Abstract
In this brief, author Lawrence Hamilton explores the results of a nationwide 2025 survey that asked over 1,000 people whether they agreed with conspiratorial claims such as government control of hurricanes, flat Earth, or faked Moon landings. Mixed in with the conspiracy questions were others asking about agreement with basic scientific facts such as Earth orbiting the Sun. Nine to 38 percent agreed with the conspiracies whereas 40 to 75 percent agreed with the science; many others were unsure.
Generation and political identity both correlate with conspiracism. Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z respondents more often agreed with conspiratorial statements; Harris voters were significantly less conspiratorial than Trump, third-party, or nonvoters. Information sources also make a difference: people who seek science information through social media or artificial intelligence (AI) programs hold more conspiratorial views than those consulting search engines, Wikipedia, or science articles.
Comparison of these 2025 results with an earlier 2021 survey that asked some of the same questions found minor shifts, leaning toward greater support for conspiracies or less for science. This two-survey comparison along with generational, political, and social-media/AI patterns all suggest a growing role for conspiracism and weakening regard for science in U.S. public life. Individuals can counter these trends by actively learning to spot differences between science-based information and other claims that are wrong or intentionally misleading, and by sharing their insights in interpersonal or public discussions. Broader progress against conspiracism calls for enacting public policy measures that encourage robust media fact-checking, and laws against presenting AI fabrications as real.
Department
Carsey School of Public Policy
Publication Date
Summer 8-6-2025
Series
Perspectives Brief
Publisher
Durham, N.H. : Carsey School of Public Policy, University of New Hampshire
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, Lawrence C., "Can the Government Control Hurricanes? New Survey Results on Conspiracies and Science" (2025). Carsey School of Public Policy. 560.
https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/560
Rights
© 2025. University of New Hampshire. All rights reserved.