The Science of Aging Gracefully: Scientists and the Public Talk about Aging Research

Publication Date: December 2005

Publisher: Public Agenda Foundation; Alliance for Aging Research; American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)

Author(s): Ana Maria Arumi; John Immerwahr; Lucyann Barry; Alison Kadlic

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

This study examines the views of scientists who study aging and compares them to the broader public. Scientists say the field is on the threshold of a new way of thinking, shifting focus from specific illnesses to searching to understand aging itself as a biological process. The report suggests that many of the scientists' concerns about the public's understanding of these issues emanate from political arguments or media coverage rather than actual public opinion at large. For example, researchers are generally pessimistic about public support for funding, but the research suggests the public seems to be far more supportive of basic aging research than the official political voices might lead scientists to believe.