Attitudes to Science

Comparing the Opinions of the
Science Community and the General
Public in Ireland
An Amárach Briefing to Science Foundation Ireland
November 2017

➢ Background & Methodology
➢ SECTION 1: The Impact of Science
➢ SECTION 2: Climate Change & Natural Resources
➢ SECTION 3: Medicine & Food
➢ SECTION 4: Evolution & The Big Bang
➢ SECTION 5: The Role of Science
➢ SECTION 6: Scientists & Scientific Achievements
Awareness
➢ SECTION 7: Comparing Ireland Internationally
Presentation Structure

➢ In advance of Science Week 2017, Science Foundation Ireland sought to conduct
research to measure and compare the opinions of the general public and the science
community in Ireland. Questions were asked across a range of subject including the
impact of science on everyday life, climate change and evolution, amongst others.
➢ The research format was based on the Pew Research Centre, a non-partisan think
tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.
➢ The objective of the research was to uncover any differences and/ or similarities in the
views and perceptions of the general public and Irish scientists on issues relating to
science and everyday life.
➢ A national online survey of 1,000 adults* was conducted between 13th – 17th October,
while 238 members of the science community were surveyed online, via an email link
sent to researchers working in academia and industry by Science Foundation Ireland.
*referred to as general public throughout
Background & Methodology

3% 5%
28%
41%
23%
8%
0%
3%
22%
67%
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
Public Science Community
Q.1 Science has had a positive impact on people’s lives in Ireland.
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

56%
65%
Transport
Public Vs. Science Community % who believe science has had a positive impact on…
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239
65%
85%
Food
61%
79%
The Environment
62%
83%
Quality of Life
67%
87%
Education
71%
96%
Healthcare
47%
51%
Family Life

Climate Change & Natural Resources

Q.3 Climate change is mostly due to human activity...
5%
8%
19%
36%
32%
1% 1%
6%
33%
59%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.3 The earth is getting warmer due as a result of climate change…
3% 5%
23%
38%
31%
0% 1%
7%
28%
64%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.3 There is broad agreement within the science community about the causes of climate change…
3%
10%
31%
36%
20%
1%
5% 5%
36%
53%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.3 The growing world population will put a strain on natural resources…
3% 5%
16%
39% 37%
1% 3% 4%
23%
69%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.3 The planet’s resources will sufficiently be able to deal with a growing population…
14%
34%
28%
19%
5%
26%
39%
18%
14%
3%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.3 Wind turbine farms are an acceptable form of energy…
4% 4%
20%
40%
32%
0%
3%
6%
36%
55%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.4 It is safe to eat genetically modified foods…
19%
24%
35%
17%
5%4%
10%
24%
34%
28%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.4 It is safe to eat foods with pesticides…
23%
31%
28%
15%
3%
12%
22%
32%
28%
6%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.4 Vaccinations are an acceptable form of preventative medical treatment…
5% 7%
24%
40%
24%
0% 1%
4%
18%
77%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.4 I would support the bioengineering of artificial organs for use in transplants…
6% 7%
31%
38%
18%
1% 1%
8%
30%
60%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 The universe was created by a big explosion almost 14 billion years ago…
8% 9%
39%
26%
18%
1% 2%
9%
33%
55%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 How the universe was created can be sufficiently explained by science…
6%
15%
33% 33%
13%
5%
10%
17%
41%
27%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 There is agreement amongst scientists that the universe was created by a big explosion…
5%
10%
38%
33%
14%
1%
5%
14%
44%
36%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 Humans evolved over time guided by a supreme being…
18%
15%
38%
21%
8%
56%
17% 15%
8%
4%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 Life on earth, including humans, evolved through a process of natural selection…
5% 7%
31%
35%
22%
1% 1%
6%
26%
66%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.5 Humans have existed in present form since the beginning…
21%
26%
31%
15%
7%
77%
16%
4% 2% 1%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.6 It is important for scientific findings to inform government policy...
3% 4%
25%
45%
23%
0% 0%
3%
18%
79%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.6 Scientific findings regularly inform government policy…
3%
12%
46%
33%
6%4%
28%
38%
25%
5%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.7 The general public does not know much about science...
3%
9%
26%
50%
12%
0%
20%
26%
47%
7%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.7 The general public finds it hard to distinguish which scientific findings are well-founded…
2%
6%
21%
53%
18%
0%
4% 3%
56%
37%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.7 There is not enough science education in schools…
2%
9%
27%
42%
20%
0%
6%
20%
37% 37%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.7 The general public expects science to find solutions to problems too quickly…
2%
7%
27%
47%
17%
0%
7%
19%
49%
25%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.8 I am interested in science news…
3%
9%
28%
43%
17%
0% 1% 3%
41%
55%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.8 There is a lack of public interest in science news…
2%
8%
34%
48%
10%
1%
25%
33% 32%
9%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.8 The Irish media lacks coverage of science news…
1%
9%
32%
44%
14%
0%
17%
33%
37%
13%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.8 Scientists in Ireland are communicating science news sufficiently…
3%
23%
49%
21%
4%4%
36%
43%
17%
0%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.8 The news media over-simplifies science news…
2%
12%
49%
29%
8%
0%
15%
19%
43%
23%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Awareness of Scientists & Scientific Achievements

