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Survey Results
Conducted: January 2004
Participants: 1003 people surveyed in the Continental U.S.
Research Methodology
In mid-December 2003 through mid-January 2004, Market Research Institute, Inc. conducted a nationwide telephone survey on behalf of Thirteen/WNET New York to determine the general public's interest, knowledge, and beliefs about science and technology today and in the future. Using random digit dialing, the survey was conducted with 500 male heads of households and 503 female heads of households within the Continental United States. The final demographics of the study were similar to those of the population as a whole.
The confidence level when analyzing the results of the 1,003 surveys is 95 percent, with a +/- 3 percent error factor. To understand confidence level, it means that 95 out of 100 times you completed the survey, the results would be the same within 3 percentage points.
Key Findings
Today's public interest in science and technology is significant.
Much of the general public, 99 percent, believes science and technology are important for Americans to be aware of and understand. They pay attention to news stories about it (62 percent) and keep up with the latest in it (57 percent).
What advances in science and technology do respondents want to know more about? Clearly, respondents want to know more about the latest medical research (85 percent) and alternative energy sources (76 percent). The following chart summarizes what respondents want to know more about regarding advances in science and technology.
On the whole, Americans are highly optimistic about science and technology.
The public is very optimistic about the impact science and technology will make in the future (86 percent). They also have a positive attitude about how it will affect the next generation: Given a scale of one to 10 where 10 is "very optimistic," they were asked to rank how optimistic they are that science and technology will enhance the next generation's quality of life. More than a quarter (26 percent) gave themselves a 10 and more than half (60 percent) said eight or higher.
When asked if at the present time America is prepared scientifically and technologically to adequately ensure their personal safety, health, and well-being, most (80%) believed America is at least somewhat prepared.
More than one-half of all respondents interviewed believe that scientific research will likely find a breakthrough cure for several diseases and conditions (except autism) in the next five years.
- Approximately nine out of 10 respondents believe that the ability to identify birth defects before a baby is born is positive to society.
- Nearly three in four respondents say that the use of brain-wave reading technology to determine whether or not a person is lying is beneficial to society.
- Americans are divided over whether remote-controlled deadly weapons technology is positive or negative to society. 45 percent believe it is beneficial, while 51 percent say it is harmful. Three percent are unsure.
- When asked whether genetically-engineered food is beneficial or harmful to society, slightly more respondents (51 percent) believe it is positive, 43 percent say it is negative, and six percent are unsure.
- Almost 75 percent of respondents feel that harvesting human embryonic stem cells to treat diseases and injuries is beneficial to society.
- Almost nine out of 10 say that harvesting stem cells from the patient's own body to treat diseases and injuries is beneficial to society.
- Gender does not play a significant role in how Americans feel about the harvesting of adult and embryonic stem cells.
Which specific areas of technology should be government's highest priority for R&D funding? Health and medicine (43 percent) and military defense/combat technologies (24 percent) top the list of choices. This is followed by alternative energy sources (17 percent) and the environment (13 percent). Space exploration and computers trail far behind at one percent each.
Science fact or science fiction?
At least seven in 10 respondents believe scientists currently have the ability to harvest stem cells that can be used to repair spinal cord injuries, heart disease, and other debilitating conditions; produce a robotic combat fighter jet controlled by a computer; produce a single fiber optic strand that can carry 150 million conversations at one time; and make a prosthetic limb that can be moved by brain waves.
Approximately eight in 10 respondents do not believe these innovations currently exist: a terrorist-proof skyscraper; a terrorist-proof, crash-proof airplane; the ability to re-grow a human arm at the site of an amputation; a medicine for cigarette smokers that can prevent certain types of cancer associated with cigarette smoking; and the creation, in a laboratory, of a living being that is similar to but more advanced than humans.
Respondents are about evenly divided about whether certain other innovations are "science fact" or "science fiction": operation rooms with computer-linked robots that allows a surgeon in the U.S. to perform surgery on a patient in Europe; scientists' ability to produce an artificial vision system that enables the blind to see; scientists' ability to operate a computer by thought alone.
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