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United Kingdom Science News

Trust In Scientists Grows As Fake Coronavirus News Rises, UK Poll Finds (theguardian.com) 123

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Public trust in the work of scientists and health experts has grown during the coronavirus pandemic, amid a surge in misinformation about the virus, a poll has found. The opinion poll by the Open Knowledge Foundation, an open data campaign group, found 64% of voters were now more likely to listen to expert advice from scientists and researchers, with only 5% saying they were less likely to do so. The Survation poll also found 51% of the population had seen fake news about the coronavirus, including discredited claims that Covid-19 was linked to 5G mobile phone masts, on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

A majority of voters, 59%, also trusted the government to make the right decisions about using confidential data to decide when to lift the lockdown and change social distancing rules. However, 35% of voters said they did not trust the government, with only 6% unsure. The public also wanted much greater access to scientific data, and disliked restrictions on their right to get information. Survation found that 67% of voters believe that all research findings in the search for a Covid-19 vaccine should be made freely available. In addition, 97% of the 1,006 voters polled said government and health bodies should release non-confidential data used by ministers and the NHS to inform their policies, and 95% said that data should always be openly available, on principle.

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Trust In Scientists Grows As Fake Coronavirus News Rises, UK Poll Finds

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  • Of course (Score:3, Insightful)

    by nedlohs ( 1335013 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:08AM (#60027930)

    Surprise, surprise, covid-19 might make them sick whereas climate change is only bad for other people (like their grandchildren). Gee I wonder why they might care what scientists say about one and not the other.

    • I think this is more because we've been hearing about Covid AND seen some of the worst case actions of it in the course of months. Climate change has been spoken about for decades and people still haven't seen the worse case scenarios involved with it yet. Its due to how people can see long term change and consider it.
    • by Hylandr ( 813770 )

      I am loving all the 'It's about the SCIENCE' Mantra I have been seeing lately.

      It's drowned out the gender benders trying to get universities to align with their worldview instead allowing science to be the determining basis for Sex / Gender.

    • by ebvwfbw ( 864834 )

      Some people need to realize the "scientists" have changed data, for example the data in the 1930s so they don't appear to hot. It breaks the scientific model that co2 causes warming. It doesn't, it's a symptom as there is more life. That's the history over millions of years, yet the left keeps lying to people so they can separate them from their money. Somehow paying leftists very large sums of money makes it better?
      https://realclimatescience.com... [realclimatescience.com]

  • by ITRambo ( 1467509 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:25AM (#60027962)
    It's much of the government that I don't trust. Protection of the elderly should be what their primary focus is, not threatening to arrest anyone without a face mask on, while some politicians are taking vacations. I'm looking at you Governor Pritzker of Illinois. "Rules for thee, but not for me" is unacceptable.
    • by nomadic ( 141991 )

      They can do both.

    • Do you trust multinational corporations more or less than government?
    • Re: (Score:1, Flamebait)

      by AleRunner ( 4556245 )

      It's much of the government that I don't trust. Protection of the elderly should be what their primary focus is, not threatening to arrest anyone without a face mask on, while some politicians are taking vacations. I'm looking at you Governor Pritzker of Illinois. "Rules for thee, but not for me" is unacceptable.

      The elderly get sick because they are exposed to people with the virus. If those people wore masks, or more importantly, the people who met those people and infected them then probably the wouldn't have the virus in the first place. Surely this is a great place for the 2nd amendment? If a person isn't wearing a mask within, say, five metres of you, don't you have a case for self defence?

      • That’s quite ludicrous unless there are all kinds of serious extenuating circumstances. Otherwise you’re making the argument that any situation that makes you at least as fearful for your personal safety as someone without a mask coming within five feet of you is also a valid argument for using lethal force.
        • That’s quite ludicrous unless there are all kinds of serious extenuating circumstances. Otherwise you’re making the argument that any situation that makes you at least as fearful for your personal safety as someone without a mask coming within five feet of you is also a valid argument for using lethal force.

