U.S. Public Wary of Biomedical Technologies to ‘Enhance’ Human Abilities

Cutting-edge biomedical technologies that could push the boundaries of human abilities may soon be available, making people’s minds sharper and their bodies stronger and healthier than ever before. But a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults shows that majorities greet the possibility of these breakthroughs with more wariness […] Read more »

The mistrust of science

The following was delivered as the commencement address at the California Institute of Technology, on Friday, June 10th. … The sociologist Gordon Gauchat studied U.S. survey data from 1974 to 2010 and found some deeply alarming trends. Despite increasing education levels, the public’s trust in the scientific community has been […] Read more »

Global Warming and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

… Fewer than half of any candidate’s supporters are aware that virtually all climate scientists have concluded human-caused global warming is happening. However, supporters of the Democratic candidates are the most likely to think at least 90% of climate scientists are convinced (Sanders: 38%, Clinton: 27%). Far fewer supporters of […] Read more »