20% of Americans believe the Sun goes around the Earth!!!

[Noir]

Pretty alarming =/ who are these people?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/science/30profile.html


CHICAGO - When Jon D. Miller looks out across America, which he can almost do from his 18th-floor office at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, he sees a landscape of haves and have-nots - in terms not of money, but of knowledge.

Dr. Jon D. Miller of Northwestern says scientific illiteracy undermines citizens' ability to take part in the democratic process.
Dr. Miller, 63, a political scientist who directs the Center for Biomedical Communications at the medical school, studies how much Americans know about science and what they think about it. His findings are not encouraging.

While scientific literacy has doubled over the past two decades, only 20 to 25 percent of Americans are "scientifically savvy and alert," he said in an interview. Most of the rest "don't have a clue." At a time when science permeates debates on everything from global warming to stem cell research, he said, people's inability to understand basic scientific concepts undermines their ability to take part in the democratic process.

Over the last three decades, Dr. Miller has regularly surveyed his fellow citizens for clients as diverse as the National Science Foundation, European government agencies and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. People who track Americans' attitudes toward science routinely cite his deep knowledge and long track record.

"I think we should pay attention to him," said Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education, who cites Dr. Miller's work in her efforts to advance the cause of evolution in the classroom. "We ignore public understanding of science at our peril."

Rolf F. Lehming, who directs the science foundation's surveys on understanding of science, calls him "absolutely authoritative."

Dr. Miller's data reveal some yawning gaps in basic knowledge. American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

[glockmail]

Reliable Democrats.

[Noir]

Reliable Democrats.

There is no metadata analysis of the figures that i have seen, if you have some showing political affiliation then please do share, or if its a lighthearted quip then duly slap an "lol" on the end.
Otherwise look beyond political cheap shots and look at the bigger picture, 20% of americans are just plain wrong about something amazingly simple and well known.

[Gaffer]

There is no metadata analysis of the figures that i have seen, if you have some showing political affiliation then please do share, or if its a lighthearted quip then duly slap an "lol" on the end.
Otherwise look beyond political cheap shots and look at the bigger picture, 20% of americans are just plain wrong about something amazingly simple and well known.

And they vote.

[Nukeman]

Pretty alarming =/ who are these people?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/science/30profile.html
Guess what Noir??? There are even people that think the earth is FLAT.... Really they honestly do, also they are in England *gasp*. I guess that goes to show you that there are STUPID people all over the world!!!

Now I take exception with this 1 in 5 adults in the US think the sun revolves around the earth. I mean after all he is at Northwester in CHICAGO (not a city known for it overly intelegent population) no offense kathianne. By his reasoning in my group of friends there should be at least 10 that think this, however that doesn't hold true. In fact NO ONE I know thinks this so that right there throws his numbers out the window.

My father who never finished High School knows the earth revolves around the sun, so it isn't a "educational" issue it is just a issue of really dumb people. Like I said earlier there are really stupid people in every country.

Please don't tell me yhou one of those people that watch the late or news shows where they show simple questions not being answerd correctly. You do realize that inorder to find 5 people they ask about 200-300 the same question and only take the wrong ones....

Come on do you honestly believe that over 30 million adults living in the US beleive this??????

[Noir]

Guess what Noir??? Ther are even people that think the earth is FLAT.... Really they honestly do, also they are in England *gasp*. I guess that goes to show you that ther are STUPID people all over the world!!!

Now I take exception with this 1 in 5 adults in the US think the sun revolves around the earth. I mean after all he is at Northwester in CHICAGO. by his reasoning in my groupe of friends there should be agt least 10 that think this, however that doesn't hold true. In fact NO ONE I know thinks this so that right there throws his numbers out the window.

My father who never finished High School knows the earth revolvdes around the sun, so it isn't a "educational" issue it si just a issue of really dumb people. Like I said earlier there are really dtupid people in every country.

Please don't tell me yhou one of those people that watch the late or news shows where they show simple questions not being answerd correctly. You do realize that inorder to find 5 people they ask about 200-300 the same question and only take the wrong ones....

Come on do you honestly believe that over 30 million adults living in the US beleive this??????

Indeedy i'm sure there are stupid people all over the world, i just didn't expect them in such numbers, i mean 20% of those who were asked...20%!

As for the 'simple question asked wrong thing' ofcourse i know thats not representative, but that's because you only see the 4 or 5 outa 200 that get it wrong. If they said after the wrong answers 'btw the other 196 people we asked got it right' then you could make a judgement, because then we would know only 2% got it wrong, but in this study 20% got it wrong, so if he stick with the group sample size of 200 people, thats 40 of the 200 that got it wrong, only 20 outa 200 knew what radiation was, and fewer than 60 of the 200 could identify DNA as a key to heredity.

