Science and Culture Today | Discovering Design in Nature

Today

War on the Founding: New Book by John West

_{David Klinghoffer
March 2, 2026
4
Faith & Science}

At the present moment, defending the Declaration as our creed puts you on a collision course with some very influential people.

The Incredible “Floating” Human Knee Joint

_{Stuart Burgess
March 2, 2026
5
Anatomy}

I fully agree with Nathan Lents that the evolutionary paradigm predicts the knee should be a very poor design

Postcard from North Carolina

_{Brian Miller
March 2, 2026
3
Faith & Science}

Skepticism should be a last resort rather than a starting point. If truth is knowable, we should pursue it as our highest priority.

Science, the Bible, and America’s Creed

_{John G. West
March 3, 2026
8
Political Science}

When a wrong turn has been made, sometimes going back is the best way forward. If we want to restore America to health, we need to relearn the creed.

A Transitional “Missing Link” for Giraffes? Nope

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 28, 2026
2
Evolution}

The giraffe’s fossil record reflects a pattern of abrupt appearance rather than the infinitesimally small variations.

ID Critic Is Still Stuck on Old Talking Points

_{Jonathan McLatchie
February 27, 2026
7
Intelligent Design}

With DNA replication, it is unclear what other systems any of the components might be co-opted from.

Good News: Young People Are Skeptical of AI

_{Peter Biles
February 27, 2026
3
Computational Sciences}

ChatGPT. Every student uses it to write papers. So goes the pervading fear, that is.

ID the Future

with Andrew McDiarmid

Discovering Interoception, The Body’s Internal Dialogue

_{2181
David Coppedge
March 2, 2026}

On this episode of ID the Future, host Andrew McDiarmid sits down with freelance science reporter David Coppedge to explore the fascinating and emerging field of interoception. Unlike our five external senses or proprioception (the awareness of our limbs in space), interoception involves the constant internal communication between our organs and the brain. While much of this signaling happens unconsciously, it’s vital in maintaining homeostasis, that dynamic equilibrium that allows our bodies to function under varying conditions. In this discussion, Coppedge delves into the intricate mechanics behind this internal dialogue, highlighting the role of Piezo proteins—receptors that translate physical pressure into electrical signals via calcium ions. As an example of interoception in action, Coppedge explains how the gut functions effectively as a “second brain,” utilizing a massive network of neurons to decide between “attack mode” against pathogens and “repair mode” for healing. By viewing the body as a system of systems, says Coppedge, rather than a collection of isolated organs, researchers are able to uncover new details of the stunning layers of engineering in the human body.

Jonathan Bartlett on the Growing Evidence of Designed Mutations

_{2180
Jonathan Bartlett
February 27, 2026}

On a classic episode of ID the Future out of the vault, host and evolutionary biologist Jonathan McLatchie sits down with software R&D engineer Jonathan Bartlett to discuss Bartlett’s work on the question of when genetic mutations are random versus directed. Bartlett explains that the issue isn’t an all-or-nothing affair. Often a given biological system dramatically limits the search space of possible mutations in useful ways, and then within that much more limited set of possible mutations, random processes are at play. He gives the example of antibody mutations. He argues that many biological systems show considerable evidence of having been beneficially designed for directed mutations. Why, then, are many mutations deleterious? He also has an answer for that. Tune in to learn …

Long Necks and Tall Tales: Why Samotherium Isn’t Missing Link

_{2179
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
February 25, 2026}

How did the giraffe get its long neck? It sounds like the beginning of a children’s bedtime story, and it certainly has been that. But it’s also a matter of serious scientific debate, and the debate continues today. On this installment of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his two-part discussion correcting claims of giraffe evolution with retired geneticist Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig. In Part 2, Dr. Lönnig challenges the prevailing narrative that the fossil Samotherium major serves as a transitional “missing link” in giraffe evolution. Lönnig argues that this evolutionary interpretation is contradicted by the facts. Instead, he identifies Samotherium as a “mosaic form,” an organism possessing a combination of fully developed and basic traits that do not unequivocally connect it to the modern long-necked giraffe. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation.

