Science and Magic: Mexicans Choose Both

Abstract

In Mexico, magical beliefs go hand in hand with strong faith in science, a recent survey of public perception of science and technology shows. The study, compiled by the country's National Council on Science and Technology and the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, found that a large percentage of Mexicans believe in homeopathy, acupuncture, lucky numbers, and ESP. About 38% agree that “space vehicles from other civilizations” visit Earth. At the same time, most Mexicans surveyed also said the country needs more researchers, and more than eight in 10 agreed that they depend too much on faith over science. “In developing nations, there is a greater tendency to believe in magic of various kinds,” says Jon Miller, director of the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Miller, who wrote many of the survey questions used, says acceptance of both science and religion is highest in developing countries. “They tend to view them as separate issues,” he says. Mexicans both fear and respect scientists, the survey showed: 57% of people interviewed agreed that “due to their knowledge, scientific researchers have power that makes them dangerous.”