It seems that Spain is not very good in scientific culture, and it is incredible that 46% of Spaniards are not able to name a single scientist, from any era or nationality. Can you believe it? Truly worrying!
The data has been revealed by the International Study of Scientific Culture prepared by the BBVA Foundation in its International Report on Scientific Culture, which they claim, Spaniards are the Europeans who know the least about science.
The Department of Social Studies and Public Opinion of the BBVA Foundation prepared a survey to examine the degree of general science literacy and level of scientific understanding in inhabitants over 18 years of age in 10 European countries (Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands , Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, United Kingdom and Denmark), with personal interviews with 1,500 people.
Among the results we find that not only almost half of Spaniards do not know the two Nobel laureates born in the Motherland as Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Severo Ochoa, but also They don't even remember great figures from the world of science, such as Einstein, Newton, Edison or Marie Curie, to name a few examples. However, Spain is not the only country with poor results; among the nations with low scores we also find Poland and Italy.
The European context and scientific culture
Countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands are the countries with the highest level of scientific knowledge in Europe, slightly higher than in the United States. This context is important, as it shows a general trend in Europe, where only a few countries stand out for their scientific culture, while the rest struggle to improve their scientific literacy.
The study also reveals that they are the Young men who have a higher level of knowledge in scienceAnother worrying aspect is the enormous difference in the level of scientific knowledge between men and women, as well as between different age groups.
Contrasts worldwide
Although Spain lags behind in terms of scientific knowledge, there are certain global data that are important to take into account in order to understand how the country compares with other nations outside Europe. Studies such as that of La Vanguardia They point out that in countries like the US, the figures are not much better. More than 65% of Americans believe in pseudoscientific concepts, such as the idea that humans coexisted with dinosaurs or that climate change is a fabricated myth.
Countries where scientific education is a central part of the educational system, such as Japan and South Korea, have managed to significantly increase the level of general scientific knowledge of their population.
The future of scientific culture in Spain
It has been highlighted that it is important to influence the educational system so that Spaniards feel more involved with science and technology. A survey by the BBVA Foundation revealed that only 36% of Spaniards have a 'high' or 'very high' knowledge of scientific concepts.
Among the proposals for improvement to increase scientific knowledge is the implementation of compulsory subjects in more practical sciences. (such as biotechnology, nanotechnology or artificial intelligence), which would go beyond the merely theoretical and provide a closer view of how science directly impacts the daily lives of citizens.
Researchers such as Santiago Ramón y Cajal or Severo Ochoa should be better introduced into classrooms from an early age. A key aspect to improve scientific culture in Spain is to increase the presence in the media of the contributions of these scientists, ensuring that their legacy does not go unnoticed.
Finally, the social, economic and political context must be taken into account when designing strategies to promote science. Spain, like many other European countries, must build its scientific policies on the basis of a commitment to long-term research and educational development.
Science has proven to be, more than ever, essential to addressing global problems such as climate change, pandemics and resource scarcity. In the long term, developing a stronger scientific culture is likely to enable Spain to make progress on these fronts and reap benefits for its society.