Trust in Science? But for how long?
Cyrus Walther
CODATA Executive Committee Member
IUPAP Vice-Chair Physics and Industry
Fellow of the International Science Council
Published on November 20th, 2024
Today's fast-changing society is faced with a variety of complex large-scale societal challenges. Simultaneously, people are losing trust in both science and those studying and researching these challenges. Still, we need those scientists from all fields and backgrounds more than ever to work in inter- and multidisciplinary ways, solving these challenges and having their insights assist politicians and decision-makers. It is apparent that the scientific community has to foster trust in science. But how do we ensure that efforts to build trust in science are sustainable and that trust in science remains integrated in the community for the next decades to come? More than ever we need to engage across the generations and particularly the younger generations.
Why do we need young people to trust in science?
When discussing the influence of the younger generation, individuals might argue “What is even their impact given their minimal decision-making power?”. Such statements can be argued to be a fallacy. With over 40% of the world population being under 25 in 2023, the young generation already plays a vital role in the acceptance of novel innovations and thus, also in the impact of science on policy. But sustainable trust in science can not only concern the impact of today's young generation in the moment we must also consider the impact in the decades to come.
Developing the foundation to strengthen trust in science in today's young generation will build the basis of decision-making for the very same generation when they have risen to hold critical stakeholder positions. These stakeholders are herein not only those acquiring high-level positions in policy and industry but also those in the general public advocating amongst the population for political decisions taken based on scientific evidence and those stepping up when non-scientific methods and fake knowledge are spread in their communities. Advocating for young people to hold trust in science and rooting this trust deep in the next generation of its community and decision-making has to be the duty of today's scientists, if efforts to build trust in science are to be sustainable.
Where did the trust go?
Climate change, rising political tensions, polluted oceans, large-scale migration, humanitarian disasters and many more. The number of humanity’s challenges grows larger every day. Given this frightening list of challenges casting a dark illustration of the future, it would not be a surprise if the young generation, facing demotivation and anxiety, simply throws in the towel and gives up on those challenges. By now, challenges have grown so significantly over the last years, it is understandable that there may be a loss of trust in those communities searching for solutions to these challenges that show no sign of being resolved in the short term. Hence, trust in science by the young generations cannot be perceived as a default but needs to be regained and fostered.
What shall we do now?
Despite the grim future, there is reason to look ahead. Opposing the described doubts, the young generation holds the urge to overcome these challenges, to minimize suffering for themselves and future generations given that the consequences will impact the majority of their lives. This intrinsic motivation, however, will not suffice to overcome humanity's challenges by itself but presents a seed for believing that science offers a pathway to tackle humanity's challenges. Fostering this seed is essential to root trust in science in the young generation's beliefs.
What needs to be done?
Building trust in science of the younger generation presents a long-term continuous process. Firstly, the understanding of science and scientific concepts prepares the process of trust building. It is the responsibility of scientists to allow young people to understand and perceive their work, its methods, and its fundamentals. This requires communication, awareness, and patience from every scientist to explain and engage. Young people do not distrust science by default but when it remains unexplained they potentially distance themselves. Furthermore, scientists need to foster a comprehension of the tension science faces to offer unequivocal answers in contrast to delivering reliable answers on a spectrum based on the scientific method. We live in a time of shorter information and media length, as a result content is often presented in a highly simplified manner and short comprehensive answers in black and white are given with ease on social media platforms with the younger generation adjusting to these trends. They long for easy and definite answers, requiring science to reason its often complex but reliable results.
Secondly, established scientists as well as decision-makers hold the responsibility to develop pathways that allow young scientists to outgrow the boundaries of their discipline. Gaining concentrated domain knowledge in their area of expertise will be essential to address humanity’s challenges. However, widening their expertise in adjacent fields, learning about unfamiliar research concepts, and practicing appreciation and understanding for researchers of all disciplines will equip young scientists with an awareness capable of addressing significantly bigger challenges. Moreover, this training will allow them to approach complex challenges in a team of multidisciplinary scientists who are able to communicate across domains and collaborate together on the intersections of disciplines.
Thirdly, scientists need to reignite the young generation's motivation to tackle the big challenges of humanity by having young people accompany them on their road. Through approaching these critical challenges together with scientists, the young generation fosters a sense of identification with the scientific community. Science will be perceived as an integrated and approachable centrepiece of society, not a locked field of expertise. Young people become science enthusiasts and advocates of the scientific method. Moreover, they acquire a toolkit of skills and experiences essential to developing solutions to challenges themselves, finally fostering knowledge transfer, education, and building trust in science.
Summary
Trust in science is fading and the need to strengthen it is eminent. But for trust in science to remain strong for decades to come, we have to build trust with the young generation of today. It is their influence in society in the coming years that may create a society trusting in science and demanding science for action. Achieving this is a continuous effort but if we explain and demystify science, communicate our findings, enable cross-domain training, and let them accompany us on our path we will spark curiosity and trust in science with the young people of today and the stakeholders of tomorrow.
Copyright: © 2024 [author(s)]. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
