In December, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a list of over 10,000 scientists who have signed a statement protesting the manipulation of science in the political arena. The statement condemns government manipulation, suppression, distortion and limitation of scientific data and research.
The UCS Web site lists the environment, public health, pollution and contamination, and national security as the areas of science most frequently affected by political manipulation. Since each issue plays a role in every American's daily life, the information gleaned from political debate is useful and influential for many. But do students trust any politicians on scientific issues?
One student said that her level of trust depends on the issue and the presentation. "You can manipulate statistics to say whatever you want them to say," sophomore Mara Gittleman said. But overall, despite some distortion, Gittleman believed that political debate is not completely divorced from real science: "Numbers can be twisted, but in general, I think [the public debate] reflects scientific research," she said.
Some students said that they tend to trust the politicians whose political beliefs match their own. "I think my feelings fall more along party lines," senior David Werth said. "I'm more likely to trust a Democrat than a Republican."
Senior Jeff Remis agreed: "My ideas are very much in line with the party that I support," he said.
One student predicted Jumbos' displays of political allegiance in the sciences. "A lot of people don't think about it too much and go with the politician they agree with on other issues," freshman Erin Taylor said.
So how do students figure out the no-spin science? Their habits are varied, from television to the Internet to Popular Science magazine.
"If I hear something on TV, and I want to find out more, I usually start by Googling it to find different resources with comprehensive arguments," Remis said.
"I usually [find out more about politicized science] by reading about it in Popular Science. I read a lot on the Internet, too," Werth said.
"[I usually get information] from scientific journals and class discussions," Gittleman said.
But one student pointed out the problem of television and Internet playing such a big role in people's consumption of politics: "I believe that not every issue is fully articulated, and that's the problem with politics in media," Remis said. "The content is filtered and you only get one side of a debate."
