brentaal Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 American adults flunk basic scienceScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2009) ? 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 time?from global climate change to resource management and disease?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%.0%. ScienceDaily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhapimp Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 i fill smart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Veteran Posted March 13, 2009 Veteran Share Posted March 13, 2009 I passed. Where do I fill out the form for my cookie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lant Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 * Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. That is awful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashG Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) Final Results You correctly answered 5 out of 6 questions. A total of 18063 participants have so far averaged 4.3 correct answers. I missed the one about fresh water, thought it was 4-10% with it being closer to 4-5% But yeah it's sad most people can't answer most of those basic questions, especially this one: How long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. :blink: Edited March 13, 2009 by CrashGordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahhell Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Sad but not surprising. Jebus did NOT ride dinosaurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shockz Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Too bad they didn't ask me. I'd have gotten all 3 of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PricklyPoo Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Who cares about science!!!?!?! America rocks whoooooo!!!!! :punk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edrick Smith Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Even if Americans can't answer the most basic science questions like that I'm not that worried. Really how are those questions going to effect them in day to day or even more advanced tasks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doli Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Be happy they did not test people on world geography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwjw1 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 those being polled were just being too modest...everyone knows the Earth revolves around the Americans.....LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Final ResultsYou correctly answered 5 out of 6 questions. A total of 18063 participants have so far averaged 4.3 correct answers. I missed the one about fresh water, thought it was 4-10% with it being closer to 4-5% But yeah it's sad most people can't answer most of those basic questions, especially this one: How long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. :blink: +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rohdekill Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 tests like these reveal nothing but memory. Everyone was taught and tested in school on these questions. As we grow older, information is retained and lost. The stats reveal what people REMEMBER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C++ Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Gosh, golly, gee... However will I sleep, knowing that there exist persons in our world so ill informed? Oh, right... I can garner peace of mind in the fact that whether or not they know the correct answers to these questions has **** all impact on my existence and probably equally little on their own. Somebody wake me up when little, green Martians abduct an American and threaten to blow up the Earth unless he or she is able to recite the first twenty digits of pi from memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krome Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Gosh, golly, gee... However will I sleep, knowing that there exist persons in our world so ill informed? Oh, right... I can garner peace of mind in the fact that whether or not they know the correct answers to these questions has **** all impact on my existence and probably equally little on their own.Somebody wake me up when little, green Martians abduct an American and threaten to blow up the Earth unless he or she is able to recite the first twenty digits of pi from memory. When I was young, I was able to recite PI up to about 30 digits. I was always intrigued with how awesome PI is that I had to remember them long enough to be very precise in my calculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James123 Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 You correctly answered 4 out of 6 questions. I wouldn't really call knowing "What percentage of the Earth’s surface is covered by water?" and "What percentage of the Earth’s water is fresh water?" basic science, nor something necessary to remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 * Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. about 365.25 days * Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time. Incorrect -- in fact, a dinosaur would ocassionally eat a human. * Only 47% of adults can roughly approximate the percent of the Earth's surface that is covered with water. About 70% is what we were told in school .... but that was before global warming. * Only 21% of adults answered all three questions correctly. I guess I'm elite :shifty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurë Veteran Posted March 14, 2009 Veteran Share Posted March 14, 2009 I wouldn't call a three question memory test an accurate assessment of people's scientific knowledge or ability. I am sure there a number of actual scientists who wouldn't get those because they specialise in other areas. This just comes across as being set up on purpose to get results such as these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuge Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I got 6 out of 6 .Anyway ,I'm not a US cititizen so that makes difference ;) Final ResultsYou correctly answered 6 out of 6 questions. A total of 21954 participants have so far averaged 4.5 correct answers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+M2Ys4U Subscriber¹ Posted March 15, 2009 Subscriber¹ Share Posted March 15, 2009 * Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.Incorrect -- in fact, a dinosaur would ocassionally eat a human. erm... no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giga Veteran Posted March 15, 2009 Veteran Share Posted March 15, 2009 * Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.Incorrect -- in fact, a dinosaur would ocassionally eat a human. Is this a joke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sensurround Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 At first I was going to say something like "give them a break, they have more immediate things to worry about than science." But, then I read the questions. It's sad. the dinosaur and human thing is probably the worst. It's like how some religious fanatics think the earth is only a couple thousand years old... It is so much more ffulfilling to learn how our world works than it is to find out which celebrity is in rehab this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentaal Posted March 15, 2009 Author Share Posted March 15, 2009 than it is to find out which celebrity is in rehab this week. A celebrity is in rehab? Do tell! :shifty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sensurround Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 A celebrity is in rehab? Do tell! :shifty: Probably one of the lesser Baldwins. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Decryptor Veteran Posted March 16, 2009 Veteran Share Posted March 16, 2009 I got the fresh water one wrong* but the general water one right (since I read the article first) I would have been 9% off on the general water one, which would have caused me to pick a wrong poll option, so I would have gotten 4 out of 6. * In hindsight, no idea why I picked 40%, the vast majority of the Earth's water is in the oceans and ice, it's salt water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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