Thread by @pashulman

I think this is a really interesting question and things have clearly changed, but I'm not sure the premise is entirely correct.

For example, were all Americans excited about going to the Moon? No. This poll is from 1967, two years before Apollo 11. Going to the moon is "not worth it" by 20 points.

Nearly a year after the first moon landing (and half a year after the second), the results are nearly the same.

In 1972, 58% of respondents said to reduce or end the moon missions altogether.

What about polio? As you might have heard, Americans were also wary of vaccines in the 1950s. The percentages saying they wouldn't take the miracle Salk vaccine declined between 1955 and 1956, but not by a lot!

And anyway, there remained a whole lot of holdouts. What eradicated polio was ensuring that kids had to take the vaccine. Then they grew up.

Computers? Even in the early 80s, when most Americans thought they were a net good, plenty weren't sure.

Respecting scientists? Pretty good numbers in 1973! But plenty who could only muster "some respect" (and a few "not much respect").

But by 1979, could Americans trust what experts like scientists said? 42% said they could not!

So there has long been a strain of Americans who didn't trust scientists or what they did. The numbers looked different depending on the question and the context, and politics (or at least, ideology) was certainly in play.

So what has changed? I think it's a complex question. But the obvious changes are in our media and political system: the internet and social media have made it easy for once marginal voices to get traction, and partisan media amplifies in a hyperpartisan political moment.

There's obviously much more at play: our costly healthcare system has added all sorts of skepticism and distrust of the entire medical system and those who profit from it.

But anyway I think Americans have changed less than the contexts we operate in.