Page 26 - Science Barometer 2022

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Role of science in solving problems
Trust in the ability of science to solve various types of problems had faded somewhat since the previous survey. This is not entirely unexpected given the prominence of such issues as COVID-19, the Ukraine war and the climate crisis in public discussion.
On the other hand, this also marks a reversal in the long-term trend: barometer results for trust in the ability of science to bring solutions to social problems had generally strengthened up until 2019. The one exception was science’s ability to overcome diseases, where trust already began to fade in the 2019 survey.
Earlier attitude surveys have shown that public opinion in Finland differs from many other European countries.(1) Finnish people tend to think that tough social problems cannot be solved by science and technology alone, but other means and methods are also needed.
(1)Eurobarometer: European citizens’ knowledge and attitudes towards science and technology (European Commission 2021). Available for download at https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2237.