Over half of Americans gave no response to the phrase scientific research.

Evidence

A recent study by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences reports that, when asked what comes to mind when they hear the phrase “scientific research,” 52 percent of study participants were unable to give any response at all. Project that into the future, recognizing that the peril is not just ignorance—itself a fatal incapacity when science is crucial for meeting catastrophic situations like climate change—but rejection of support for science altogether. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 384

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: the exact study, sample, and year, since the statistic is striking but undated.