Reacción a "Spanish population, among the most trusting in scientists, according to a study in 68 countries"

The current study “Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries” is probably the broadest and most robust work I’ve seen that addresses the issue of trust in science, and especially trust in scientists across the globe.

After surveying nearly 72,000 people across 68 countries, here are the things that stand out. Firstly, there is not one country that shows low levels of trust in science. But there is variation across countries. Egypt and India have, by far, the highest trust in science but the Antipodean countries also show very high levels of trust. 

More interesting is that many of the stories we hear about leads to (dis)trust are challenged when we take a broader, more robust look. Religiosity (often used as an example of anti-science, especially in the US) is in fact positively correlated with trust in science on a global level. Conversely, science literacy has almost no effect on trust in science.

The study also looks at how scientists should engage with society. Most people across the globe think scientists should contribute to public debates and policymaking (~50-55% for, ~25% neutral, and ~25% against), but the strongest call by far is for more science communication with a whopping 83% of people thinking scientists should communicate to the general public about their work.