Anthony Fauci may be one of America's top doctors, but he is in despair about Americans.

"They just don't believe in science and they don't believe in authority."

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been a prominent public figure during the pandemic. Now that coronavirus deaths have topped 50,000 a day, he is not feeling optimistic. The US is "going in the wrong direction".

But is he right?

There are certainly many Americans unsure about the reliability of science. A recent survey found that 35% believe it can be used to produce "any result a researcher wants".

Views are also strongly divided along political lines. Democrats are more likely to trust science; Republicans more likely to doubt it.

But, in the richest and most advanced economy in the world, why does anti-science thinking have any place at all?

Some say it's a question of freedom. Americans are more passionate about their individual liberties than anyone else. It's not the science they distrust, it's being told what to do. Hence the astonishing videos of people throwing tantrums when asked to wear a face mask.

Others think it's more to do with economic liberty. Many Americans believe in the importance of free markets and disapprove of regulationWhen governments step in to control what (and how) people buy and sell things.. The recommendations of scientists - to impose strict lockdowns, for example - interfere with business.

Then there's religion. Some trace American 'anti-scientism' back to politician William Jennings Bryan. A three-time Democratic candidate for president, Bryan strongly opposed the theory of evolution, arguing it shouldn't be taught in schools.

Anti-scientism is nothing new though. It has been around since the Scientific RevolutionA period lasting from the mid-1500s to the late 1700s, in which modern science - and the scientific method - emerged. The scientific method is based on close observation and scepticism about what is being observed.. The poet William Blake was famously critical of Isaac Newton for having a cold, mechanical view of the world. Mystery and intuition were more important for Blake.

But America was built on trust in science. Thomas JeffersonOne of the founding fathers of America, and its third president. He was also a lawyer and scientist. idolised Isaac Newton. Americans got to the Moon and spearheaded the digital revolutionThe shift to digital technology, such as computers and mobile phones, that began in the second half of the 20th Century..

Unfortunately, yes. "Science is truth," said Fauci. But Americans just don't care. Too many aspects of US culture encourage people to privilege their own opinions or beliefs over scientifically established facts. Most importantly, this is true of Trump's White House. Time and again, it has failed to follow scientific advice in its response to the coronavirus and the US is experiencing the consequences.

No. The fact is, by far the majority of Americans do believe in science. The problem is not what the scientists say. What Americans really can't stand is being forced to do anything against their will. This passionate attachment to independence drives their resistance to gun control; their scepticism about climate change, and the widespread anger about virus control measures.