Introduction
A key challenge for the next several decades of planetary science will be to sustain the scientific engagement and interest of the public. The questions that we may answer within the next several decades of planetary science can yield profound insights as to the origins of our solar system, our world, life, and bear on the future of our species. Yet the endurance of planetary science research in the United States and its prioritization in future federal budgets is, and likely will continue to be, contingent on the public’s understanding, engagement, and, ultimately, support. Although the exposure of planetary science in a variety of venues indicates a sustained public interest in planetary science and exploration, there remains a strong aversion to many fundamental scientific results that have been concluded through extensive research and analyses. To develop and secure a prosperous future for planetary science, public outreach and engagement by the planetary science community must include aspects that focus on the reduction of such aversion among the populous and generate a renewed emphasis on scientific reasoning and engagement for the general public.
Discussion
Although the American public consistently has a high favorable opinion (68% in 2011) of NASA, second only to the Centers for Disease Control among federal agencies, there is little interest among Americans to increase federal funds for space exploration (~20%) [1,2]. Furthermore, the opinion polls reflect that the American public is divided in the role that the federal government, and hence NASA, should play in the advancement of space exploration, with 47% believing that the federal government should play a major role and 47% believing that the federal government should play a minor or no role [3].
In spite of the high favorable opinion of NASA and space-related activities by the American public, there is a disparity in acceptance of scientific results by education level. As an example, individuals with a relatively lower level of education are more likely to reject anthropogenic causes for climate change as well as human evolution [4]. The largest percentage of the American public who believe that evolution had no role in the development of modern humans are those that had achieved less than a high school degree or are 50+ years old [4]. With respect to climate change, while 64% of people surveyed in 2016 show the most concern about anthropogenic climate change, this has increased by 9% within the last year, but remained nearly constant between 2000 and 2015 [4]. A 2014 Gallup poll reports 41% of college graduates surveyed accept evolution, compared to 27% of high school graduates [5]. The varying beliefs among the American populus over key scientific conclusions demonstrate that scientific literacy, and understanding of modern science, is coupled with education level [6].
Planetary science represents an area of science that will likely yield knowledge of national and global importance within the next several decades, on a variety of issues including, but not limited to: global climate change, the tracking of near Earth objects, and the effect of the Sun and space weather on our technologically-dependent society. Although there may be a high-level of public support for space exploration, the public understanding and engagement on the results of such current exploration endeavors is underwhelming.
In order to bridge the educational and socioeconomic barriers of engagement in planetary science, we must pursue new avenues of education and outreach. In the past two decades there have been several new outreach efforts which have been demonstrably successful, such as including student-run instruments on the International Space Station, GRAIL spacecraft, and New Horizons spacecraft [7-9]. Missions, such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), host a way for the public to suggest their own imaging targets [10].
Summary
Ultimately, the onus is on us, the scientists, engineers, and managers who are on this mission of exploration, to include the public as much as possible. Over the next 50 years, it will mean pushing the boundaries of our typical levels of exposure. In order to increase engagement among those communities with less exposure to science, we will need to go to venues previously unvisited by participants in planetary science. More of us, as science representatives, will need to build professional working relationships with the staff members of museums and schools, as well as journalists throughout the U.S. Care will have to be taken to see to it that access to our interaction is either free or inexpensive.
The next century of planetary science will bring perspective-jarring breakthroughs of understanding, even with little to no public engagement. Engaging the public, however, will leverage our success to 1) secure more funding, 2) ensure that the U.S. voting public is increasingly more scientifically literate, as well as 3) lay the foundation for the future of interest in planetary science. Finally, it is our responsibility to share knowledge with as many people as possible. We will need to push the boundaries of communication as well as the boundaries of technology and understanding, over the next century.
References: [1] Pew Research Center, Survey conducted January 7-11, 2015. [2] National Opinion Research Center’s General Social Survey. [3] Pew Research Center, Survey conducted August 27 – October 4, 2015. Q70. [4] Saad, L. and Jones, J.M., U.S. Concern About Global Warming at Eight-Year High, Gallup, Survey conducted March 16, 2016. [5] Newport, F., In U.S., 42% Believe Creationist View of Human Origins, Gallup, Survey conducted June 2, 2014. [6] Pew Research Center, Survey conducted May 10 – June 2016. [7] Dodson, H., et al, The EarthKAM project: creating space imaging tools for teaching and learning, Computers & Geosciences 26.6 (2000): 683-691. [8] Flammer, K. R., and S. Ride. “MoonKAM-Education and Public Outreach for NASA’s GRAIL Mission.” AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. Vol. 1. 2010. [9] Horanyi, M., et al. “The student dust counter on the new horizons mission.” Space Science Reviews 140.1-4 (2008): 387-402. [10] Lawrence, S.J., et al., “PREPARING TO SCOUT THE NEXT FRONTIER: HARDWARE AND OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS EN- COUNTERED DURING TARGETING OF THE LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER CAMERA NARROW ANGLE CAMERAS,” 40th LPSC, 2009, Abstract 2316.