Latest Videos

How High-Tech in Your Cells Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
February 2, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Do you know that the cells inside you are filled with high-tech features and devices? And that they point to God? A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

How Logic Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 26, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Does logic point to… God?!!! A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

How to Build a Baby

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 21, 2026
Intelligent Design
Secrets of the Human Body}

In this episode of Secrets of the Human Body, join medical doctor Howard Glicksman and systems engineer Steve Laufmann as they investigate the intricate systems required to build a human baby.

…

How Common Sense Points to God

_{The Center for Science and Culture
January 19, 2026
Intelligent Design
God Proofs}

Does common sense point to… God?!!! A short animated video inspired by the graphic novel The God Proofs: How Science Points to YOUR Creator by Doug Ell for young teens and above.

…

Intelligent Design

ID Critic Is Still Stuck on Old Talking Points

_{Jonathan McLatchie
February 27, 2026
7
Intelligent Design}

With DNA replication, it is unclear what other systems any of the components might be co-opted from.

Origins, Destiny, and Intelligent Design

_{Eric Hedin
February 25, 2026
5
Intelligent Design}

Apart from an intelligent designer, “…we are forced to believe that nucleic acids eventually acquire awareness of their own existence when they are mixed.”

Can the Flagellum Get Any Better? Yes! Add Gears

_{David Coppedge
February 24, 2026
9
Intelligent Design}

The bacterial flagellum is more souped-up than even Michael Behe thought: it’s a gear-driven motor of motors!

Repetitive “Junk” DNA Stores Integer Variables?

_{Casey Luskin
February 22, 2026
8
Intelligent Design}

This opens up a world of potential functions for repetitive DNA that open-minded scientists can consider.

Historical Sciences

Origin of Life

For Complex Life, Just Add Fertilizer

_{David Coppedge
January 23, 2026
8
Evolution}

You may have all the ingredients you want, in the right quantities, but without a builder, nothing functionally complex will emerge.

The Messy Reality of Prebiotic Chemistry

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 15, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

The interview explores the professional risks faced by scientists who question the standard evolutionary paradigm.

Organic Chemistry Without Intelligence

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 13, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

While amino acids can be produced in experiments or found on meteorites, they are often consumed by side reactions that create non-living tar.

Evolution

A Transitional “Missing Link” for Giraffes? Nope

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 28, 2026
2
Evolution}

The giraffe’s fossil record reflects a pattern of abrupt appearance rather than the infinitesimally small variations.

When Can I Trust Scientists About Evolution?

_{Rob Stadler
February 3, 2026
4
Evolution}

The most commonly cited areas of evidence in favor of common ancestry include the fossil record and homology.

Irreducible Intelligence

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 28, 2026
2
Evolution}

The more an environment is tuned to amplify probability, the more improbable that environment becomes, requiring further explanation.

Paleontology

Giraffes and the Fossil Record: Bad News

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 26, 2026
2
Paleontology}

Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig highlights the discrepancies in the fossil record that cause the traditional Darwinian narrative to unravel.

Huayuan: Major Cambrian Fossil Site Found in China

_{David Coppedge
February 9, 2026
9
Paleontology}

Another Cambrian fossil site that rivals the original Burgess Shale has been announced to the world.

No. 4 Story: Farewell to Günter Bechly

_{David Klinghoffer
December 29, 2025
8
Paleontology}

I told Richard Sternberg a story from own experience. I learned about more than paleontology from Bechly.

Cosmology

Fine-Tuning and the Infinite Multiverse

_{Bruce Gordon
February 27, 2026
9
Cosmology}

An endless multiverse is a context in which every outcome occurs infinitely many times, rendering calculations of probability ill-defined.

Response to a Chorus of Critical “Carrollers”

_{Bruce Gordon
February 18, 2026
10
Physics}

Using Sean Carroll’s criticisms of the fine-tuning argument as a general guide, I propose to address objections to that argument.

Fine-Tuning Argument and Its Cultured Despisers

_{Bruce Gordon
February 13, 2026
18
Scientific Reasoning}

Carroll is a prolific physicist and cosmologist who has been a prominent popularizer of science.

