[AMGoff]

So I was browsing through the archives of the National Science Foundation when I came across some pretty shocking (to me at least) little factoids regarding our citizenry's understanding of (some being very basic) science fundamentals.

Did you know that...

1 out of 5 Americans think that the center of the Earth is not hot.

1 out of 5 think the continents aren't moving, haven't moved, nor will not continue to move.

Nearly 1 out of 4 (24%) think the Sun goes around the Earth and that nearly 1 out of 2 (45%) think it takes less than a year for the Earth to go around the Sun.

Nearly 1 out of 4 (24%) think sound travels faster than light.

More than 1 out of 2 (55%) think lasers work by focusing sound waves.

Nearly 1 out of 2 (44%) think antibiotics kill viruses along with bacteria.

Nearly 1 out of 3 (30%) think all radioactivity is man-made.

Nearly 1 out of 2 (47%) think electrons are larger than atoms.

More than 1 out of 2 (55%) cannot describe in their own words what DNA is.

Nearly 4 out of 5 (78%) cannot describe in their own words what a molecule is.

** 2 out of 3 do not think the universe began with a "big bang."

** Nearly 3 out 5 (57%) do not think human beings evolved from earlier species.

(** I can only assume that such low numbers for the last two statistics are due in large part to many people's respective religious beliefs.)


Now granted... I realize that some of the questions asked are a little more involved and probably require an overall higher understanding of science, such as - molecules, atoms, DNA, radioactivity, etc.. (albeit, still no more advanced than a high-school level science class). However, something like 1/4 Americans not knowing the Earth revolves around the Sun or that nearly half of Americans don't know it takes the Earth a year to go around the Sun is downright shocking...

With that said, I do find one thing to be slightly comforting (and amusing)... Even though it seems like much of the world loves to stereotype Americans as being stupid, ignorant, etc... It appears that Europeans don't have much to brag about - Using the same questions on the survey posed to the citizens of 12 European countries, Americans scored higher than all but one - The Netherlands (and only by .5%).

The dimmest of all the countries surveyed?

Portugal.

I suppose relative to the rest of the (Western, at least) world... We're not so dumb after all. :thumbsup:

 

[[email protected]]

I've seen a worldwide survey of average citizen IQ's (a more useful test than the pure science related stuff in that report) from 2006 and Hong Kong is the highest ( 108 ), followed by Singapore, with the UK much further down the list at 100 and the US below that at 98 but still a long way ahead of most nations. Basically 96-102 seems to be the average for most industrialised nations so everyone's roughly the same.


The problem seems to be too many of the dumber members of all countries having internet access.

If you judged nations by YouTube comments we're all doomed...

 

[72186]

Fact. Every youtube user is either a retard or a troll. I am the latter.

 

[77CDV]

People in general are not bright. I know; I deal with the public all day.

 

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

People in general are not bright. I know; I deal with the public all day.

Yeah, me too. I got in a fight with a customer today because she thought that because there was a $10.27 sticker on the far left of the shelf that every item on the shelf was that price. She grabbed a $40 mp3 player and seriously thought it was $10.27 even though the $40 was clearly marked. :hmm:

 

[77CDV]

It's all the uncontrolled breeding. When idiots are allowed to reproduce, you get idiot children, who go on to make more. Soon, you're overrun with simpletons. Not allowing people to suffer the full consequences of their stupidity hasn't helped.

 

[orconn]

Considering the functional illiteracy rate in this country and the high school dropout rate in many areas of the U.S., the above quoted test results are not surprising. To be honest given the state of American and European secondary education I am surprised that the percentages displaying the above cited ignorance weren't higher both here and in Europe.

 

[93DevilleUSMC]

No shit? Look who we put in office last year.

 

[Blackout]

If you want to see the future of the human race then you need to see a movie called idiocracy

 

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

Isn't there a fact somewhere that like 15% (not confirmed) of people do not believe the holocaust happened? Its not that they aren't educated, its that they seriously believe it was all a hoax and it never really happened.

 

[77CDV]

Kind of like the folks who think the moon landing was done on a Hollywood sound stage.

 

[93DevilleUSMC]

Kind of like the folks who think the moon landing was done on a Hollywood sound stage.

These ar the same ones who think the Twin Towers were destroyed by remote controlled bombs and missiles. :alchi:

 

[77CDV]

Oh, yeah, it was "an inside job." :cookoo:

 

[dkozloski]

Everybody knows that George Bush did it. He's the dumbest man in history but managed to fool all the experts on this one.

 

[billc83]

I forget the exact statistic, but a shocking amount of people believe the Earth has seasons (spring,summer, autumn, winter) because the Earth is closer to the sun during the summer, thus making it hotter. :banghead:

I'll let Bill Nye field this one:
[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YUrxRhQYdO4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YUrxRhQYdO4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Submariner409]

I wonder when Mr. Obama will create the Cabinet "Office of Handicapper General" ? That bureaucracy would be armed with legal power to reduce, by physical or drug means, everyone to the lowest common denominator so that no one could feel physically or mentally superior to anyone else. No competition or creativeness will be permitted. Our public schools are already halfway there.............

 

[MauiV]

Think of how stupid the average person is, now consider that half are even stupider than that.

I think many peoples lack of scientific knowledge comes from a very strict religious upbringing/education. Plate tectonics, dinosaurs, evolution etc etc are not even included in MANY classrooms.

The US has the 2nd highest rate of literal belief in the Genesis version of creation in the industrialized world behind only Turkey.

 

[72186]

^Some people take Genesis literally because they fail to realize that that story was written to convey very complex things to very simple people.

 

[77CDV]

I forget the exact statistic, but a shocking amount of people believe the Earth has seasons (spring,summer, autumn, winter) because the Earth is closer to the sun during the summer, thus making it hotter. :banghead:

Considering axial tilt, they're sorta right, in a relative manner, as their part of the earth is closer to the sun in the summer. I guess it all depends on what the definition of "earth" is.:stirpot:

 

[Submariner409]

Don't forget, also, that earth's orbit around the Sun is ellipsoid, and earth is actually closer to the Sun during our Northern Hemisphere winter.