Q.9 Please name any Irish scientists, past or present, that you are aware of?
69% of the public do not know of any Irish scientists,
past of present.
2%
2%
2%
2%
4%
13%
W.R.Hamilton
George Boole
Einstein
Francis Beaufort
Ernest Walton
Robert Boyle
Public – Top Mentions
10%
10%
11%
15%
18%
21%
24%
34%
48%
Luke O' Neill
George Stokes
University scientists or colleagues
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
George Boole
John Tyndall
W.R. Hamilton
Ernest Walton
Robert Boyle
Science Community – Top Mentions
All other mentions 5%
or less
or less

Q.10 Please name any Irish scientific achievements, past or present, that you are aware of?
1%
2%
2%
2%
3%
5%
Hypodermic Needle
Ernest Walton helped split the atom
Beaufort scale
First submarine
Birr Telescope
Boyle's Law
72% of the public do not know of any Irish scientific
achievements, past of present.
7%
8%
8%
10%
14%
15%
21%
27%
Beaufort scale
Tyndall effect
Pulsars
Hamilton's equations or mechanics
Contribution to medicine (generic)
Boolean Logic
Ernest Walton helped split the atom
Boyle's Law
or less
All other mentions
less than 1%

Q.11 In your opinion, what do you believe to be the single greatest scientific achievement ever made?
3%
5%
5%
9%
10%
12%
The Wheel
Space Exploration
Communication technology
(internet/phone)
Medical advances/ vaccinations
Electricity
Penicillin/ antibiotics
6%
6%
7%
7%
8%
9%
10%
15%
Atom theory
Newton's Laws
Electricity
Theory of relativity
DNA
Natural evolution
Medical advances/ vaccinations
Penicillin/ antibiotics
35% of the public could not name what they believed to be the
single greatest scientific achievement ever made
or less
or less

Comparing Ireland Internationally

Ireland performs well internationally in…
38%
64%
Scientific Achievements
44%
41%
Medical Treatment
38%
53%
Economic Development
51%
81%
Artistic Achievements
27%
36%
STEM Education
58%
53%
Sporting Achievements
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.12 Ireland performs well internationally versus other industrialised nations in the following areas:
Scientific achievements
4%
11%
47%
33%
5%
1%
11%
24%
56%
8%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Medical treatment
6%
16%
34%
37%
7%
4%
20%
35% 36%
5%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Economic development
4%
17%
41%
33%
5%4%
15%
28%
49%
4%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

STEM education
4%
14%
55%
23%
4%2%
21%
41%
31%
5%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Sporting achievements
3%
9%
30%
44%
14%
3%
10%
34%
43%
10%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Artistic achievements
3%
9%
37% 39%
12%
1%
5%
13%
51%
30%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Appendix – Detailed Analysis of Question 2

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Healthcare
5% 5%
19%
35% 36%
0% 0%
4%
14%
82%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Food
3%
8%
24%
44%
21%
1% 3%
11%
39%
46%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: The Environment
4%
10%
25%
41%
20%
1%
5%
15%
35%
44%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

3%
9%
32%
39%
17%
1%
10%
24%
39%
26%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239
Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Transport

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Quality of Life
3%
7%
28%
42%
20%
0% 2%
15%
42% 41%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Family Life
4%
12%
37%
34%
13%
3%
6%
40%
36%
15%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

Q.2 Science has had a positive impact on the following areas of everyday life: Education
2%
6%
25%
44%
23%
0%
3%
10%
39%
48%
Public – 1,001
Scientists - 239

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