The Decline of Trust in Science Among Americans.

Public confidence in scientists has plummeted in recent years, culminating in widespread pushback against public health measures and vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Just 29% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the best interests of the public, according to Pew Research. Christopher Reddy, a chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has written a book, Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide, challenging scientists to learn how to explain what they know to the public, particularly around environmental disasters and medical emergencies at a time when the spread of misinformation is turbocharged. Reddy argues that scientists are part of the problem and need to engage with the press, the public and other players in ways that illuminate the science rather than obscure it.