I actually have to defend Dixie here. I haven't seen what these polsters define as "scientist". For example. Engineers are applied scientist and most of the ones I know are intensely conservative. SM's views are pretty representative of most of the Engineers I know. Does this poll only list "academics" as scientist? This would be a specious definition of "scientist" at best and their liberal tendencies would probably more closely related to their being academics then scientist. If you broaden the term "scientist" to include applied scientist such as Engineers, MD's (and other physicians), Geologist, as well as, credentialed theoretical scientist who work outside of academia I bet you'd see poll numbers more representative of the general public. Granted in recent years scientist have been leaving the republican party (I consider myself an applied scientist and have done R&D as well as applied science in my career) in significant numbers but that has also been a trend in the general population as well. I'm not to sure this poll is credible.