The credibility of science and research remains high. However, sceptical voices can also be heard among the German population. This is shown by the 2024 Science Barometer, a representative survey conducted by the Science in Dialogue organisation (WiD), in which the GDNÄ is involved as a shareholder. After ten years of regular surveys, long-term trends are now becoming visible.

The level of trust that people in Germany have in science and research is stable. At 55 percent, more than half of those surveyed in the 2024 science barometer also stated that they had full or partial trust (2023: 56 percent). A significant change over the last ten years is reflected in the level of information: the proportion of respondents who feel they are not very or not at all informed about science and research has fallen from 35 per cent (2014) to 17 per cent (2024).

Trust in statements from scientists on the topics of climate change and renewable energies has increased significantly. While only 37 per cent of respondents believed the statements on man-made climate change in 2014, this figure will have risen to 59 per cent by 2024. And while 65 per cent of respondents today trust scientific statements on renewable energies, in 2014 it was only 44 per cent. Taking political views into account, the current survey comes to an interesting conclusion: 41 per cent of people who would vote for the AfD trust scientific statements on renewable energies, but only 15 per cent believe statements on climate change. Such differences are not observed for other parties (with the exception of the FDP).

© WID

Seit einigen Jahren bewegt sich die Glaubwürdigkeit der Wissenschaft auf stabilem Niveau.

For the first time, the 2024 science barometer also asked about attitudes towards scientific freedom. 45 per cent of people in Germany believe that scientific freedom in this country is either good or very good. An almost equally large proportion (39 per cent) believe that scientific freedom is a mixed bag.

The respondents see potential dangers in the influence of business and politics on science: two-thirds believe that the influence of business is rather large or much too large, while 57 per cent say the same about the influence of politics on science. Due to their strong dependency, researchers are not trustworthy – significantly more people agree with this statement in 2024 than in previous years (2022: 56 per cent, 2023: 54 per cent, 2024: 62 per cent). 60 per cent consider it likely that journalists will distort research results.

Two-thirds of respondents consider it important to involve citizens in deciding on new research topics (2017: 56 per cent). Interest in active participation is less pronounced: 43 per cent say they would like to participate in a scientific project and 40 per cent say they would like to discuss with scientists. The science barometer is a representative survey of the population that has been regularly conducted by the non-profit organisation Wissenschaft im Dialog (Science in Dialogue) since 2014 to determine attitudes towards science and research.

Laureates from all over the world, including GDNÄ members, sign declaration

The declaration follows on from the 1955 Mainau Declaration against the use of nuclear weapons. It was co-initiated by Otto Hahn, first President of the Max Planck Society, at the 5th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The current declaration states: “The discovery of nuclear fission created the basis for the construction of atomic weapons of destruction. Their current volume has the potential to make the earth uninhabitable for humans and to wipe out human civilisation. Therefore, such weapons must never be used!”

© Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

The final sentence of the Mainau Declaration.

The 138 signatories call on governments and business leaders to use scientific knowledge and technologies responsibly and with awareness of their long-term consequences. Russian President Vladimir Putin is called upon to respect the agreements under international law, to recall his armed forces, to start negotiations and to establish peace. 

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Max Planck Society are convinced that science must continue the dialogue even if politics remains silent – or fights. With this comes the hope that this initiative, along with countless others, will soon lead to a return to peaceful exchange between nations.

Trust in science and research remains strong, especially in the Corona pandemic. But there are also sceptical voices. This was the result of a representative survey by Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD), a non-profit organisation in which the GDNÄ is a co-partner.

The majority of people in Germany rely on science and research. In the current opinion poll “Wissenschaftsbarometer 2021”, 61 percent of respondents said they trust science rather or completely. This is similar to the previous survey in November 2020 (60%) and more than before the Corona pandemic began (2019: 46%, 2018: 54%, 2017: 50%).

Only in the Corona Special Surveys in April and May 2020 was the level of agreement higher, at 73 and 66 per cent respectively. 32 percent of respondents are currently undecided. This is the result of population-representative data from the Science Barometer, with which the non-profit organisation Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) has been surveying public opinion on science and research in Germany since 2014. Sponsors and supporters of the project are the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The GDNÄ has supported the goals and diverse activities of WID for many years as a co-partner.

Germans’ trust in science and research has increased sharply with the Corona pandemic. © WiD

The high level of trust in science and research is also reflected in the desire for scientific policy advice. Thus, more than two thirds of the respondents (69 %) are of the opinion that political decisions should be based on scientific findings. 75 % think that scientists should speak out publicly when political decisions do not take scientific findings into account. An active interference of scientists in politics is desired by 32 percent of the respondents. Half of the respondents think that scientists should recommend certain decisions to politicians in the specific context of the Corona pandemic. 

However, it is unclear to many respondents (53 %) how policy advice on Corona works in Germany.  “People would like even more information about when and how scientific findings influence policy,” says Markus Weißkopf, Executive Director of Wissenschaft im Dialog.

What doctors and scientists say about Corona is most likely to be believed. © WiD

In the context of the Corona pandemic, trust in the statements of scientists is particularly high: 2021: 73 %, November 2020: 73 %, April 2020: 71 %. Only the trust in statements by doctors and medical staff on Corona is even higher (2021: 79 %, November 2020: 80 %, April 2020: 78 %). The statements made by representatives of authorities and agencies, journalists and politicians are trusted much less in comparison (2021: 34%, 21% and 18%). 

Despite the high level of trust in medicine and science, sceptical positions on the Corona pandemic also meet with approval. For example, 39 percent agreed somewhat or strongly with the following statement: “Scientists are not telling us everything they know about the corona virus” (19 % undecided, 40 % somewhat disagree or strongly disagree). Twenty-six percent agree with the statement that the pandemic is being made into a bigger deal than it actually is (12% undecided, 61% disagree or tend to disagree). 

“The results show that a minority doubts science – but a minority that has become louder during the pandemic,” says Prof. Dr. Mike S. Schäfer, Professor of Science Communication at the Institute of Communication Science and Media Research at the University of Zurich and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Science Barometer.

Former president Wahlster on the fourth industrial revolution.

Ten years ago they summarised their ideas on the industry of the future for the first time under the term “Industry 4.0”, now professors Wolfgang Wahlster and Henning are celebrating the global success of their concept. The word mark “Industrie 4.0” went viral and with their vision of the digital factory of the future, the two pioneers inspired innovative projects worldwide. In a full-page article in the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, former GDNÄ president and computer scientist Wahlster and former SAP board spokesman Kagermann trace the career of their concept and outline a new vision for its second half. The potential of Industry 4.0 is far from exhausted, the two experts write. They advocate the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industrial sector to meet the challenges of an economy that is both sustainable and competitive. At the Hanover Fair from 12 to 16 April, the success of this innovative concept from Germany will be celebrated, says Wolfgang Wahlster. In May, he will present the plans for the industrial AI phase at government level and discuss them with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Economics Minister Peter Altmeier.

The “Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau” is the official publication medium of the Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians. Here the so-called negotiation volumes appear as special issues – always in the year between the meetings. The issues contain the lectures and short presentations of the last meeting. The texts are written in such a way that they can be understood by interested laypersons and at the same time meet high scientific standards.

The “Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau” was founded in 1948 and appears monthly. It publishes review articles by renowned scientists and short reports from the natural sciences and medicine. The journal, like the GDNÄ, sees itself as a mediator between the disciplines.