About 80 per cent of people say the government should support scientific research that advances knowledge even if it brings no immediate benefits, according to the Public Attitudes to Science survey for 2014.
The survey also found that 65 per cent—up two percentage points from 2011—of the public do not want science funding to be cut in order for other areas to benefit.
Scientists and engineers are respected by most of the respondents, although many members of the public do not have a clear idea about some aspects of how science works. About 90 per cent of respondents said that scientists and engineers make a valuable contribution to society.
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