Human Origins

Yunxian Skulls Abruptly Reassigned

_{Casey Luskin
February 24, 2026
10
Human Origins and Anthropology}

As Günter Bechly used to wryly observe, human evolution is a subject that is constantly being “rewritten,” often accompanied by much media fanfare.

Gulf Between Ape-Like and Human Grows Wider

_{Jonathan Witt
February 23, 2026
1
Human Origins and Anthropology}

This trend supports the traditional view that humans were uniquely designed rather than evolving willy-nilly from ape-like ancestors.

Supposed Fusion Site Contains Expressed Genes

_{Casey Luskin
February 16, 2026
8
Human Origins and Anthropology}

Human chromosomal fusion has often been cited as strong evidence supporting human-ape common ancestry. It’s not.

Archaeology

More Discoveries Point to Neanderthal Intelligence

_{Denyse O’Leary
December 5, 2024
5
Archaeology}

This very ancient people we know the most about can’t be the missing link that many paleontologists are looking for.

The Joy of (Neanderthal) Cooking

_{Denyse O’Leary
July 30, 2024
5
Archaeology}

The Darwinian account of the human race would be much easier to believe in good faith if scientists could point to a clearly inferior and clearly human being.

Dallas Conference: Archaeology & the Life of Jesus

_{Titus Kennedy
January 19, 2024
1
Archaeology}

My presentation will explore archaeological discoveries illuminating a major event in the life of Jesus — his trial in Jerusalem.

History of Science

Meyer at the Doors of the Cavendish Lab

_{David Klinghoffer
January 27, 2026
1
History of Science}

Even these atheist scientists recognized that beauty was a marker that pointed to truth in their field, in which they too could take pleasure.

Science Before the Rise of Modern Science

_{William A. Dembski
October 27, 2025
25
History of Science}

An interview with Winston Ewert about his fascinating new book on the interaction between science and faith before Copernicus.

Darwin as a Prefiguration of Postmodern Man

_{Neil Thomas
August 25, 2025
17
History of Science}

Whether we like it or not, Erasmus Darwin’s simple and predictable world is no more, and we now find ourselves subject to a profoundly mysterious cosmos.

Geology

As an Idea, the “Anthropocene” Era Is Dead

_{Science and Culture
November 25, 2025
3
Geology}

In a world where pundits regularly accuse us all of being too anthropocentric, the naming of a new geological epoch would enshrine that view forever in science.

The Wonders of a Hard Mineral

_{David Coppedge
September 5, 2025
11
Geology}

Explore the features of a remarkable mineral erupted from volcanoes that is found in our teeth. How did it get there?

Plate Tectonics and Scientific Discovery

_{Guillermo Gonzalez
September 3, 2024
4
Geology}

Plate tectonics is important for advanced life in multiple ways and planets with plate tectonics are very rare.

Life Sciences

Fireweed: An Example of Intelligent Latent Design

_{Eric Hedin
February 5, 2025
7
Life Sciences}

The photo with fireweed in the foreground at the top of this article was taken by my father, Robert Hedin, at Mount Shuksan in Washington State.

Biological Information in Static Electricity

_{David Coppedge
December 5, 2024
5
Life Sciences}

The influence of static charge in pollination is one demonstrable case — not only for bees, but for moths and hummingbirds as well.

Plant Missile Technology: A Peek in the Armory

_{David Coppedge
December 2, 2024
5
Life Sciences}

Ballistic missiles are common in plants and fungi. Take a look at how they launch their payloads.

Neuroscience

When the Mind is Freed from the Brain

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 4, 2026
3
Neuroscience & Mind}

The strong dependency of mind on brain that gets us through everyday life no longer seems to apply when we come to death and dying.

An Evening with Michael Egnor at Cornell

_{Tom Winkler
February 3, 2026
3
Neuroscience & Mind}

The talk itself provides the basis for the Q&A, so it is worth listening to. But for a real treat, don’t miss the exchange afterward. It is golden.

