Despite trust in science and occupational prestige, an overwhelming majority of Russians share antiscientific views and suspect scientists of hiding the truth from the public.
MOSCOW, July 27, 2018. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a survey describing Russian views on Earth, alien civilizations and the first Moon landing.
The data of the surveys from 2010 to 2017 show that Russians trust scientists: the trust levels have fluctuated from 66% to 79%. For the time being, most of respondents (59%) think that the scientists are hiding the truth. Those who distrust the most are people who did not complete their secondary education (77%), whereas this percentage is smaller among people with higher education diploma (45%).
Russians are divided in their opinions on whether scientists know the truth or not: 42% say they know, 41% say they delude themselves. People with incomplete secondary education more often say that scientists do not know the truth (54%).
The Earth is spherical and there is irrefutable evidence of that, according to most of Russians (93%). This point of view is shared by both respondents with incomplete secondary education (92%) and respondents with higher education diploma (95%). But the idea is mainly supported by those persons who think that scientists tell the truth (98%).
Currently, 42% of Russians consider that extraterrestrial species do not come to Earth or are nonexistent. Also those people who trust scientists are more skeptical about inhabitants on other planets (52%). However, 45% of respondents believe that aliens exist: 27% of them say that they are hiding from humans; a further 18% believe that the government is hiding them.
More than half of Russians (57%) state that there was no Moon landing, and in 1969 the American government made a fake documentary about the Moon mission. This opinion is mainly expressed by those with secondary education (65%). Every fourth respondent (24%) opposes this stance. Those who tend to consider that scientists tell the truth often support this viewpoint (38%).
The VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on May 29-30, 2018, and involved 2,000 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.2%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
The 2010-2015 results are based on household surveys.
To what extent do you trust scientists? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||
| 2010 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 |
Completely distrust | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Likely distrust | 5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Likely trust | 43 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 35 | 40 |
Completely trust | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 39 |
Don’t know | 21 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 16 |
In your opinion, do most of scientists tell the truth or hide the truth from us? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education |
They tell the truth | 28 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 40 |
They hide the truth | 59 | 77 | 71 | 67 | 45 |
Don’t know | 13 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
In your opinion, do scientists know the truth or basically delude themselves? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education |
They know the truth | 42 | 27 | 36 | 43 | 45 |
They simply delude themselves and do not know it | 41 | 54 | 45 | 40 | 39 |
Don’t know | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 |
Which statement do you agree with the most? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education | They tell the truth | They hide the truth | Don’t know |
The Earth is round. There is irrefutable evidence of that. | 93 | 92 | 89 | 94 | 95 | 98 | 91 | 93 |
By telling that the Earth is round scientists intentionally mislead the public. Actually the Earth is flat | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
Don’t know | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Which statement do you agree with the most? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education | They tell the truth | They hide the truth | Don’t know |
Representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations come to Earth, and the government hides this fact | 18 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 23 | 9 |
Representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations come to Earth but they are hiding from us | 27 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 27 |
Representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations do not come to Earth or are nonexistent | 42 | 44 | 39 | 37 | 47 | 52 | 40 | 31 |
Don’t know | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 32 |
Which statement do you agree with the most? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institution), higher education | They tell the truth | They hide the truth | Don’t know |
American astronauts landed on the moon in the last century | 24 | 30 | 15 | 18 | 32 | 38 | 18 | 21 |
There was no Moon landing. In 1969 the American government made a fake documentary about the Mission to Moon | 57 | 53 | 65 | 63 | 49 | 46 | 63 | 52 |
Don’t know | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 26 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.