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1 in 4 Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun

6th grade? What were you in the "special" class :mrgreen:

Seriously, it's way before that. Learn not to poop your diapers, learn your ABCs, learn that the earth goes around the sun....I wonder out of this 25% how many haven't quite mastered "going potty."

Good point. It seems so weird that 25% wouldn't know that.
 
This just mind boggling. And consider that it is quite easy to find out what the solar system looks like, so these people that don't know haven't even thought about it. Can you imagine not knowing this, and not even bothering to check it out on Google? I mean, what the hell do they think is going on? Just scary that these people are out there.
 
This just mind boggling. And consider that it is quite easy to find out what the solar system looks like, so these people that don't know haven't even thought about it. Can you imagine not knowing this, and not even bothering to check it out on Google? I mean, what the hell do they think is going on? Just scary that these people are out there.

They probably just dont care, so never bothered to learn or retain it. Its kind of like asking someone how a car works.
 
Which is why I don't believe the statistic.

I don't know if it is true or not, but in an age of polls which are quite scientific accurate within their margins of error which is usually 2-4 points, I don't see a reason not too. When you throw in common math and the problems people have in figuring out your change if the cash register isn't working, I think I can believe it.
 
While the trend here seems to have shifted to blaming the teaching systems, I'd like to point out it doesn't say 1 in 4 STUDENTS, I would imagine that there are a ton of adults that didn't answer the question correctly. Many who probably knew at one time or another, and just let it fade away. Particularly math and science that many adults simply don't use and don't care about, we forget. Also the median age of pollable people is getting older and older because of landlines being replaced by the youth with cellphones. No offense intended but I'd bet these results have much more to do with old age than teaching the young.
 
I don't know if it is true or not, but in an age of polls which are quite scientific accurate within their margins of error which is usually 2-4 points, I don't see a reason not too. When you throw in common math and the problems people have in figuring out your change if the cash register isn't working, I think I can believe it.

That actually isn't fair. Back before I was an accountant with an adding machine, I could do all sorts of math in my head, fairly complex. Once I started using the 10-key, calculators, and such, which I had to do so I'd have the ticker tape to attach to my reports as "proof" for superiors, I slowly lost the the ability to do math in my head, but my fingers now can do it super fast. So is it stupidity or is it simply a reliance on machines that never required one to have the skill to do math in your head quickly. Even in math class, pre-calculator, you had pencil and paper, very few people who are not regularly doing it, can figure change. Nowadays, almost no one is required to do that unless and until the machines go down.

Anyway, in the end you're being entirely unfair to judge current education levels based on being able to figure taxes and change in their heads. Not to mention, anymore with inventory so connected to the cash registers, companies simply will refuse to let anyone do what you're suggesting but will instead stop all sales til the registers are back up.
 
That actually isn't fair. Back before I was an accountant with an adding machine, I could do all sorts of math in my head, fairly complex. Once I started using the 10-key, calculators, and such, which I had to do so I'd have the ticker tape to attach to my reports as "proof" for superiors, I slowly lost the the ability to do math in my head, but my fingers now can do it super fast. So is it stupidity or is it simply a reliance on machines that never required one to have the skill to do math in your head quickly. Even in math class, pre-calculator, you had pencil and paper, very few people who are not regularly doing it, can figure change. Nowadays, almost no one is required to do that unless and until the machines go down.

Anyway, in the end you're being entirely unfair to judge current education levels based on being able to figure taxes and change in their heads. Not to mention, anymore with inventory so connected to the cash registers, companies simply will refuse to let anyone do what you're suggesting but will instead stop all sales til the registers are back up.

It may or may not be fair, but when I buy a combo for 5.99 at burger king or where ever it just isn't that hard. I can remember when the schools started allowing calculators when my youngest daughter went to school. I thought then it was a big mistake. I don't think they even teach long math in schools these days. Just how to use a calculator.
 
But liberals think income inequality is:
1. surprising
2. one of our biggest issues.

(how about common sense inequality?)
 
I don't know if it is true or not, but in an age of polls which are quite scientific accurate within their margins of error which is usually 2-4 points, I don't see a reason not too. When you throw in common math and the problems people have in figuring out your change if the cash register isn't working, I think I can believe it.
The problems is, I don't know if this poll was actually scientific.

Sometimes I wonder if some persons believe all polls, scientific or not.
 
But liberals think income inequality is:
1. surprising
2. one of our biggest issues.

(how about common sense inequality?)
It would be interesting to see the stats on how many of the 1 in 4 were conservatives. I'm thinking a pretty high percentage.
 
The problems is, I don't know if this poll was actually scientific.

Sometimes I wonder if some persons believe all polls, scientific or not.

the polls i use to make my election predictions i trust. They have rarely led me astray. This one I don't know.
 
Perhaps the OP title was edited by one of the 25% since the lead sentence and other references in the article use the word revolve in place of circle. ;)
Circle is acceptable but orbit would be the correct term.
 
It would be interesting to see the stats on how many of the 1 in 4 were conservatives. I'm thinking a pretty high percentage.

While not the internals of this poll, here were results from a similar poll, that asked a similar question.

Who Believes that Astrology is Scientific? by James Lindgren :: SSRN

mgefddf
 
1 in 4 Americans unaware that Earth circles Sun




I thought this article was about America prior to Galileo? Scary.... :shock:

To put this in context: "Here’s the thing, though: Americans actually fared better than Europeans who took similar quizzes — at least when it came to the sun and Earth question. Only 66 percent of European Union residents answered that one correctly."

Read more: 1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com 1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com

The issue is less of an 'Americans sure are dumb' than a 'the laymen doesn't know much about science' issue.


1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com
 
This is news. I thought the earth revolved around Obama.
 
To put this in context: "Here’s the thing, though: Americans actually fared better than Europeans who took similar quizzes — at least when it came to the sun and Earth question. Only 66 percent of European Union residents answered that one correctly."

Read more: 1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com 1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com

The issue is less of an 'Americans sure are dumb' than a 'the laymen doesn't know much about science' issue.


1 in 4 Americans Think Sun Revolves Around Earth: Study | TIME.com


You're saying the whole world is dumb, not just Americans? Hahahaha..... I agree!


Science? Some minimal basics are expected to have a room temp IQ.
 
I don't know, that seems a bit high. But with the number of young earth creationists left in the US, it's not unsurprising.



Posters are jumping up my hoo-hah, like I wrote the article or gave the poll.

I don't know how true, accurate or honest it is? Wouldn't surprise me either if it's pretty close.
 
I don't know, that seems a bit high. But with the number of young earth creationists left in the US, it's not unsurprising.

This has nothing to do with creationism...

I think this has more to do with ****ty teachers and ignorant people who just don't care.

Then again who knows who they polled to come up with this alleged "conclusion" considering they only used something like 2000 subjects in the US when the US population is around 300,000,000...

Then again I'm not shocked by any of this reading other supposed 'studies' that make US citizens look like epic retards...

I think some groups and universities go out of their way to make "Americans" look as stupid as possible.
 
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