Ragazze e ragazzi guardano la scienza: distacco, obbedienza, fiducia? / How do young people see science: detachment, submission, trust?

Confidence in science, social and political principles of science, and requirements of participation are the most important aspects we have investigated in our questionnaire. One of the most important results of our research is that Italian students are confident about science. They also claim that scientists are the main actors in the decision making process and that they have to communicate their results to the society at large because of their reliability. But there is a difference between science as seen as an abstract entity and thus deserving of confidence and reliability, and science 'in action'. For the latter, young people also think that ethical questions and politics have to play a role. Male and female sensibility is not so different, even if in the three surveys little differences between the two are constantly present. This demonstrates that girls are as supportive and sympathetic as boys in relation to science.