Scientists are out of this world. Or at least this is how they are regarded by regular people. Or the other way around might as well apply. The general public and scientists seem to think differently when it comes to common sense issues, such as what is good, what is bad, what should our fears be or whether we should agree with the animal testing.

The Pew Research Centre published the results of a new poll in which they examined the mindsets of about 3,700 scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and comparing them to answers, opinions and attitudes regarding various issues, belonging to over 2,000 normal people.

Before enumerating the subjects regular people and scientists don’t agree on, let’s talk about what they agree on. First of all it’s the International Space Station that everybody believes to be a great investment. Secondly, everybody agrees on the need to use more bioengineered fuel  and on the fact that the K-12 level isn’t what it should be.

The issues regular people and scientists don’t agree on involve matters like climate change, world population, vaccination, evolution, animal testing and genetically modified food.

87% of scientists believe human activity is to blame for global warming, only 50% of regular people agree. 89% of scientists feel that the the increasing number of the world population is a menace, while only 59% of regular people share this opinion.

Moreover scientists believe more in vaccinating our children, on the theory according to which we evolved rather than being created, and animal testing, which 89% of scientists approve of. The biggest mentality gap involved genetically modified foods, with which 37% of the general public approves, compared to 88% of scientists, who think this type of food is absolutely safe to consume.

But nevertheless the biggest gap between the two responding groups regards education and race. All the AAAS scientists involved in the poll are well-educated, with 72% holding one Ph.D. In contrast, only around 40% of the regular folks had even completed a bachelor’s degree, while almost 35 % of  them had no college education whatsoever.

But nevertheless scientists are of the opinion that unless they don’t start really winning over the general public, serious problems are likely to occur in the future.