1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says
A view of Venus, black dot at top center, passing in front of the sun during a transit in 2012. A quarter of Americans questioned failed to answer correctly the most basic questions on astronomy.
A quarter of Americans surveyed could not correctly answer that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around, according to a report out Friday from the National Science Foundation.
The survey of 2,200 people in the United States was conducted by the NSF in 2012 and released on Friday at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.
To the question "Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth," 26 percent of those surveyed answered incorrectly.
In the same survey, just 39 percent answered correctly (true) that "The universe began with a huge explosion" and only 48 percent said "Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals."
Just over half understood that antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
As alarming as some of those deficits in science knowledge might appear, Americans fared better on several of the questions than similar, but older surveys of their Chinese and European counterparts.
Only 66 percent of people in a 2005 European Union poll answered the basic astronomy answer correctly. However, both China and the EU fared significantly better (66 percent and 70 percent, respectively) on the question about human evolution.
In a survey compiled by the National Opinion Research Center from various sources, Americans seemed to generally support science research and expressed the greatest interest in new medical discoveries and local school issues related to science. They were least interested in space exploration, agricultural developments and international and foreign policy issues related to science.
Replies
Hi! I'am not so concerned about the sun revolving around the Earth or the other way around.My interests lie with the possibility that intelligent life lives in or on the Sun and that life lives in the hollowed out part of the Sun itself.I also read about a scientist who postulated the same thing however as the story about him goes.He was about to reveal his findings to the world when he said,"I came home and my house was broken into plus no valuables of money was taken.However all my files on my computer related to my research was either taken or destroyed!"Its obvious by his comments that someone high up who works in secrecy behind the backs of the entire planet.Know full well of his revelations and no doubt has evidence of energy based beings living on the Sun including using the Sun as a stargate to travel to others parts of the Omniverse.I just figured I'd share these revelations and my opinions with our fellow members since you were mentioning the Sun in relation to the Earth already,"Namaste!"
It is very possible that there is intelligent life on the Sun, based on the great number of UFO activity caught on video and on camera:
i agree about deliberate reducing of education, but just an example most Canadians knows the capital of America, however based on survey done in Harvard University what is capital of Canada: non knew the answer ... and it's has nothing to do with 'care' ... knowing the planet where you live should be a priority at young age ... at least basics in my opinion, never mind Universities. Of course the statistics are never correct, there are lots of smart and intelligent people in States, however based on small encounters ... some comments are funny (in funny way). Like do we have polar bears walking in Toronto city ... and that it's so cold here we only have a few month of summer ... ;))
"There are people who sometimes don't tell the truth, and then there are liars, and then there are G*d Damn Liars, and then there are statisticians." - David Cardin, Calculus Instructor In Houston, Texas
But you have to start somewhere!
People who "don't care" usually don't do such surveys in the first place. If you agree to take a survey, you agree to answer "True" or "False." You can't invent answers to dodge the question.
The survey was done by the National Science Foundation (in the United States), and the sample size was 2200. A separate survey was done in Europe, and they reportedly did worst.
Click http://infogr.am/are-you-smarter-than-an-american?src=web for the survey questions asked (true or false) and the results.
I agree with your comment Nancy......
I believe according to law of gravity the sun and earth revolve around each other. So they aren't wrong.
If this is true, then you can argue that Jupiter and Saturn also revolve around the Earth.
It's all about mass.
I just tell them I'm a New Orleans white boy who grew up with music and politics.
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