The degree to which climate change threatens the ecosystems of the Earth and societies around the world has been an ongoing subject of debate – and sometimes protest. As Earth Day nears, we take stock of U.S. public opinion about climate change, based on recent Pew Research Center surveys. CONT. […] Read more »
Most Teachers Don’t Teach Climate Change; 4 In 5 Parents Wish They Did
More than 80% of parents in the U.S. support the teaching of climate change. And that support crosses political divides, according to the results of an exclusive new NPR/Ipsos poll: Whether they have children or not, two-thirds of Republicans and 9 in 10 Democrats agree that the subject needs to […] Read more »
Climate Change in the American Mind: Data, Tools, and Trends
Climate change is a major threat to ecosystems and people around the world. Risk analysts, including the U.S. Department of Defense, rank climate change as one of the most serious threats to society. The 2014 Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that “climate change will […] Read more »
Fake news is bad news for democracy
Last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg welcomed government regulation of content on the Internet in several areas, including “election integrity.” Around the world, there are increasing concerns that “fake news” threatens democracy. Our recent research supports this view — democracy is less likely to survive in a poor informational environment. […] Read more »
Is More Knowledge Making Us Less Reasonable?
… “Calling Bullshit: Data Reasoning in a Digital World,” designed and co-taught by University of Washington professors Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom, begins with a premise so obvious we barely lend it the attention it deserves: “Our world is saturated with bullshit.” And so, every week for 12 weeks, the […] Read more »
What Americans Know About Science
A new Pew Research Center survey finds that many Americans can answer at least some questions about science concepts – most can correctly answer a question about antibiotics overuse or the definition of an “incubation period,” for example. But other concepts are more challenging; fewer Americans can recognize a hypothesis […] Read more »