Public trust in science spiked after news reports of Zika vaccine trial

Study suggests that more news about major science achievements may bolster trust Public trust in science has largely held steady for decades, despite short-term fluctuations. But new findings based on a survey of public attitudes toward the Zika vaccine suggest that there is a way to increase public support for science. The study, published in the August issue of the journal Science Communication, examines what happened in August 2016 after the launch of the first human trial of a Zika vaccine. Following widespread media coverage of the trial, people paid more attention to news about the Zika virus and showed greater trust in science. The spike in public confidence in science lasted just two weeks, though the heightened attention to the Zika virus persisted for six weeks. “For two weeks following the vaccine announcement, people were more likely to agree that science enables us to solve almost any problem,” said Joseph Hilgard, a...