Terminal Lucidity Shows Indestructible Personhood

_{Andrew McDiarmid
February 2, 2026
3
Neuroscience & Mind}

Why would the human mind sometimes appear strongest when the brain is weakest? We begin a two-part conversation discussing the phenomenon of terminal lucidity.

Medicine

When Doctors’ Faith Loses to Bureaucratic Power

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 30, 2026
3
Medicine}

In Canada, the family of a euthanized woman, forced to leave a Catholic hospital to be killed, is seeking to compel Catholic hospitals to permit euthanasia.

For MAHA’s Sake, Don’t Eliminate Animal Research

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 7, 2026
5
Medicine}

Years ago, Dr. Edward Taub hypothesized that brain function could exhibit greater plasticity than it was believed at the time.

From C. S. Lewis, Prophetic Warnings on Scientism

_{Andrew McDiarmid
December 6, 2025
2
Medicine}

What happens when science leaves human values behind? Or when governments become beholden to scientists?

Biology

Biology (and Cosmology) as Footnotes to Plato

_{Michael Flannery
February 24, 2026
8
Philosophy}

An important book by Wynand de Beer recaptures the wisdom of the ages and puts it into service not only of science, but of history, philosophy, and religion.

Can the Flagellum Get Any Better? Yes! Add Gears

_{David Coppedge
February 24, 2026
9
Intelligent Design}

The bacterial flagellum is more souped-up than even Michael Behe thought: it’s a gear-driven motor of motors!

Ultimate Engineering Challenges Maverick Biologist

_{Brian Miller
February 18, 2026
4
Biology}

Levin faces a measure problem analogous to that in cosmology, resulting from the optimality of biological designs.

Physical Sciences

Physics

Fine-Tuning and the Infinite Multiverse

_{Bruce Gordon
February 27, 2026
9
Cosmology}

An endless multiverse is a context in which every outcome occurs infinitely many times, rendering calculations of probability ill-defined.

Foundational Evidence for Intelligent Design

_{Eric Hedin
February 26, 2026
9
Physics}

For almost the last 40 years, I have understood the truth of Gange’s statement based on its foundation in well-established laws of physics.

Response to a Chorus of Critical “Carrollers”

_{Bruce Gordon
February 18, 2026
10
Physics}

Using Sean Carroll’s criticisms of the fine-tuning argument as a general guide, I propose to address objections to that argument.

Chemistry

The Messy Reality of Prebiotic Chemistry

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 15, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

The interview explores the professional risks faced by scientists who question the standard evolutionary paradigm.

Organic Chemistry Without Intelligence

_{Andrew McDiarmid
January 13, 2026
2
Origin of Life}

While amino acids can be produced in experiments or found on meteorites, they are often consumed by side reactions that create non-living tar.

When Science Degenerates into a Spoils System

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 2, 2025
5
Scientific Freedom}

Chemistry professor Anna Krylov forces us to look at that in discouraging detail.

Astronomy

Should Mysterious Signals Be Attributed to ET?

_{David Coppedge
January 27, 2026
4
Astronomy}

Intelligent design advocates agree that you don’t infer intelligence until there is sufficient reason to reject chance and natural law.

Astrobiology as a Secular Quest for Meaning

_{Denyse O’Leary
November 13, 2025
6
Astronomy}

I don’t think this stuff does any harm — as long as it is understood as drama and not given undue importance in science or philosophy.

Rights for Planets, Moons, and Space Microbes?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 29, 2025
3
Planetology}

The ultimate purpose in granting such rights would be to disincentivize investments in space exploration and keep us Gaia-bound.

Fine-Tuning

New Paper Defends Fine-Tuning Argument

_{Jonathan McLatchie
January 14, 2026
11
Fine-tuning}

Fumagalli does not in the end state whether he himself lands on the multiverse hypothesis, cosmic design, or unknown physics as the best explanation.

No. 10 Story: Wiki Co-Founder on Arguments for God

_{Larry Sanger
December 23, 2025
8
Faith & Science}

I was impressed by a lecture by philosopher of science Stephen Meyer, who presented versions of the cosmological argument and the fine-tuning argument.

