Any time I am browsing through (main stream media) news articles and find a science related story I feel obligated to stop and read it. The effect of scientific studies on public policy has been an increasing interest of mine since I started graduate school. (Especially with stagnating research funding under the anti-Science Bush administration.) I didn’t find this article on a survey indicating 85% of Americans wanted a Presidential debate on science all that interesting until I reached the part on other findings.
Only 19% say it is acceptable for elected officials to hold back or alter scientific reports if they conflict with their own views
What? Only 19%? Only 19!?! I had to look at that sentence for moment just to make sure I was reading it correctly. I don’t even know what to say about this. The lack of logic hurts my brain.
From the Press Release
Interesting… but not surprising given the current administration.
Wow! I guess that I am not surprised though….I can think of a million and a half topics in which “scientific evidence” has most likely been changed or withheld. It is sad. Thanks for the info.