Society's Child

Shocking! National Science Foundation poll finds 1 in 4 Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun

Breitbart
Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:38 UTC

Americans are enthusiastic about the promise of science but lack basic knowledge of it, with one in four unaware that the Earth revolves around the Sun, said a poll out Friday.

The survey included more than 2,200 people in the United States and was conducted by the National Science Foundation.

Ten questions about physical and biological science were on the quiz, and the average score -- 6.5 correct -- was barely a passing grade.

Just 74 percent of respondents knew that the Earth revolved around the Sun, according to the results released at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.

Fewer than half (48 percent) knew that human beings evolved from earlier species of animals.

The result of the survey, which is conducted every two years, will be included in a National Science Foundation report to President Barack Obama and US lawmakers.

One in three respondents said science should get more funding from the government.

Nearly 90 percent said the benefits of science outweigh any dangers, and about the same number expressed interest in learning about medical discoveries.

Source: AFP

Reader Comments

Good Optics · 2014-02-15T02:23:51Z

Only one in four . . .

. . . don't know that the earth revolves around the sun. How is that possible ? ?

OTOH: I knew a guy who got mad when I tried to tell him that, "No John, planet earth is not the center of All Creation -- no matter what Yehweh sez -- and really, All of Creation is not in orbit around us-ns, unmoving center of said "All Creation" that Yehweh tells those who believe him that we are.

Yup, got mad; and would then go on to say a lot about the respective places of man and woman in Yehweh's "Creation."

Illuminating to say the least . . .

Good Optics · 2014-02-15T02:30:35Z

One in four . . .

. . . is what I meant to say, but wth, doing this correction reminded of Jesse Winchester's, "Defying Gravity"

I live on a big round ball
I never do dream I may fall
And even one day if I do
Well, I'll jump off and smile back at you

I don't even know where we are
They tell me we're circling a star
Well, I'll take their word, I don't know
But I'm dizzy so it may be so

I'm riding a big round ball
I never do dream I may fall
But one day the high must lay low
So when I do fall I'll be glad to go
Yeah, when I do fall I'll be glad to go

Ruth · 2014-02-15T02:30:54Z

Not Thinking?

Perhaps they think the sun revolves around their country, or even around them personally. Perhaps they don't care. As long as they can take their next breath of oxygen, perhaps they don't care about anything except what is immediately necessary to them.

sass · 2014-02-15T03:24:52Z

Yeah.. that sounds possible, especially considering the desperate poverty we see in US. But still...

atari2u · 2014-02-15T04:03:50Z

shameful ignorance

Americans really deserve what is coming for them.

Danny · 2014-02-15T04:10:20Z

I love how they slip this in

"Fewer than half (48 percent) knew that human beings evolved from earlier species of animals. "

lol frankly, after having dug deeper on the subject, i'm on the fence about the whole evolution thing too.

MrSott · 2014-02-15T06:31:32Z

Let's Talk Science

The earth revolving around the sun is indisputable. People evolving from rats? We're still waiting for the evidence on that one.Having a question on evolution isn't testing science but beliefs.

Revolucionar · 2014-02-15T07:24:25Z

Evolution?

They've had almost two centuries to prove it, and no proof has been presented yet, in fact, the fossil record is unanimous: the theory of evolution is completely bogus. Creationism is much closer to the truth, the only problem being the fact that it's promulgated by a bunch of religious freaks who are trying to prove that the world is 6000 years old.

All in all, not very surprising to see yet again that most Americans are idiots, we all knew this before, no?

Jean Michel · 2014-02-15T11:48:59Z

I'm sorry but not knowing that the earth revolves around the sun goes way beyond idiocy.

I would like to know the polling demographic that they tested. I am incredulous to say the least over the accuracy of this report.

Its almost as if we are slipping into another dark age where common sense takes a back seat to religiosity and paranoia. Will that lead to another "enlightened" age or will we just keep slipping down the snake hole into intellectual obscurity to be replaced by another, smarter species?

I will say, though, that seeing they way people behave when driving in this country leads me to believe that this report may be more accurate than I care to admit.

Revolucionar · 2014-02-16T06:13:12Z

I've never been to America, but I've met a lot of Americans coming to my country, and sadly, all of them suffered from the same inflection.
It's hard for me to describe, but it's like there's a thick veil of ignorance in front of their eyes, sort of like kids, but without the instinct and innocence, as if they were scared into not thinking, and are afraid of what might happen if they did.

They're also terribly naive and have a terrible sense of humour, being able to understand only slapstick and physical jokes.
Also, they seem to know a 100 times less about their own country than most people from here, and I mean in terms of geography, history, even music, and art.

I feel weird saying this about a whole nation, and I'm sure there's lots of bright, conscious people in America, but America simply must be the stupidest nation out there, and, as it is supposedly the most developed country in the world, proof that our modern system is creating idiots.

Americans are the living fossils proving the devolution of species.

glardu · 2014-02-15T17:31:07Z

Lol!! Sadly I can believe it. There are jobs where we are not allowed to use the phrase "common sense". Those lacking it get offended.

zek · 2014-02-15T19:52:19Z

90 percent were even worse!

"Nearly 90 percent said the benefits of science outweigh any dangers, and about the same number expressed interest in learning about medical discoveries."

Surely it would be sensible to learn about "science" /before/ deciding that benefits outweigh the risks?

rbateman · 2014-02-16T00:34:01Z

They don't do that anymore, examine the question of whether something should be or not be done.
They are only interested in what they can do, and that started with the Manhattan Project.
Oppenheimer regretted what he had done, but was utterly powerless to undo it.

rbateman · 2014-02-16T00:25:09Z

What evolution?

All I can see is Creation, Age and Extinction of Species versions.
As for science, it was corrupted by the worship of Money a while back.
No principles, no problem. We got lots of money to build shiny new labs for you.
It would be far easier to make a case for Devolution than Evolution, if one considers only the human species.

lydia · 2014-02-16T00:44:01Z

A lot of people

are almost not human in their ignorance. I know some that are still angry with me when I told them one day that we are animals, mammals. These persons, I ask myself, are coming from where?! No, they can not be humans. They were maybe but their brain was eat by a virus, I am sure. They are really zombies.

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Shocking! National Science Foundation poll finds 1 in 4 Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun

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