Cary Funk

Parents with children ages 4 or younger are more concerned than other Americans about the potential risk of side effects from the MMR vaccine.

While most Americans support requiring childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella, parents of young children rate the risks of the vaccine higher and the benefits lower.

Lee Rainie and Dr. Cary Funk explain the type of research they do with Pew Research Center, as well as how the Center chooses what projects to tackle, in this video from SAGE.

As public debates continue over a range of science-related topics, including climate change and the safety of eating genetically modified (GM) foods, Americans are largely skeptical about the degree to which scientists understand these two issues, whether there is scientific consensus on them, and the influences on scientists’ research. Recent Pew Research Center studies have […]

Divides in public opinion over food are encapsulated by how people assess the health effects of two kinds of food: organic and genetically modified foods.

What leads people to a career in science? From a lifelong interest in science to the influence of mentors, working scientists explain why they pursued science.

Thanks to scientific advancements, brain chip implants are already being tested in individuals to help them cope with an injury or ailment. But when it comes to the potential use of such implants to give an already healthy and capable person abilities that they do not currently have, Americans are more wary than enthusiastic. Some […]

Emerging technologies that draw from biomedical technology, nanotechnology, information technology and other fields may lead to any number of ways people might be able to “upgrade” themselves. But a majority of Americans greet the possibility of these breakthroughs with more wariness and worry than enthusiasm and hope.

Many in the general public expect scientific and technological innovation to bring helpful change to society. Yet, when Americans are asked about the potential use of emerging technologies that could push the boundaries of human abilities, they are far more cautious about the morality and effects of these advances.