic stem cellresearchz Limits ability of US scientists to do research41

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Origin of Embryonic Stem Cell Papers42Source: Levine, A., Politics and the Life Sciences, Sept. 14, 2005.

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008The purpose of science is to tell us about thenature of the natural worldz Whether we like the answer or notCong. Rush Holt, AAAS Carey Lecture, 200543

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Only scientists are stuck with what sciencesays/showsz The public and/or policy makers can ignore ordistort science at will44

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Ignoring or distorting science underminespublic policyz Environmentz Energyz Health care45

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008If governments choose to ignore scientificadvice, they do so at the peril of their people.Sir David King, Science Adviser to UK Governmentat AAAS, Sept. 200546

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Ignoring or distorting science undermines thegeneral public’s ability to use science for theirown benefitz Science is imbedded in every issue of modern lifez Lower quality US science education can mean aweaker labor force47

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008What is the prospect for the future?z US will have a new Administrationz Will have to face a very broad array of science-relatedissuesz Both Obama and McCain seem “science friendly”z Climate/energy policyz Space policyz Science and math educationz Embryonic stem cell policyz Agriculture issuesz Funding?z Depends on both Administration and the Congress48

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008AAAS and others are working on the broaderscience-society relationshipz Moving from public understanding to publicengagement strategyz Catching up with Europez Dialogues between science and religionz Environmentz Teaching evolution in the schools49

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008Public sentiment iseverything. With publicsentiment, nothing can fail;without it, nothing cansucceed.Abraham Lincoln50

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008AAAS and Europe have wonderfully close tiesz Serve the globalization of sciencez Advance the progress of sciencez Promote the worldwide science-society nexus51

Mars and Venus: How Europeansand Americans View and Use ScienceESOF 2008 – July 20, 200852

Mars and Venus: How Europeans and Americans View and Use Science ESOF 2008 – July 20, 2008 3 Science and technology are imbedded in every aspect of modern life: zFor people to prosper in modern society, they need understanding and comfort with S&T zFor science to prosper, the