Beyond Fine-Tuning: Design in the Laws of Nature

_{Brian Miller
December 3, 2025
7
Physics}

There is only one way to explain why our universe is governed by such simple and elegant laws that support life.

Earth Sciences

Geophysics

Aurora Borealis: Scientific and Aesthetic Design

_{Casey Luskin
May 12, 2024
9
Astronomy}

You appreciate the aurora borealis or aurora australis because you were not created by strictly material evolutionary processes.

Geoengineering on an Intelligently Designed Planet

_{Tova Levengood
August 30, 2023
4
Intelligent Design}

Scientists are still discovering how many systems, controls, and other aspects of planetary fine-tuning are in place to ensure that we have abundant life.

No Iron, No Life: Design in Iron Availability

_{Science and Culture
January 25, 2022
9
Biology}

As an exercise, count the number of lucky breaks that had to occur for the evolutionary story to work.

Environment

Great Science Cancellation Continues

_{David Klinghoffer
September 18, 2025
3
Scientific Freedom}

In the domination of science by ideology, by the myth of “settled science,” the stakes couldn’t be more profound.

COSM Will Feature Nobel Laureate John F. Clauser

_{Science and Culture
September 12, 2025
5
Physics}

Discovery Institute’s upcoming COSM 2025 tech conference will feature something a little different.

Put Mother Nature on the Board of Directors?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 9, 2025
6
Ethics}

Nature can’t “own” anything. That’s a human construct. Moreover, nature would be represented by environmental “flesh flake” radicals.

Rare Earth

Study: Geological Habitability Parameters

_{Casey Luskin
August 14, 2024
8
Rare Earth}

One thing that is likely to get some pushback is the study’s claim that modern-style plate tectonics on Earth did not commence until the Neoproterozoic.

Earth and Mars — A Rare Gem and a Sharp Contrast

_{Eric Hedin
August 5, 2024
9
Rare Earth}

Apparently, simple living organisms must exist for eons on a planet before more advanced life can thrive.

Rare Earth: How Vital Minerals “Evolve”

_{David Coppedge
August 29, 2022
4
Rare Earth}

It’s intriguing that life as we know it depends on a seemingly un-natural distribution of minerals.

Planetology

The Search for ETs: Keeping Hope Alive

_{Denyse O’Leary
October 15, 2025
5
Planetology}

The question looms: How much can science avoid facts while retaining the character of science?

Rights for Planets, Moons, and Space Microbes?

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 29, 2025
3
Planetology}

The ultimate purpose in granting such rights would be to disincentivize investments in space exploration and keep us Gaia-bound.

Hope for Mars Life Is Dashed Again

_{David Coppedge
March 4, 2025
1
Planetology}

Subsequent landers discovered a high concentration of perchlorates in the soil. Perchlorates are chlorinated salts, often used in fireworks.

Culture

Human Exceptionalism

Are We Just Animals? A Tempting Delusion

_{J. Budziszewski
February 5, 2026
5
Human Exceptionalism}

Some of my students argue that humans should be wiped off the face of the earth to make room for the other species.

Oregon Law: Goodbye, Burger

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 30, 2026
4
Human Exceptionalism}

In an era where many among us “feel” more than “think,” the potential for such radical proposals becoming law cannot be dismissed out of hand.

Bees Are Granted the Right to Life

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 7, 2026
2
Human Exceptionalism}

It is not as if nature or animals need to be granted rights in order to be protected robustly.

Arts

False Messiah: An Addendum on Darwin and Theism

_{Neil Thomas
October 22, 2025
12
Evolution}

The standpoint of poet John Keats is certainly gaining resonance in our doubt-ridden 21st century. I for one welcome its openness to questioning and wonder.

J. K. Rowling Comes Out Against Assisted Suicide

_{Wesley J. Smith
September 26, 2025
2
Bioethics}

Two of the core tenets of liberalism are (supposed to be) protecting vulnerable people from exploitation and promoting equality among all people.

Darwin, Faust, and the Alchemist: Unexpected Roots

_{Neil Thomas
September 25, 2025
19
Evolution}

Today we would of course brand both Faust and the Alchemist fantasists or “mad scientists” of the first order. Was Darwin prone to such wishful thinking?