No matter what way you spin it those are shocking stats.

btw i am not posting this as a 'look how dumb americans are' or anything like that, i just came across this on my travels across the internet and thought it of enough interest to post.

[Nukeman]

Indeedy i'm sure there are stupid people all over the world, i just didn't expect them in such numbers, i mean 20% of those who were asked...20%!

As for the 'simple question asked wrong thing' ofcourse i know thats not representative, but that's because you only see the 4 or 5 outa 200 that get it wrong. If they said after the wrong answers 'btw the other 196 people we asked got it right' then you could make a judgement, because then we would know only 2% got it wrong, but in this study 20% got it wrong, so if he stick with the group sample size of 200 people, thats 40 of the 200 that got it wrong, only 20 outa 200 knew what radiation was, and fewer than 60 of the 200 could identify DNA as a key to heredity.

No matter what way you spin it those are shocking stats.

btw i am not posting this as a 'look how dumb americans are' or anything like that, i just came across this on my travels across the internet and thought it of enough interest to post.My first question would be who he asked the questions of. was it random on the street and if so what neighborhood. 20% in a poor welfare neighborhood is a far cry from 20% in a middle class neighborhood.

I am sure you will agree that there are certain areas in Ireland and England that you could get the same statistics with asking this type of question.

I still call BS on his numbers. If he is correct than I should be able to go to the mall and ask 200 people and get 40 to say that the sun revolves around the earth. I don't thin that will happen. I think I would be lucky if 5 or ten would........

[Noir]

My first question would be who he asked the questions of. was it random on the street and if so what neighborhood. 20% in a poor welfare neighborhood is a far cry from 20% in a middle class neighborhood.

I am sure you will agree that there are certain areas in Ireland and England that you could get the same statistics with asking this type of question.

I still call BS on his numbers. If he is correct than I should be able to go to the mall and ask 200 people and get 40 to say that the sun revolves around the earth. I don't thin that will happen. I think I would be lucky if 5 or ten would........

Indeed, i shall do more looking into the data before comment further, i may of been too rash to post,

[Gaffer]

First I would want to know exactly how many people were asked the question. Five, 20, 600? 20% of an unknown number is not telling the truth. Were the people asked Americans or visiting, or immigrants? Age may be a factor too. The article didn't give enough info.

Get your guns boys, it's messenger shootin time.

[Little-Acorn]

20% of Americans believe the Sun goes around the Earth!!!

But they all believe Obama can and will fix it... which is why they voted for him.

[glockmail]

And they vote....reliably democrat, no laughing matter.

[HogTrash]

I believe most of us are pretty sure what group the majority of this 20% belong to. :dunno: But to say so wouldn't be nice. :no:

[Noir]

Every online reference i find just ends up linking back to the NYT article lol, would it be possible for me to make an application to the NYT for source information or would they just throw the email away?

[KarlMarx]

Noir...

This is the result of our public education system. Our country spends more than $12,000 per child per year and get very poor results.

When Jay Leno was hosted the Late Night Show several years ago, he would routinely go down a street in Hollywood and ask people simple questions, e.g.

1. When was the War of 1812 fought?
2. When was the Revolutionary War fought?
3. Who discovered America and when?

many times, people could not answer even these simple questions.


As a tip of the hat to your country. I listen to classic fm from the UK and one thing that astounded me was that kids call their shows requesting pieces from classic composers.. apparently the Brits are doing something right when school children know who George Handel, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is.

[crin63]

I'm just guessing but it's probably the same people who believe in man-made Global Warming or the ones who believe Obama will be making their mortgage payments and putting gas in their cars.

[Monkeybone]

WHAT?!?!? you mean it doesn't? oh crap...

I think that the questions should have been followed up by some other ones... like where did you go to school, did you finish school... and more importanly.. WHY?

[KarlMarx]

I'm just guessing but it's probably the same people who believe in man-made Global Warming or the ones who believe Obama will be making their mortgage payments and putting gas in their cars.
To paraphrase Chesterton... "The problem with people who lack faith is not that they will believe in nothing, but that they will believe in anything...."

[PostmodernProphet]

that's nothing....32% think it revolves around Obama.....only 27% thought it revolved around Chuck Norris.....

[Trigg]

that's nothing....32% think it revolves around Obama.....only 27% thought it revolved around Chuck Norris.....

You mean it doesn't!!!!!!!!????????????????

You know Chuck Norris's tears cure cancer don't you???? Unfortunately he never cries.:coffee: