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Singaporeans trust science more amid Covid-19 but one-third are sceptics, higher than global average: Survey

SINGAPORE — Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Singaporeans have become more inclined to believe that science plays an important role in society and their lives, but about three in 10 of them are still sceptical of science, which is higher than the global average, a study has found.

Most Singaporeans in a survey said they believe that science plays a critical role in solving public health crises and that it needs more funding.

Most Singaporeans in a survey said they believe that science plays a critical role in solving public health crises and that it needs more funding.

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  • A survey by 3M found that more Singaporeans believe in the importance of science due to Covid-19
  • However, 34 per cent are science sceptics, higher than the 28 per cent global average
  • Slightly under half said this is because of conflicting opinions of scientists
  • Scientists and academics said the way science is presented can be confusing, and should be made clearer for the layperson

 

SINGAPORE — Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Singaporeans have become more inclined to believe that science plays an important role in society and their lives, but about three in 10 of them are still sceptical of science, which is higher than the global average, a study has found.

These key findings of the third edition of the State of Science Index study, commissioned by global science company 3M, were released on Tuesday (Nov 10), in time for the World Science Day for Peace and Development.

The study was initially done between August and October last year, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an extra survey was conducted between July and August this year to see if there had been a shift in perception towards science.

The pre-pandemic survey involved more than 14,000 respondents across 14 countries, while the later one saw more than 11,000 people across 11 countries taking part. In both instances, about 1,000 respondents from Singapore were part of the study.

THE SURVEY RESULTS

In general, the survey found that Singaporeans are more likely to recognise the importance of science because of Covid-19. Here is a rundown of how they view it.

  • Trusting science: About nine in 10 said they do — up four percentage points from before the pandemic

  • Trusting scientists: More than four out of five respondents said they do — up seven percentage points

  • Recognising the importance of science to society in general: About three out of five said they do — up nine percentage points

  • Recognising the importance of science in everyday life: Slightly more than half of the respondents said they do — up seven percentage points

  • Advocating science: Around 60 per cent of Singaporeans are likely to do that, compared with just 15 per cent before the pandemic. In comparison, 20 per cent of the global population said before the pandemic that they would likely advocate for science

While the majority of Singaporeans believe that science plays a critical role in solving public health crises (86 per cent) and that it needs more funding (81 per cent), a significant number are still sceptics.

  • About 34 per cent of Singaporeans said that they did not believe in science. In contrast, the global average was 28 per cent

  • The percentage of science sceptics in Singapore was little changed from before the pandemic started, despite the widespread turmoil caused by the coronavirus

  • Among the sceptics, 46 per cent said last year that there were too many conflicting opinions by scientists. Globally, 38 per cent of the respondents gave the same answer

  • The findings indicate that some respondents who said that they trust science also remain somewhat sceptical on some scientific issues

WHY SCIENCE MATTERS

At the virtual launch of the survey results, panellists — including representatives of 3M and the Science Centre Singapore, as well as educators — said that science is a universal language that can be observed and understood regardless of cultural background or language.

Mr Kevin McGuigan, 3M’s managing director for Southeast Asia and country leader for Singapore, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has further emphasised the importance of science.

“We need science to be able to get after this horrible pandemic, and it has really shed a light on what more we can be doing just in healthcare in general, which is all science-based.”

THE SCEPTICS

Addressing possible reasons for why there are sceptics of science, the panellists said that it may boil down to the way it is presented to the layman.

Mr Veerappan Swaminathan, the founder and director of the Sustainable Living Lab, said that scientists write scientific journals for each other and not public consumption.

As a result, scientific terminology may be used, which the general public may find confusing.

For instance, he said that the idea of a scientific theory is thought of by scientists as something that is “somewhat tested to a certain degree”.

“The layperson will think of the word ‘theory’ as a guess... There's a lot of terminology difference that tends to throw everybody off, which sometimes gives the impression that there are conflicting opinions and so on.”

In another example, Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, the chief executive of the Science Centre Board, explained why there had been a change in opinions by scientists on whether face masks can protect against Covid-19.

He said that when health officials first announced that masks were not necessary, it was based on evidence at that point of time.

“The nature of science is that the more you go into it, you discover more unknowns or new things,” Assoc Prof Lim said, adding that the public needs to trust that scientists are very vigorous and even critical of their findings.

“If we realised that what we discovered last time was wrong, we will tell everyone, ‘That was wrong, we should move on this way (instead)’.”

Touching on why some Singaporeans may still be sceptical of science, Assoc Prof Lim pointed out that the country has advanced from third world to a first world within one lifespan.

Its citizens, he said, now live in an “age of abundance” where everything is given — including solutions to problems.

As a result, he said that these sceptics may not appreciate the hard work that science requires.

With so much emphasis on science and technology in Singapore, Assoc Prof Lim said he found it “most worrying” that there are still Singaporeans who do not believe in science.

'MAKE SCIENCE YOUR FRIEND'

Aside from making science more understandable for the average person, the panellists came up with other suggestions.

These included introducing science in ways that are relevant to a person’s life, such as through their hobbies such as gardening or through topics that include climate change and sustainability.

Encouraging children to grow a love for the subject would be a good start as well, Assoc Prof Lim said.

“Every child is born a scientist or an engineer,” he said, pointing out that children often inquire about and investigate their environment.

They are also often innovative, such as in instances where they make music out of simple utensils, he added.

If children are encouraged to grow their curiosity this way, an appreciation for science will come naturally.

“Science is your friend, it is not something that is threatening,” he said, adding that a knowledge of science also helps people appreciate their surroundings better.

“We should tell the story of how science is beautiful and fun. It shouldn’t be taught (solely) as facts.”

Related topics

science Covid-19 coronavirus trust

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