CISS Affiliate Matt Motta’s New Book Examines Effects of Anti-intellectual Thought on Science
Among the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic most likely to affect population health is the decline of trust in science—and in scientists themselves.
A November 2023 poll by the Pew Research Center found that the percentage of Americans who said they had trust in scientists dropped from 87 percent at the beginning of the pandemic to 73 percent in 2023. The percentage of people who claimed little or no trust in scientists jumped from 12 to 27 percent over the same span.
Experts in all fields suffered reputational damage over the past few years, but the discounting of knowledge and expertise has a long and storied history, explains Matt Motta, assistant professor of health law, policy and management. Motta examines that decline in trust in a new book, Anti-Scientific Americans: The Prevalence, Origins, and Political Consequences of Anti-Intellectualism in the US…
To read more, visit THE BRINK, where this article originally appeared on September 20, 2024.