CYPRUS has one of the highest levels of interest in science and technology among EU candidate countries but scores at the low end in terms of scientific knowledge, according to a newly-released European Commission Eurobarometer study of scientific attitudes in EU candidate countries.
The survey, which questioned 12,247 people in 13 countries – 500 in Cyprus – also showed that young men in Cyprus and Hungary were the most likely to value science across the candidate countries, whereas older women in Turkey and Bulgaria were the least likely to do so.
However, when asked to answer ‘true’ or ‘false’ to 13 assertions on a range of scientific questions, Cypriots came second to bottom, only scoring higher than Turkey, with Central European candidate countries scoring top.
Indeed, Cypriots seemed to be at either end of the spectrum throughout the survey, rarely placing among the average in a category.
Scientific and technological interest in Cyprus is highest of the candidate countries with 58 per cent of those surveyed claiming to take an interest, followed by 53 per cent in Hungary and Malta. The lowest level of interest (22 per cent) came from Turkey.
Cypriots were also the least likely to be superstitious and one of the least likely to oppose animal testing, with only 41 per cent believing in lucky numbers, and 73 per cent saying it they saw no problem with testing on animals for the sake of scientific development.
In Cyprus, more people agree than in any other candidate country that their journalists do not have a sufficient background to report on science. Only 14 per cent have faith in journalists to report on science.
The survey also made important comparisons between EU member states and candidate countries. While the former were better equipped with scientific and technological information, the latter seemed to place more of a value on such institutions.
“People are more optimistic about science in the candidate countries than in current Member States,” European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said. “They are more confident in the capacity of science and technology to build a better future.”
But while Cyprus showed an above-average interest in the sciences, the island still showed a degree of scepticism, with 84 per cent of Cypriots saying that science was changing our way of life too fast, and 70 per cent disapproving of the way in which science had replaced faith.
