U.S. Public Now Divided Over Whether To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
There are widely held concerns about the safety and effectiveness of a possible vaccine and the pace of the approval process.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Science
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14% of U.S. adults say they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are ‘pretty sure’ they have had it
The share of Americans who say they know someone else who has been hospitalized or died due to COVID-19 has increased sharply since spring.
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Black Americans have less confidence in scientists to act in the public interest
There’s a 14-point gap between the shares of White and Black adults in the U.S. who say they have a great deal of confidence in scientists.
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Public confidence in scientists has remained stable for decades
44% of Americans have a great deal of confidence in the scientific community, while 47% have only some confidence and 7% have hardly any.
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On the Intersection of Science and Religion
Over the centuries, the relationship between science and religion has ranged from conflict and hostility to harmony and collaboration, while various thinkers have argued that the two concepts are inherently at odds and entirely separate.
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Fast facts about U.S. views on oil and gas production as White House moves to open Alaska refuge to drilling
As the debate resurfaces over drilling in the wildlife refuge, here are some facts about Americans’ views of expanded oil and gas drilling.
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Republicans remain far less likely than Democrats to view COVID-19 as a major threat to public health
Republicans and Democrats remain far apart in their views of the threat to public health posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
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Most Americans say despite ongoing research, ways to limit spread of COVID-19 are well understood
70% of Americans say the core strategies for containing COVID-19 are well understood, even though studies have yielded conflicting advice.
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Most Americans say climate change affects their local community, including 70% living near coast
Some 63% of Americans say climate change is currently affecting their local community either a great deal or some.
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Younger, more educated U.S. adults are more likely to take part in citizen science research
One-in-ten U.S. adults say they have taken part in citizen science in the past year, and 26% say they have ever done so.