          I said five metres / fifteen feet; five feet is already a breach of the law and probably too close for a safe shot. You want to have reacted well before someone gets that close, e.g. if they lunge at you they might get your weapon and use it against you. If someone is a threat to you, you have to start shooting before they get that close. I don't think it's my job to make this case though. I think that the right to defend yourself against people you feel may be a threat is a fundamental part of the stan [wikipedia.org]

          • Well if the cops just did their jobs and shot anyone outside without a mask, we wouldn't have this problem at all.
            I thought republicans were supposed to be the party that was tough on crime? They're as soft as liberals now.
            #coronacowards
            #dontpostdrunk
    • Except the elderly are not the only ones at risk. There is evidence of inflammatory issues even in children.

      Put the face mask on. Quit being selfish.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • "Rules for thee, but not for me indeed." - thats what he thought but as he's been busted, resigned and may get a visit from plod, i think he's revised that
    • by Shotgun ( 30919 )

      You mean by, I don't know, NOT sending the people sick with the Chinese flu to rest homes like Cuomo did in New York?

  • by SirAstral ( 1349985 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:25AM (#60027968)

    Professionals are always worth listening too, regardless of whether you think they are right or wrong about something. There is usually some insight gained about something either way. Best to seek the advice of more than just 1 professional, they have the same political hangups that everyone else has because being a professional does not suddenly stop you from being human.

    "A majority of voters, 59%, also trusted the government to make the right decisions about using confidential data to decide when to lift the lockdown and change social distancing rules."

    And this is why we cannot have nice things. Trusting the entity that helped make sure that Covid-19 was a problem for everyone. Just about every Nation fucked this up... because they have an irrational fear that minor damage to their economies cannot be tolerated so risk massive damage instead.

    There is only ONE outcome when you decide to trust governments with this information. Abuse... that has been the only outcome ever. Government is filled with people that are literally your next door neighbors... and do you trust them with your privacy? Why do you think that letting entities that either use the lowest bidder or cronyism to get things done is an objective arbiter or protective of your privacy?

    I should change my name to "Government SirAstral" so that people will automagically trust me with their private information now. It seems to work wonders for lying politicians... especially in times of crisis.

    I guess that old saying... those that would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety... holds so very true. Like lambs to the slaughter. Just like Americans after 9/11... completely giving up their rights like little chichenshits at the drop of a hat.

    • by Dopamina ( 6318262 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:48AM (#60028038)
      So if government is the problem, who exactly is it that is going to hold massive multinational corporations responsible for their actions? If we neuter government then unfortunately we are throwikg ourselves to the corporate wolves. The sad part is, even with big government these multinationals still pretty much operate with impunity by bribing officials or through regulatory capture :(
      • So let me get this straight...

        You created government to keep a leash on big business and then complain that the leash has been handed over to big business and still want to keep that government? I don't understand what your issue is here... The outcome you wanted has happened.

        If you send someone else to do the work you want done, then you get the product of their output NOT yours. It is just that simple. If you want to keep big business out of your government then do not invite them in by sending politic

        • by cusco ( 717999 )

          Unfortunately politics have been a part of human society ever since Ogg was convinced his women didn't have to gather firewood because he had the larger club.

    • by MrL0G1C ( 867445 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @09:03AM (#60028086) Journal

      The level of spying in the UK is already grotesque, it's police state. About a law (Investigatory Powers Bill) that has passed:

      Each Internet Service Provider (ISP) and mobile carrier in the UK will have to store this data, which the government will pay them to do. Police officers will then be able to access a central search engine known as the "request filter" to retrieve this information. Exactly how this request filter will work still isnâ(TM)t clear (will you be able to find every visitor to a certain website, for example, then filter that down to specific weeks or days?), but it will be easy to tie browsing data to individuals. If you sign a contract for your phone, for example, that can be linked to your web history.

      "Access to citizensâ(TM) web history [by the [police] will be solely at the discretion of the police"

      no warrant required.

