The French and science: the study that tempers the ambient alarmism

Have the French dropped out of science? In January, an Ifop survey for the Reboot Foundation and the Jean-Jaurès Foundation warned of scientific misinformation in the age of social networks. And revealed the permeability of young people to the conspiratorial imagination, or to other scientifically unfounded beliefs such as astrology or occultism. The barometer of the critical spirit of the public establishment Universcience, carried out in partnership with L’Express, comes to temper these concerns.

“What emerges from this study, contrary to certain speeches, is that there is no divorce between the majority of French people and science”, rejoices Romain Pigenel, director of public development and communication of Universcience. The survey indeed reveals its importance in the daily life of our compatriots. For 81% of them, it is part of the culture. An interest that is confirmed in practice: 55% of them obtain information at least once a month on scientific subjects, and 58% have visited a place or a science museum at least once in the last three years. And 63% say that the CO2 produced by human activities is the main cause of global warming.

However, the study points to generational, socio-economic and gender disparities. Thus, respondents considered to be “distant” with regard to science, forming a sub-group that only 39% believe in the independence of the scientific community, present a more feminine, rural profile, from the categories popular and less educated.

Threat to critical thinking

Beyond science alone, the survey examines the relationship of French people to critical thinking. In their eyes, this is first formed in the private sphere (72% with parents, 68% with friends) and at school (68%). A third consider that all the sciences (exact sciences, human sciences) train critical thinking. The fact remains that they must have missed a few philosophy lessons on Descartes: only 18% affirm that it consists first of all in “being wary of one’s own intuitions”… In addition, nearly 4 out of 10 French people believe that the Critical thinking is not what best characterizes them, and a third party never argues or debates with those around them. Worrying results.

The barometer also explores our relationship to information. Radio is the medium that inspires the greatest trust (55%), far ahead of social networks (29%) and the written press (22%). But 63% of French people claim to experience, at least from time to time, “informational saturation”. To face climate challenges, those polled prefer to bet on scientists: 42% of them are in favor of climate specialists, with political representatives receiving only 10% of the answers…

Portrait of a connected youth

Finally, the study gives young people (18-24 years) a special place. And paints the portrait of a curious and connected generation. Young people are even more often in contact with science than their elders. For example, 74% regularly get information on scientific subjects (compared to 55%). To do this, they, unsurprisingly, trust the Internet (excluding social networks) more than the average (42% against 29%), but less on television (25% against 37%). Their relationship to the climate crisis is distinguished by its ambivalence: while 67% claim that the CO2 produced by human activities is the main cause (63% for the French), 37% doubt its existence in view of the cold snap. in the United States (37% against 22%)!

Contrary to the idea of ​​a conflict between generations, young people have more confidence than the French as a whole in the actors who express themselves on the climate crisis, and in particular climate specialists (48% against 42%) . “We see there the portrait of a youth aware of the climatic danger, and who trusts their elders more than the average French person, in particular the scientific leaders, to fight it”, analyzes Romain Pigenel. On the other hand, open-mindedness seems to be lacking: more than 1 in 2 young people say they do not have a critical mind, and 57% prefer to speak with people who share their opinion…