"Why do people say that they trust scientists in general but part company with them on specific issues?" I don't think that's necessarily the case. The cited s

"Why do people say that they trust scientists in general but part company with them on specific issues?" I don't think that's necessarily the case. The cited study only suggests that people trust scientists more than leaders of business or government. That might not be a very high level of trust. I would rather suppose that people do not trust anybody very much unless they know them personally. To really convince a person of the contrary, he must grasp or experience it for himself. The problem with scientific publications is that a lot of prior knowledge, preparation and work is required to really understand the reasoning behind the findings. Only that way, one can confidently reject or approve the scientific statement. Alas, most people are untrained and too disconnected from the subject.