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The National Science Board released its Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 report at a White House event January 18. Issued every two years, the report is an authoritative source of U.S. and international data about R&D spending, higher education, and workforce development.

Of special interest to those in the informal science education community is Chapter 7, Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding. Among the highlights:

"Television and the Internet are the primary sources Americans use for science and technology (S&T) information. The Internet is the main source of information for learning about specific scientific issues such as global climate change or biotechnology.

• More Americans select television as their primary source of S&T information than any other medium.
• The Internet ranks second among sources of S&T information,and its margin over other sources is large and has been growing."

"In 2008, a majority of Americans said they had visited an informal science institution such as a zoo or a natural history museum within the past year. This proportion is generally consistent with results from surveys conducted since 1979, but slightly lower than the proportion recorded in 2001. Americans with more formal education are much more likely to engage in informal science activities. Compared with the United States, visits to informal science institutions tend to be less common in Europe, Japan,China, Russia, and Brazil."

The report is available here: www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/