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CBC: 43% of Canadians think science is opinion, 52% think GMOs are bad for the health

A

AuthenticM

Member
From CBC

Are scientific findings a matter of opinion? Forty-three per cent of Canadians agree that they are, suggests a new poll.

The survey found widespread concerns about fake news — 66 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that "false information reported as fact (so called 'fake news') is affecting your knowledge of science."

It also uncovered possible evidence of that happening, including a widespread belief in ideas contrary to scientific consensus:


  • 52 per cent of respondents agreed that "genetically modified organisms are bad for your health." (This is an issue where there recently has been the biggest divide between scientists and the public.)
  • 47 per cent (up from 41 per cent last year) agreed that "the science behind global warming is still unclear," despite what scientists have been calling for years "unequivocal" evidence.
  • 19 per cent agree "there is a link between vaccinations and autism," even though the study that made the link was found years ago to be "an elaborate fraud."
"I think these are worrisome results," said Maurice Bitran, chief executive officer of the Ontario Science Centre, which commissioned the survey for Science Literacy Week, Sept. 18-24.
Click to expand...

She noted that the survey did uncover some good news:


  • 82 per cent of respondents said they "would like to know more about science and how it affects our world."
  • 79 per cent agreed they're comfortable "knowing that scientific answers may not be definitive."
  • Respondents said they trusted museums and science centres (89 per cent), scientists and professors (88 per cent) and educational institutions (87 per cent) as sources of information, but far fewer said they trusted word of mouth (25 per cent) or social media (20 per cent.)
Sutherland, who sat on an expert panel that produced a report on the State of Canada's Science Culture in 2014, said it's positive that Canadians understand that scientific knowledge contains inferences along with facts.

"And that as technology advances and new findings arise our understandings can change is great insight into how Canadian view science," she wrote in an email to CBC News. " Also, that Canadians have perhaps a healthy skepticism when it comes to information outside of traditional sources."

But she's concerned about the findings that many people have beliefs about GMOs, global warming and vaccinations that aren't supported by science.

She suggested that there's not enough reporting about such scientific issues in the mainstream news.

"Whereas, it seems that alternative, less scientific findings are more accessible."
Click to expand...
 
A

Ashby

Member
47 per cent (up from 41 per cent last year) agreed that "the science behind global warming is still unclear," despite what scientists have been calling for years "unequivocal" evidence.
Click to expand...

Damn.
 
I

IndoAssassin

Banned
Our education system doesn't teach critical thinking until University/College and that's if you take science courses. What does anyone expect?

Also the education system only teaches to get your answers from one text book. People are taught that getting your answer from one source is good enough from childhood.
 
oneils

oneils

Member
I don't think science is opinion but I do think that science reporting is usually not very good. A study gets released and a catchy misleading headline is splashed across the news. Maybe that's what some respondents are getting at?
 
P

Phrozenflame500

Member
See here's what concerns me:
68 per cent agree that media coverage of scientific issues is "reported selectively to support news media objectives."

59 per cent agree that media coverage of scientific issues is "presented to support a political position."
Click to expand...
For the most part, I broadly agree with these. Media outlets often misrepresent scientific information routinely and often in a biased fashion.

But the problem is that people have taken this to mean "scientific consensus is non-existent cause the media can't agree on one", which is extremely dangerous. Just because the media can be subjective doesn't mean the truth is.
 
T

theaffection

Member
Hell yeah, Canada knows whats good!


If Global Warming really exists, why haven't
these fancy schmancy scientists cured it already with their laser beams and stem cells? 😂😂
 
B

bonesmccoy

Banned
oneils said:
I don't think science is opinion but I do think that science reporting is usually not very good. A study gets released a catchy misleading headline is splashed across the news. Maybe that's what some respondents are getting at?
Click to expand...

I think this counts. I don't think many editors or journos are actually comfortable in the fields of study they report on. This extends to other topics too.
 
D

Dead Man

Member
I'd expect similar results here in Australia. And yet I'm still disappointed. Fucking hell.

Edit: I wonder if the scientific minds of early Islam felt this way watching all their work being abandoned :( It feels like we are regressing intellectually even while we advance scientifically, if that makes any sense? Probably just confirmation bias and increased access to information on my part though.
 
K

Killa Sasa

Member
Thanks for being a catalyst for Canadian stupidity, murica.

I need the per province breakdown because reasons. Dummies everywhere.
 
J

JCHandsom

Member
son.jpg
 
M

Mr.Mike

Member
Respondents said they trusted museums and science centres (89 per cent), scientists and professors (88 per cent) and educational institutions (87 per cent) as sources of information, but far fewer said they trusted word of mouth (25 per cent) or social media (20 per cent.)
Click to expand...

This part seems alright at least.
 
Y

You Are Viewtiful

Member
TheCowboyPoet said:
Yeah wouldn't be surprised if a lot of this was from Ontario.
Or anywhere that isn't BC. #westcoastbestcoast #gocanucks
Click to expand...

The GMO stuff is definitely mostly BC and Québec, and maybe the Atlantic provinces.

The climate change stuff sounds hardcore Alberta/Saskatchewan with a touch of Ontario.

Anti-vax sounds like a BC thing.
 
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