Ethics

Good News: Young People Are Skeptical of AI

_{Peter Biles
February 27, 2026
3
Computational Sciences}

ChatGPT. Every student uses it to write papers. So goes the pervading fear, that is.

A Mentally Ill Woman and a Lethal Prescription

_{Wesley J. Smith
February 12, 2026
7
Bioethics}

A troubling look at how systemic gaps enabled a vulnerable woman to obtain lethal drugs unchecked.

Darwinism’s “Pernicious Cultural Implications”

_{Emily Sandico
February 11, 2026
5
Social Sciences}

What are we to make of rationality and creativity, of our awareness of the moral order? In the Judeo-Christian tradition, these markers are elevated.

Social Sciences

Science, the Bible, and America’s Creed

_{John G. West
March 3, 2026
8
Political Science}

When a wrong turn has been made, sometimes going back is the best way forward. If we want to restore America to health, we need to relearn the creed.

Gulf Between Ape-Like and Human Grows Wider

_{Jonathan Witt
February 23, 2026
1
Human Origins and Anthropology}

This trend supports the traditional view that humans were uniquely designed rather than evolving willy-nilly from ape-like ancestors.

Paper Defends Spoken Language in Homo erectus

_{Casey Luskin
February 23, 2026
9
Linguistics}

The first thing that comes to mind in the context of intellectual capabilities is brain size.

Faith and Science

Revisiting Atheism’s Creation Myth

_{Neil Thomas
January 29, 2026
15
Faith & Science}

The fact that Darwin’s evolutionary ideas could not be shown to be scientifically coherent remained for the uncritical a side issue.

Catholicism and Evolution: A Response to Dr. Barr

_{Michael Chaberek, O.P.
January 28, 2026
17
Faith & Science}

These publications are far from telling, in Barr’s words, “the full story of how the Church did react to the theory of evolution.”

New God Proofs Episode: Making Logic Adorable

_{David Klinghoffer
January 26, 2026
1
Faith & Science}

The series for young and old, with its two recurring characters (the smart blue one, the red doubter), develops three foundational truths.

Science Education

“My Public Education Was Ruined,” Weeps Dover Grad

_{David Klinghoffer
January 8, 2026
2
Science Education}

A bit melodramatic, perhaps? Attorney and geologist Casey Luskin, who was present for part of the Dover trial, has this to say.

Creepy Crawly Complexity: The Design of Insects

_{Andrew McDiarmid
December 22, 2025
2
Science Education}

Far from being mere nuisances, these creatures function as tiny engineers that elegantly solve complex problems to sustain global ecosystems.

Myth No. 5: “Discovery Supported Dover Policy”

_{Sarah Chaffee
December 17, 2025
6
Science Education}

Both Judge John E. Jones and the media have promoted the myth that Discovery was somehow behind the events that sparked the case.

Scientific Freedom

The Wrong Tool to Fix Woke Science Journals

_{Wesley J. Smith
May 3, 2025
2}

The government has no business pressuring medical journals about their content — no matter how biased.

Hysteria in the Science Sector Over DOGE

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 30, 2025
4}

Whatever problems now exist for the public medical research funding sector, the disappointing Francis Collins helped create them.

Stand Up for Science or… for Naked Ideology?

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 12, 2025
4}

“Stand Up for Science 2025” protests were clearly aimed at reaffirming control by the now discredited science establishment.

Science Reporting

On the Origin of Our New Name

_{Andrew McDiarmid
September 27, 2025
3
Science Reporting}

First, the conversation delves into the site’s launch in December 2004, when the modern intelligent design movement and the Internet were both relatively new.

On Genetic (Dis)Similarity, Give Credit Where Due

_{David Klinghoffer
September 10, 2025
4
Science Reporting}

Would anyone know that the 1 percent icon has finally fallen, if we hadn’t broken the story? It seems not.

Science Struggles with Reality

_{Denyse O’Leary
August 27, 2025
7
Science Reporting}

There seems to be little relationship between many science writers’ current concerns and the reasons that public trust in science has been steadily declining.