    • I wouldn’t trust any government blindly; however, this pandemic has shown that certain governments specifically certain government officials should be trusted. Some others not so much. Also be mindful of what is being said. The head of health in your government says you should wear a mask and stay at least 6ft (2m) away from other people when in public; he or she isn’t asking for an extreme sacrifice that destroys your world. If the ministers say a widespread vaccine could be 18 months away that
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      Perhaps the problem isn't government but YOUR government. Is it not possible you are projecting the issues of your own nation onto the other 200 countries of the world, of which you have very limited knowledge?

      For example, do you know how well New Zealand coped with Covid? Or Denmark? Belize, Ireland, Iraq, Kurdistan, Tonga? Do you know how well their governments performed on any issues at all?

      And your 'saying' is just that - a saying. Its not a flaming pillar of truth - its an opinion.

    • by Shotgun ( 30919 )

      Trusting the entity that helped make sure that Covid-19 was a problem for everyone. Just about every Nation fucked this up... because they have an irrational fear that minor damage to their economies cannot be tolerated so risk massive damage instead.

      Let me get this straight. Government is bad, so we shouldn't trust them, and the reason they are bad is because they with will not or can not destroy their own economies at the first loud noise.

      The fact that President Trump did not have the power to lock down society and force everyone inside in early February is not a bug. It is a feature.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Do a bit of a dive into the Open Knowledge Foundation, it's reports, it's founders, funders, etc. For instance, they are in favor of a blanket tax on all digital services across the EU and is in favor of stricter controls on "misinformation" posted to social media.

    This poll should be taken with a generous dose of skepticism.

    • by isorox ( 205688 )

      It's a survation poll, a reputable polling company. The questions asked, and the answers, are at https://okfn.org/about/press/r... [okfn.org] and the linked sheet

      The only thing OKF had to do with it was setting the questions. Now that in itself can be very powerful (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ZZJXw4MTA), but here they didn't get the answers I think they wanted so if they were trying to rig the poll, they didn't do a very good job

  • by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:30AM (#60027982)

    Currently with Covid-19 two people who I work with had died. One was actually young and rather healthy. With Flu Strains I think I know of one person who had died from it over my life.

    Previously people had the luxury of disbelieving in science when it doesn't fit into their world view or political stance. Eg the Left tend to not believe science saying something is safe, while the Right has a problem believing that something is dangerous. For the most the effect is isn't wide reaching, and people who do get hurt from it, are often from easily controllable methods. Or connected by a long range of side effects.

    • Re: (Score:1, Troll)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's the reason why the government keeps repeating the phrase "following the science". They aren't of course, but if they can convince people that they are then all these preventable deaths are not their fault.

      • The Blame Game is in full swing! There was a leaked Republican strategy document that states, over and over and over: DON'T DEFEND TRUNOU, BLAME CHINA! And that is precisely what the administration is doing. I for sure one would like them to put up or shut up and quit running their mouths. Since this administration is *so interested* in what went wrong in China, surely they are going to cooperate with Congressional investigations and reviews in regards to how we fucked up our response. Oh wait no, they are
      • by Anonymous Coward

        What do you think they're doing? Were not the lockdowns for weeks based on actual statistical information enough for you?

        There's science and then there's life.

        Science proves there's no crime if we live under martial law. Hell, you don't even need science for that - just look at North Korea where crime is practically non-existent.

        Science proves that if we just go back to an agrarian society then we'll save the world from climate change. You've seen just as many stories about "the earth healing itself" as

      • Yeah, Arizona is reopening and told their researchers to stop modeling, because they are going to use FEMA's model. https://www.azcentral.com/stor... [azcentral.com] I suppose there is a chance that FEMA is getting it right where every other Federal model has been a joke (eg: using the Excel trend function https://twitter.com/NateSilver... [twitter.com]).

        But I think many Republican governers are going to double down on "death is inevitable, don't blame us."

        • by Shotgun ( 30919 )

          Democrat governors are doing the same. Who is opening Colorado?

