Science

Overall, around four-in-ten Americans say their local community has experienced severe weather in the past year, a May survey found.

A median of 68% across 19 countries think their country has done a good job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, with majorities saying this in every country surveyed except Japan. However, most also believe the pandemic has created greater divisions in their societies and exposed weaknesses in their political systems – and these view are especially common in the U.S.

Overall, two-thirds of Americans support providing incentives to increase the use of electric and hybrid vehicles.

While the total number of U.S. births declined at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, the number of births at home rose.

Several climate policies receive bipartisan support, despite Republicans and Democrats differing on the overall approach.

Americans offer a lackluster evaluation of how the country has balanced priorities during the coronavirus outbreak. Fewer than half say the country has given the right amount of priority to the needs of K-12 students, public health or quality of life.

Increasing representation in science is seen as important for attracting more Hispanic people to science.

Public concern about addiction is down even in the parts of the U.S. where drug overdose death rates have increased the most.

Yet renewable sources, like wind and solar, remain Americans’ overall priority for domestic production.

As has often been the case on policy questions about how to deal with the pandemic, partisans are far apart in their views on mask mandates.