It seems that Spain is not very good in scientific cultureIncredibly, 46% of Spaniards cannot name a single scientist, from any era or nationality. Can you believe it? Truly alarming! This statistic was revealed by… 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 on science. The Department of Social Studies and Public Opinion of the BBVA Foundation conducted a survey to examine the level of general scientific knowledge and scientific comprehension among residents over 18 years of age in 10 European countries (Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Denmark), through personal interviews with 1,500 people. Among the results, we found that not only are almost half of Spaniards unfamiliar with the two Nobel laureates born in Spain, 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
Meanwhile, countries like Denmark and the Netherlands have the highest level of scientific knowledge in Europe, slightly higher than the United States. This is important because it reflects 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 aren’t 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 science education is a central part of the educational system—like Japan and South Korea—are the ones that have managed to significantly increase the general level of scientific knowledge among their populations.
The future of scientific culture in Spain
It has been emphasized that it is important to influence the education 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’ level of knowledge of scientific concepts. Among the proposed improvements to increase scientific knowledge is the implementation of more practical, compulsory science subjects. (such as biotechnology, nanotechnology or artificial intelligence)These approaches would go beyond mere theory and provide a more practical understanding of how science directly impacts citizens’ daily lives. Researchers like Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Severo Ochoa should be better introduced into classrooms from a young age. A key aspect of improving scientific literacy in Spain is increasing media coverage of these scientists’ contributions, ensuring their legacy is not overlooked.
Finally, the social, economic, and political context must be considered when designing strategies to promote science. Spain, like many other European countries, must build its science policies on a commitment to long-term research and educational development. Science has proven to be, more than ever, essential for 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.