Society is increasingly dependent on science and technology. It is essential for the well-being of our society that all citizens develop an appreciation of science, the benefits of technology, and the potential risks associated with advances in both. Citizens must gain "science literacy." Science literacy does not require detailed knowledge of any particular field, but rather a broad appreciation and understanding of what science is capable of achieving and, equally important, what science cannot accomplish. Science literacy is necessary for the democratic process to work. I make a distinction between scientific literacy, expertise in a particular field, and science literacy, a broad appreciation and understanding of science and its practitioners, and of what science is capable of achieving and what it cannot accomplish. Science literacy enlightens and enables people to make informed choices, to be skeptical, and to reject shams, quackery, unproven conjecture, and to avoid being bamboozled into making foolish decisions where matters of science and technology are concerned. The level of science literacy in any society is a measure of its values.  Science literacy is for everyone -- chemists, artists, humanists, all professionals, the general public, youth and adults alike. We must commit to promote literacy in science among the general public and to attract future generations to careers in research, teaching, and public service.

Public engagement and science literacy

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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