The Cognitive Science Lab at the University of Western Australia has put together an internet survey to test people’s attitudes to science. Prof Stephan Lewandowsky describes it thus: “the rationale behind the survey is to draw linkages between attitudes to climate science and other scientific propositions (eg HIV/AIDS) and to look at what skepticism might mean (in terms of endorsing a variety of propositions made in the media)”. He’s particularly interested in the views of people who follow science blogs, so please go along and give it a try. Anonymity assured, and the results will find their way into the literature eventually.
[Rutles, if only for the lyrics…]
Done, but some of the questions are poorly written.
eg “I believe that the burning of fossil fuels on the scale observed over the last 50 years has caused serious negative changes to the planet’s climate”
The planet’s climate doesn’t have a view whether such a change is ‘negative’ or ‘positive’. It just changes.
Yes! I had the same sort of problems with the questions. Never quite seems to be the actual answer that fits your thinking.
And as for all the questions that wanted you to say something was “absolutely true” or “absolutely false”, I of course had to choose the “probably” options, taking “absolutely” at face value…
The listing of the different conspiracy theories was interesting and the fact that climate change was one of them quite laughable.
I’ve had a scientist colleague (geologist no less – why is that not surprising) seriously argue the moon landings were fake. Evidence more likely of his anti-american bias.
Of course it seems awfully coincindental how easily Jack Ruby was able to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald.
So it will be interesting to see the results.