US citizens are increasingly concerned about the environment. They express high levels of support for government funding of research and over half of Americans think scientists have “very great prestige”.

The National Science Foundation, NSF, recently published its Science and Engineering Indicators 2010. This extensive survey, carried out annually since 1978, gives an oversight into public attitudes and scientific knowledge over the years.

There seems to be relatively high confidence levels in scientific leaders who enjoy more public confidence than any institutional leaders, except those in medicine and the military. In terms of policy making, the public think that scientists should have a relatively large amount of influence in fields where they have expertise, such as stem cell research and GM foods.

There are some reservations in the field of global warming where the public perceives a lack of consensus in the scientific community. However scientists are trusted much more than religious leaders, business leaders and elected officials when it comes to policy making in these areas.

The survey includes a series of questions testing general scientific knowledge. The percentage of people answering correctly has not changed much since the 1970s. And there is a large knowledge gap in nanotechnology and biotechnology.

The report also compares America with the rest of the world. Although making such comparisons is difficult, the USA seems to be out-performing Europe in some areas. More than half of Americans said they had visited an informal science venue in 2008.

Half had visited a zoo or aquarium, compared to 27 per cent of Europeans; 26 per cent had visited a science and technology museum, compared to 16 per cent of Europeans. There is no gender difference in these attendances in the USA whereas in Europe men are much more likely than women to visit informal science venues.

The full report, containing many more facts and figures, can be downloaded here.

Esther Crooks