What Role Should Chemistry Education Play in Addressing Societal Trust of Applications of Chemistry?

Abstract

Among the sciences, the position of chemistry in communicating beneficial applications is often fraught with the challenge of applying fundamental concepts to complex real-world situations. This tension is playing out at present as people are accessing a variety of sources, some much less reliable than others, in their decision making about whether to trust emerging vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. This editorial speaks to the need to address the issue of differences in the public trust about different aspects of chemistry. A disparity of trust among many members of the general public between long-familiar consumer products, such as the glues and adhesives being featured in National Chemistry Week in 2020, and new and arguably more complex applications in confronting the current pandemic calls for a response from chemistry educators.