25% of Americans Unaware Earth Orbits the Sun

Posted by Center7978 10 years, 1 month ago to Education
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What an embarrassment ! 25% This country has some really big issues if, after all this time and 12 years of free education, such a large percentage of us is really this uninformed. As much as I love this country, in many cases we are not a shining example for other peoples to emulate.
SOURCE URL: http://www.newsdaily.com/article/778a8b074f1b0d7c792f4e2e2c8b4988/1-in-4-americans-unaware-that-earth-circles-sun


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  • Posted by UncommonSense 10 years, 1 month ago
    This is why kommon kore is being forced onto parents via UNESCO, through the Federal Gov't (Dept.of Ed) to the State Education boards, thus bypassing your State Legislature. They want to see to it that the 25% who are indoctrinated gets increased to 100% ~ it makes it easy for the elites to lie to them, thus ensuring a constant flow of votes in their favor. Just my .02
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  • Posted by $ Thoritsu 10 years, 1 month ago
    Although the statistical virtue of this study is in question, are there really graduation requirements, or just "time served"?
    Why does this happen? Lots of kids. All have to graduate. All are "winners". All are "owed" stuff. ==> Have to lower the bar again.
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  • Posted by MattFranke 10 years, 1 month ago
    The fact that people are getting stupid aside; I must express displeasure with all these surveys that claim to paint a picture of the country based on a small fraction of ignoramus's that they found, who knows where, then use it to base policy on for the rest of the country. The population of the US is about 315 million people,(not counting illegals) and this survey covered 2,200 people; meaning that one person speaks for 143,181.82 others. And this is being reported to the Pres and US lawmakers for what purpose; other than grandstanding and making people look like idiots that need the government to hold their hand and make sure they wipe.?
    Another thing I noticed is at the end,
    "Nearly 90 percent said the benefits of science outweigh any dangers"
    While the question is vague,(*what kind of science, to *what purpose, and versus *what kind of danger)the fact that people are so trusting of such broad definitions, and would agree with such a vague generalized statement like that, is some-what troubling. Talk about an uninformed sanction of something that is clearly above them. People who are unaware of simple astronomical oddities such as the Earth orbiting around the sun, should not have any say on whether or not *all* scientific benefit outweighs *all* dangers, or be given legitimacy to what they think about government spending for said scientific experimentation.

    Does that make sense to anyone? I'm still working on my first cup of coffee.
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    • Posted by $ 10 years, 1 month ago
      Totally agree. Small sample of fairly uninformed people being used to form opinions in a report to 'leadership' that is most likely comprised to those not familiar with science themselves (lawyers). What a wonderful means of collecting information and forming opinions for future legislation. (Sarcasm, of course, included.)
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      • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 8 years, 3 months ago
        It was not a "small sample." If you read the source documents, you will see that it was very well supported by methodology. They polled over 2200 respondents. What does statistics say about the Z-score? How many samples do you need to be 95% confident plus or minus 3%?
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  • Posted by mminnick 10 years, 1 month ago
    I watched 2 children and 3 grandchildren go through what is laughingly called the education system. All of them were taught to pass tests. By this I mean that they were taught only what was required to pass the standard tests required for them to move to the next grade, the next type (Elementary to middle to High) and the final crowning achievement of graduating from high school.
    I didn't home school my children but I did work with them to show them the wider variety of learning and knowledge available.
    Both are now out and working. One is an architect the other a homeland security specialist.
    The grand children are still in school. I try to work with them when I can without causing them issues in school. It is difficult So much PC in the schools now.
    We nolonger have an education system, we have an indoctrination system.
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  • Posted by khalling 10 years, 1 month ago
    You practically would have to live under a rock to miss these questions. I wonder what all the questions were.
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    • Posted by $ MikeMarotta 8 years, 3 months ago
      I tracked the original documents. This was just one part of a very large policy paper developed for a convention.
      http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14...

      The study in question is in Chapter 7:
      http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14...
      Americans correctly answered 5.8 out of 9 factual knowledge questions in 2012, a score similar to those in recent years.

      A survey experiment showed that 48% of respondents said they thought it was true that “human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals,” but 72% gave this response when the same statement was prefaced by “according to the theory of evolution.” Similarly, 39% of respondents said that “the universe began with a huge explosion,” but 60% gave this response when the statement was prefaced by “according to astronomers.”
      Levels of factual knowledge in the United States are comparable to those in Europe and are generally higher than levels in countries in other parts of the world.
      Americans with more formal education do better on science knowledge questions.
      Men do better on questions focused on the physical sciences, but there are few differences between men and women in terms of responses to questions focused on the biological sciences.
      (and more there)

      Let me ask you: How would you prove that the Earth goes around the Sun? I assume that you are going to turn to Google because you do not know the answer off the top of your head. The surgeon who saves your life might not know, either. The proof is not common knowledge, even among highly educated people.

      More subtly, of course, the Earth does not "go around the Sun" except in the simplistic sense that we also speak of "sunrise" and "sunset." And, technically, the best cartographers on Earth will tell you that we could be at the center of the universe for all the difference it makes when you drive, sail, or even fly, from one place to another on Earth.

      Just sayin'...
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