It comes as no surprise, then, that a recent Harris Poll revealed astonishingly low public recognition of awards for scientific research, underscoring the need for more public outreach by scientists on behalf of research. Although these recognition rates are quite low, they are substantially higher than for people who are familiar with several other research prizes, such as the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award, which was familiar to only 2 percent of adults in the United States. In focus groups conducted in partnership with the scientific honor society Sigma Xi, researchers tell us that they often choose not to talk about their work with neighbors, friends, and others who are not part of the research community because they feel those people are not interested in science or are hostile to it. In fact, data from the National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators 2000 notes that nine out of every 10 adults in the United States report being very or moderately interested in new scientific discoveries and the use of new inventions and new technologies. And in a public opinion poll conducted by the Newseum in late 1999, the public ranked science very high, placing five stories about scientific research in their list of the top 25 news stories of the century.
Anecdotes also make the case for strong public interest.
In conversations with her brother, Chris found herself lost and having to change the subject. Chase's lack of understanding of her brother's work was not the result of disinterest, but rather a lack of effective communication. She needed someone to take the time to explain her brother's work from the perspective of a nonscientist. When scientists make the effort to engage in conversation with nonscientists using nonscientific language, they are often pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Recently, I heard from a researcher who took these words to heart.