• Question: Do you feel like sciences do not get the praise they deserve?

    Asked by salma on 27 Jan 2022.
    • Photo: Samuel Ellis

      Samuel Ellis answered on 27 Jan 2022:

      I would not say that scientists are really looking for praise, we generally are in this career because we find it interesting and just want to discover helpful things.

      It does often feel like we do not get as much respect from some sources though. It is quite upsetting when you see people choosing to believe misleading or even dangerously incorrect information (often on platforms like social media) over believing scientists who are experts on a topic.. I suspect I am not the only scientist who finds that frustrating!

    • Photo: Jonny Coates

      Jonny Coates answered on 27 Jan 2022:

      I agree with Samuel that most scientists are not looking for praise but we absolutely do not get enough praise or respect.

      Just look at the pandemic. It is science that has/will get us out and back to normal but there has been little praise from society & governments are almost hostile towards scientists (Trump but also Boris Johnson and co). As a society we do not fund science nearly as much as we should, instead spending more on the military and almost everything else. There is also a misconception (from some that I’ve known) that scientists are lazy. This is very untrue – I worked 15 hours yesterday for example – but is not unique to scientists as an issue.

      Then there are the anti-science groups who are increasing in popularity & celebrities who are listened to above experts!

      I often wonder what the world would look like had we focussed more on scientific discoveries and funded that appropriately.

    • Photo: Chris Budd

      Chris Budd answered on 27 Jan 2022:

      Sadly it is cool to say in the media that you are bad at maths or science. It is not cool to say that you are bad at English. I look forward to a time when science and maths are more appreciated in the media.

    • Photo: Valerie Vancollie

      Valerie Vancollie answered on 28 Jan 2022:

      I do think the sciences as a whole don’t get the respect they deserve, even what Samuel said about scientists is correct.

      This comes from decades of companies with vested interests putting out either bad science or deliberately inducing doubt about certain science in order to further their bottom line. Just think about the tobacco industry and the whole climate science denial the oil/gas industry has stoked.We’re now seeing it again with the food industries and what’s healthy/not healthy.

      This has all taken its toll, meaning people have less trust for science, which has hampered some of the pandemic response.

Comments