          • Probably not a great idea, especially since cases are not decreasing and testing is spotty. I couldn't find anything on their modeling. We'll see what happens and how the government responds.
    • I've also noticed a lot of friends, that usually let bullshit slide standing standing up to and calling out bollocks and conspiracy theories, stuff like 5G and drinking disinfectant.

  • by ZombieCatInABox ( 5665338 ) on Wednesday May 06, 2020 @08:50AM (#60028048)

    This is precisely why the scientific method was created. So that people should no longer have to trust, blindly or reluctantly, someone else, who may be biased or have an agenda, to acquire knowledge. Put everything out there: Show me your data, how you acquired it; tell me what your hypothesis is; explain to me in detail your methodology; show me your results and your conclusion; give me everything I need to duplicate and verify your experiment.

    Science was open-source long before the term was ever coined. People keep praysing the virtues of open-source, yet 99.9% of open-source software users will never compile from source, or even summarily audit the code. But it doesn't matter, because they can if they choose to. It is trust, but it's not blind trust.

    The same goes for science. Even if 99.9% of the population will not or cannot double-check scientfic publications, eventually, bullshit science will be called out.

    • by hey! ( 33014 )

      "Don't trust scientists, trust science" is exactly the argument I get from my anti-vaxxer relative. It sounds like a wise position, but it's not because you can't actually ask science it's position on anything. What you have to do is choose a position by selecting and evaluating scientific evidence yourself.

      So it's never "science versus scientists", it's always your interpretation of scientific evidence and theirs. My anti-vaxxer relative likes to say , "What about *our* science?". Well, most of your scie

      • I also find that skepticism is not evenly applied. "I don’t trust this scientist because everyone should be skeptical of science. But I trust this guy I don’t know on Facebook because he tells me the truth.” is something I hear all the time as their justification on why they don’t trust scientists.
        • by hey! ( 33014 )

          I wouldn't even call it "skepticism"; it's faith in alternative authorities.

          People who are science skeptics usually are quite definite in their alternative beliefs; they certainly have policy preferences that appear to be shaped by certainty.

    • by ebvwfbw ( 864834 )

      ... bullshit science will be called out.

      But it's not. Science today isn't science. It's very political I saw it in the 1980s, it's MUCH worse today. Try to do a study on why CO2 has nothing to do with man made global warming. They know it's a symptom and not the cause, yet they get all kinds of money saying co2 is causing it. They've even gone back and tried to change historical data from the 1930s. That decade alone proves it's not CO2. Can't be. That was THE hotest decade in the 1900s and there was a great deal less CO2 around. So it's busted.

  • Have they tried to see if the "scientists" they have more confidence in are the imagined scientists behind all the misinformation?

  • for "There are no atheists in foxholes."

  • I do my own research. But I'm too busy to dedicate 8 years in a University to my research, so I cherry-pick papers in obscure journals with summaries that I [mis]understand. The best are the papers that have the findings right in the title, it makes it easier to search and I can avoid unnecessary reading.

  • aka Dr Lockdown. Yeah he's trustworthy.
  • Meghan McCain says the science of epidemiology is all bunk because Dr. Neil couldn't keep it in his pants.
  • Is this a sign that the current age of the dum-dums may be waning? Not getting my hopes up too much...
  • I've made an extra effort to share accessible and engaging medical and science content, vlogs on COVID-19 by Dr Hope (an UK NHS Doctor), Dr Mike and Mama Doctor Jones (US Doctors) and I've noticed and reshared others doing the same.

    I've noticed the same from the UK mainstream News, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have featured a lot of engaging experts, plenty of doctors and scientists.

    In the UK pretty much everybody loves the NHS, yes even conservatives, and the news and chat shows TV have had a of different NH

  • My trust in the news has already long turned to cynicism. My trust of scientists has been eroding and has plummeted since COVID-19.

    My faith in academia has been in freefall due to things that come out of the social sciences but I'm also finding a lot of bad things coming out of scientific discipline I might have hoped was more rigid.

    I've read so many bad papers now in biology, epidemology, virology, etc that I can't take scientists seriously at all. When I talk to a scientist it's like I'm the only br

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