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IN BRIEF

Today Russians are less interested in science than before. Most popular scientific areas for them are medicine and technologies.

MOSCOW, February 27, 2013. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing whether Russians are interested in science; what scientific discoveries they are curious about; what scientists they know.

Over the recent six years the interest towards scientific and technological discoveries has considerably decreased (from 68% in 2007 to 47% in 2013). Simultaneously, the number of those who are not interested to know more about discoveries in science and technologies has increased (28% six years ago versus 49% currently). Those who are mainly interested in scientific and technological achievements are often (54%), active Internet users (57%), Russians with high level of income and high level of education  (53%, for each). Those who are indifferent are women (54%), persons who have low level of education (67%), low level of income (54%) and those who do not use the Internet (57%).

The most popular scientific areas are medicine (25%), technical discoveries (19%), and astronomy and space exploration (16%). This is followed by nanotechnologies and auto industry (7%, for each), physics and biology (6%, for each), Internet technologies and electronics (5%, for each), history (4%), chemistry and military developments (3%, for each). Least attractive areas are agriculture, architecture, construction and transport (1%, for each).

Jores Alferov and Sergey Kapitsa are the most famous Russian scientists of modern times  (5-8% in 2007-2013 and 3-6%, respectively). The third place is held by Andrey Sakharov and Grigory Perelman (2%, for each). Respondents also mentioned Korolev, Roshal, Fedorov and Vasserman, newcomer, ( 1%, for each group).

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on February 2-3, 2013. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 138 sampling points in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Are you interested in scientific and technical discoveries? (close-ended question, one answer)

 

2007

2011

2013

Yes, usually interested

68

54

47

No, usually not interested

28

43

49

Hard to tell

4

3

4

 What scientific areas are you most interested in?
(open-ended question, not more than three answers,

% of those who are interested in new discoveries in science and technologies)  

Medicine

25

Technical discoveries

19

Astronomy and space exploration

16

Nanotechnologies

7

Auto industry

7

Physics

6

Biology and biotechnologies

6

Internet technologies

5

Electronics

5

History

4

Chemistry

3

Military developments

3

Pedagogics

2

Economic sciences

1

Ecology

2

Energy

1

Aviation

1

Psychology

1

Mathematics

1

Philosophy

1

Agriculture

1

Architecture, art, culture

1

Construction

1

Transport

1

Everything is interesting

2

Other

2

Hat to tell

15

Could you name three or five names of famous Russian scientists of modern times?
(open-ended question, not more than five answers,

% of those who are interested in new discoveries in science and technologies)

 

2007

2011 

2013

Alferov

8

7

5

Kapitsa

6

3

3

Sakharov

6

2

2

Perelman

-

1

2

Korolev

10

2

1

Vasserman

0

0

1

Roshal

2

1

1

Fedorov

3

1

1

Velikhov

2

1

0

Ginzburg

0

1

0

Kurchatov

1

1

0

Bokeriya

-

1

0

Likhachev

2

-

0

Other

16

5

5

Hard to tell

67

81

79

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!

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