1 in 5 Americans Still Believes the Sun is Orbiting the Earth

[AnfieldAura]

1 in 5 Americans Still Believes the Sun is Orbiting the Earth - Probably that's why they're the most technologically advanced country in the world
By: Lucian Dorneanu, Science Editor

This is a not a pointless satire on the educational system in the US. These are the results of a survey that points out that only about a fifth of all Americans have a clue of what science really is, while the rest believe that the Sun is actually revolving around the Earth and that the Tooth Fairy gives them money in exchange for the falling teeth.

Dr. Jon D. Miller is a political scientist directing the Center for Biomedical Communications at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and he regularly surveyed US citizens to find out their scientific literacy. Many surveys have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and some European government agencies.

The findings prove that freedom of expression means also the freedom to believe everything except scientific facts and that "only 20 to 25 percent of Americans are scientifically savvy and alert," as he pointed out in an interview for The New York Times.

As he pointed out, one adult American in five still believes that the Sun actually revolves around the Earth and not the other way around. But it doesn't stop here, he continued.

Most of them don't understand what a molecule is, besides the fact that "it's really small," less than 1 in 3 knows that DNA is the molecule of heredity and only 1 in 10 understands the notion of radiation.

"Our best university graduates are world-class by any definition," he said. "But the second half of our high school population - it's an embarrassment. We have left behind a lot of people."

Probably that's why Romanian is the second most widely spoken language at Microsoft, why Indian and Chinese scientists are making the most important discoveries for major US universities and institutes and why English is actually the most spoken language in the world, so that non-English natives can understand one another.

I don't know if this has anything to do with many US citizens being homeschooled by religious fundamentalist, or with the fact that getting an online degree is easier than getting a loan from a bank, but it's in fact good news.

Why? Because it's good to know that you will always have a good workplace waiting in the US, as long as you is doing yo' job betta an' fasta than they can eat a burger.

Bye, y'all!


Source (http://news.softpedia.com/news/1-in-5-Americans-Still-Believe-the-Sun-is-Orbiting-the-Earth-59202.shtml) link.

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What did you believe that you only recently discovered to be incorrect or untrue? And who here thought the sun revolved around the earth?

[Ricky_Blowdeal]

Those other 4 Americans are stupid.;)

[Biscan the man]

What more would you expect from a country run by a man who believes that the world was created in 7 days and that we are all descended from adam and eve.

[Lerpwl Am Byth]

That can't be true, can it?

I know there are a lot of religious nutters over there, but they're surely a small minority: most Americans to me seem to have at least a modicum of intelligence.

[lfc_all_the_way]

What more would you expect from a country run by a man who believes that the world was created in 7 days and that we are all descended from adam and eve.

I can't expect all that much from you either, since you believe we descended from apes, even though there has never been evidence of evolution from one species to another.

[lfc_all_the_way]

1 in 5 Americans Still Believes the Sun is Orbiting the Earth - Probably that's why they're the most technologically advanced country in the world
By: Lucian Dorneanu, Science Editor

This is a not a pointless satire on the educational system in the US. These are the results of a survey that points out that only about a fifth of all Americans have a clue of what science really is, while the rest believe that the Sun is actually revolving around the Earth and that the Tooth Fairy gives them money in exchange for the falling teeth.

Dr. Jon D. Miller is a political scientist directing the Center for Biomedical Communications at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and he regularly surveyed US citizens to find out their scientific literacy. Many surveys have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and some European government agencies.

The findings prove that freedom of expression means also the freedom to believe everything except scientific facts and that "only 20 to 25 percent of Americans are scientifically savvy and alert," as he pointed out in an interview for The New York Times.

As he pointed out, one adult American in five still believes that the Sun actually revolves around the Earth and not the other way around. But it doesn't stop here, he continued.

Most of them don't understand what a molecule is, besides the fact that "it's really small," less than 1 in 3 knows that DNA is the molecule of heredity and only 1 in 10 understands the notion of radiation.

"Our best university graduates are world-class by any definition," he said. "But the second half of our high school population - it's an embarrassment. We have left behind a lot of people."

Probably that's why Romanian is the second most widely spoken language at Microsoft, why Indian and Chinese scientists are making the most important discoveries for major US universities and institutes and why English is actually the most spoken language in the world, so that non-English natives can understand one another.

I don't know if this has anything to do with many US citizens being homeschooled by religious fundamentalist, or with the fact that getting an online degree is easier than getting a loan from a bank, but it's in fact good news.

Why? Because it's good to know that you will always have a good workplace waiting in the US, as long as you is doing yo' job betta an' fasta than they can eat a burger.

Bye, y'all!


Source (http://news.softpedia.com/news/1-in-5-Americans-Still-Believe-the-Sun-is-Orbiting-the-Earth-59202.shtml) link.

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What did you believe that you only recently discovered to be incorrect or untrue? And who here thought the sun revolved around the earth?

I would bet it is the same in every country.

[JP Vegas]

Education is terrible out here, same with the health system but thats a whole different conversation right there. High schoo here is a joke. you just have to show up to class and barely pull your own weight and you still graduate. They're afraid that if its too hard that students will drop out like they have been doing recently. Vegas has a huge teacher shortage, I believe its around 1400 teachers, there are so many schools here as there is 1.85million residents in the valley but not enough teachers as the teachers get paid about 10,000 a year less than the national average. It's sad really.

The universities are way too expensive to pay out of pocket so you end up in debt for ages or you have to earn a scholarship in which you usually have to maintain a ridiculously high grade point average. One of the reasons I went into the military was because they offered to pay for my degree, I only have about one year left to go but its hard when im working a full time career, so I might just do the online thing to finish it.

[Jimmys Chippy]

Judging from people who appear on/watch Big Brother, Wife Swap etc, the numbers in this country will probably be the same.

[WarrenG]

I can't expect all that much from you either, since you believe we descended from apes, even though there has never been evidence of evolution from one species to another.

:confused: You don't believe that do you?

[fan4dmb]

I think every country has it's fair share of idiots and goofballs. For the most part, all of my friends are well educated (not in the sense that they all graduated from college, but that they have a clue about what's going on in the world around them). But I know one or two people who make me scratch my head and wonder how they made it this far in life :confused:

[redwah]

George. W. Bush














enough said.......................................

[JP Vegas]

George. W. Bush

I would love to have GWB go head to head on jeopardy against a goldfish. I would never be able to arrange it as "Dubya" knows it would be a tough challenge.

[kemlynreds]

You can't beat knee jerk generalisations can you, there are thick people everywhere, or perceived thick people everywhere just depends on what they have experience in, and what power you wield.

[Ducatiboy749]

If you think there aren't any thick people in England I suggest you get yourself down to Harlow Shopping Centre on a Saturday afternoon, sharpish.

Treacherous with the amount of backwardness.

[Davide]

I can't expect all that much from you either, since you believe we descended from apes, even though there has never been evidence of evolution from one species to another.

http://www.bushorchimp.com/ :D

[Ducatiboy749]

I can't expect all that much from you either, since you believe we descended from apes, even though there has never been evidence of evolution from one species to another.

:confused: