Scientific ignorance in the U.S.A.

[dr.zalost]

I don't know if this is new thread material but...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115133.htm


American Adults Flunk Basic Science

ScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2009) â€" Are Americans flunking science? A new national survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences and conducted by Harris Interactive® reveals that the U.S. public is unable to pass even a basic scientific literacy test.


Over the past few months, the American government has allocated hundreds of billions of dollars for economic bailout plans. While this spending may provide a short-term solution to the country's economic woes, most analysts agree that the long-term solution must include a transition to a more knowledge-based economy, including a focus on science, which is now widely recognized as a major driver of innovation and industry.

Despite its importance to economic growth, environmental protection, and global health and energy issues, scientific literacy is currently low among American adults. According to the national survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences:

    * Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.
    * Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.
    * Only 47% of adults can roughly approximate the percent of the Earth's surface that is covered with water.*
    * Only 21% of adults answered all three questions correctly.

Knowledge about some key scientific issues is also low. Despite the fact that access to fresh water is likely to be one of the most pressing environmental issues over the coming years, less than 1% of U.S. adults know what percent of the planet's water is fresh (the correct answer is 3%). Nearly half didn't even hazard a guess. Additionally, 40% of U.S. adults say they are "not at all knowledgeable" about sustainability.

Despite this lack of knowledge, U.S. adults do believe that scientific research and education are important. About 4 in 5 adults think science education is "absolutely essential" or "very important" to the U.S. healthcare system (86%), the U.S. global reputation (79%), and the U.S. economy (77%).

"There has never been a greater need for investment in scientific research and education," said Academy Executive Director Dr. Gregory Farrington. "Many of the most pressing issues of our timeâ€"from global climate change to resource management and diseaseâ€"can only be addressed with the help of science."

To test your own scientific knowledge, please visit the California Academy of Sciences' website at http://www.calacademy.org.

Methodology

This survey was conducted by telephone within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the California Academy of Science between December 17 and December 21, 2008 among 1,002 adults ages 18+.

* The approximately correct answer range for this question was defined as anything between 65% and 75%. Only 15% of respondents answered this question with the exactly correct answer of 70%.

[Kodanshi]

I can understand not knowing some scientific data, but things like this:

* Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.

REALLY?!

[Hitsumei]

I can understand not knowing some scientific data, but things like this:

* Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.

REALLY?!

Well, are they being anal about it? Do they count "365" days as false, and require the exact "365.25" days number? I could understand it if half the population didn't account for the leap year.

[Squid]

I can understand not knowing some scientific data, but things like this:

* Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.

REALLY?!

Well, are they being anal about it? Do they count "365" days as false, and require the exact "365.25" days number? I could understand it if half the population didn't account for the leap year.

From their site:

Question #1

How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun?

    *
         One day
    *
         One week
    *
         One month
    *
         One year
    *
         Not sure

[Hitsumei]

...
...
...

 

[SteveS]

Well, given Squid's clarification, I can say I'm clearly shocked that only 53% of adults would get this question right.  I'm not normally the downer type, but oh man is that ever pathetic.

Still, it would be fun to mess with the one's who got it right, wouldn't it?  Imagine:

"I'm going to go with 1 year, final answer"

"What do mean?  An equinoctial year or a sidereal year?"

"What?  I don't know that.   Aaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggg......." (cast into the pit of eternal peril)

[Kodanshi]

I spot a Monty Python reference there, hahaha!

[curiosityandthecat]

I spot a Monty Python reference there, hahaha!

It's only a model.

[Kodanshi]

And still from my fave film by them! Despite the technical excellence of the Brian film I really do prefer Holy Grail.

[SteveS]

It's only a model.

[Squid]

I had a couple of blog posts that had to do with scientific literacy albeit as it relates to the whole evolution/ID/creationism stuff.  The second is a an article I wrote for a guest feature article in a local newspaper:

http://neurognosis.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/old-post-from-old-blog-darwins-satan-theory-of-monkeyism/

http://neurognosis.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/etiology-of-the-evolution-v-intelligent-design-debate/

And a bit from a post I made on another forum:

The National Science Foundation does their Science and Engineering Indicators every year - a kind of state of science in the U.S.  From the latest S&E Indicator:

U.S. scores on questions about the theory of evolution and the "big bang" are lower than those in other countries, and many Americans are receptive to including nonscientific views in science classrooms.

* Many Americans appear skeptical of established scientific ideas in these areas, even when they have some basic familiarity with them.
   
* Americans’ responses to questions about evolution have remained virtually unchanged over the past 25 years.

* More Americans approved than disapproved of instruction about three explanations of the origins of life (evolution, intelligent design, and creationism) in public school science classes. However, many were unsure.

Scientific literacy hasn't changed much even in the past 14 years:



Less than half of the research respondents in the polls over the years answer true to the statement - Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals.

The data hasn't changed much in at least 25 years and that's sad.

Carl Sagan about the subject in his last interview:

[youtube:1df8optw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jod7v-m573k[/youtube:1df8optw]

[youtube:1df8optw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDKSZO-aACk[/youtube:1df8optw]

[youtube:1df8optw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxeN6Wf7mbU[/youtube:1df8optw]

[Hitsumei]

I almost wanted to cry watching that last part of the interview. Carl Sagan has always been a hero of mine. The book he is promoting, A Demon Haunted World did so much to inform of current attitude, and his other books, Dragon's of Eden, and Pale Blue Dot were just beautiful. I also absolutely adored cosmos. It was so jam packed full of information, and history, set to calming, and soothing music -- with Carl Sagan, explaining and talking about things that he transparently loved, with brilliant, and exquisite prose.

I can't help but just gush when I talk about Sagan. This excerpt from Pale Blue Dot I find so amazing, and inspiring, I have listened to it more times than I can count:

[youtube:2xijz57d]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M[/youtube:2xijz57d]

[Squid]

Absolutely, Sagan was and still remains one of my heroes.  I can only hope to achieve a fraction of what he did in his lifetime.

[maestroanth]

F

[Kodanshi]

Not really relevant, but Carl Sagan also sounded just like Agent Smith in The Matrix, which automatically invests him with cool.