One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth

OOhhh, Ohhh!!! Can we take this in a philosophical stand point?

What is intelligence? How would you define intelligence? Well, I had a discussion with my teacher on this subject.

Basically,here is an example: a mechanic may be horrible at taking tests and probably doesn't have a reading capacity of a 5th grader. But, if you give him a ratchet, he can take apart a car, and tell you what piece is what, and how they function. While you do the same for a professor, and while he may be good with taking test and blurring out facts about quantum physics, he would probably be clueless when it comes to cars.

So who do you think is dumber?

I personally feel sad that some people don't know basic facts of life. Maybe no one ever told them, or someone mislead them, I don't know, its just sad.

[edit on 11-7-2007 by skyblueff0]

this is scary to say the least, but people have a personal obligation to keep themselves informed, information is widely available this days, people have to take some initiative and not just rely on the goverment

I'm going to stir things up a bit here:

The Sun DOES revolve around the Earth!

Well, it all depends on your frame of reference (F.o.R). If you take the Earth as the center of your F.o.R. then the Sun revolves around it, and you can describe it mathematically just like the (now) conventional way. It gets a bit more complicated when describing the motion of say Mars as you have to use epicycles etc.

The point is, there is no absolute spatial refence position, there are only spacial positions defined in reference to other spatial positions.

You may say it's more logical to say the Earth revolves around the Sun (or more correctly the Sun-Earth Center of Mass), but it's only because the mathematical description is easiest.

If you want to be more correct, the Earth moves w.r.t the C.of M of the combined Earth-Sun-Planets-MilkyWay-Local Group-LocalCluster-AllTheOtherClusters etc of the entire Universe.

It all depends on your point of view.

Originally posted by subject xI know a fella who thinks a "thesaurus" is one of those monsters on "Jurassic Park".
Disturbing but true.

But...I...what?

...ow...OW!......

That seriously hurt my brain.... *massages temples*


I get that a mechanic doesn't need to know how to read to fix a car. And I realize that fashion doesn't require knowledge beyond price and style. But seriously... COME ON...

Don't these people ever channel flip??

Public edukation was baad enuf when I was in skool, but this iz bordering on ree-dik-ku-lus. (And yes, that was intentional.)

I was taught finances my freshman year in high skool -- but that doesn't mean that I can accurately and reliably balance my checkbook, or that I understand tax forms. I learned the stuff, I vomited the knowledge back up on the test, and I went on with my day. Quite literally: In one ear and out the other.

Methinks it falls to the individual's priorities. I was stuck on fitting in, on boys (and the debate over whether or not they were still cootie infested), on making friends, on why I didn't fit in... I didn't care about finances. Why should I have? I didn't work, I didn't pay rent, or taxes, or bills. The knowledge was given to me, but I was not in the right frame of mind to accept it and understand its necessity.

So if people are more worried about fashion and buying the latest and greatest product (with pieces made in 5 different countries, styled in Italy, and assembled in the US by immigrant workers)... why would they care if a planet revolves around a star, or the other way around?

No, it's not a good reason. It's not even a viable excuse. My parents certainly wouldn't have accepted that as a reasonable response for poor grades...


....so, is the next step to make fashionable apparel with scientific facts?

One in five is a pretty big figure when it come to something as fundamental as the earth's orbit around the sun, however without more information about how the questions were asked, the demographics of the respondents and a number of other variables, there's not a lot to go on.

It is true that in some school districts students are being graduated from high school for simply aging out and the 20% figure seems high, but the sampling frame for the poll may hold the key to the whole matter.

It is nice to think that all studies adhere to good research methods, but this is not always the case.

Somewhat related:
Illiteracy: The Downfall of American Society

Illiteracy Statistics

In a study of 20 'high income' countries, the US ranked 12th on literacy tests. Illiteracy has become such a serious problem in our country that 44 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their child. A few other shocking facts:

* 50 percent of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth grade level.
* 20 percent of Americans are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level.
* Nearly half of all Americans read so poorly that they cannot find a single piece of information when reading a short publication.

Originally posted by a1ex
One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

This is not a surprise if you see how American love their football. No-brainer using muscles games.
They judge a man by his muscles.

If you watch Johny Bravo, Johny Rambo, you'd know what kind of people American is. Leave alone Bart Simpsons.

1st. They are genetically robust people. America is a land of obesity.
2nd. See? How Christian crushed American no-brainers? It was in Bible stating that Earth is flat!

The only way that American to survive is to rob other countries which they have done on middle east.








[edit on 26-7-2007 by Cibai]

I think it is strange that the Americans can know everything about their country, guns, NASCAR and Professional Wrasslin' but not know basic information like this. I am not trying to ruffle anyones feathers here but i truly believe that it is the Christian Churches that are holding logic and science back in America. They persecute anyone who does not believe everything as it says in the bible. The only way to survive in some places down south is to follow religion or you are run out of town.

Sad times

Hmmm, i dont think we should get rid of all the stupid people.

I say just take all the warning labels of EVERYTHING and let nature take its course.


There are serious problems when you need a sign telling you "Warning, Coffee may be hot" Do you need a sign so you dont think for yourself?

(This isnt aimed at anyone specifically, just stupid people in general)

Originally posted by st1234
If you want to be more correct, the Earth moves w.r.t the C.of M of the combined Earth-Sun-Planets-MilkyWay-Local Group-LocalCluster-AllTheOtherClusters etc of the entire Universe.

Ugh. My head hurts now... Thanks a lot man!

Seriously though, I'd love to see how these numbers compare to those of other countries around the world. I suspect that they'll all be frighteningly lower than you'd expect.

I'm really wondering who they asked in this survey. Maybe 20% of the people in New York aren't that bright.

However after doing some searching to see who was surveyed, I found 40 percent of Japanese kids believe the Sun revolves around the Earth.
www.asianews.it...

I'm really wondering if todays kids are learning any basic science.

Originally posted by laiguana
I would like to know what exact age group was targeted, because it seems very unlikely that this would be the same scenario for anyone between ages 18-35. I'm not sure how the school system was around 35+ years ago...so I can't speak for the adults who don't believe in evolution or don't believe that the earth revolves around the sun. Although...I am concerned that some of the more fanatical religious branches are brainwashing young persons into thinking that their version of science is more accurate than science itself.

Actually it's mainstream science that's doing most of the brainwashing. Science like any human endeavor is extremely political. The theory de jour is what wins the greatest political consensus and perhaps more importantly what can garner the most public research money. It was science that resisted the idea of heavier than air flight, with even scientific american devoting an entire article to 'debunking' the Wright brothers. So called scientists seem unable to understand that their theories are only theories and will eventually be proven wrong as every theory ever espoused by scientists eventually has been. Newton's laws, action at a distance even general relativity and quantum mechanics are all necessarily false. (General relativity currently contradicts quantum mechanics for example.)

Various corporations, governments and elite universities have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. They have suppressed every major discovery in the modern era. A lot of good 19'th century and early 20'th century science, including major advances by Tesla, Nathan Stubblefield, Keely and Royal Rife that would have changed society forever will never see the light of day.

How many know that cold fusion can now be reproduced at will or that MIT deliberately fudged their data to preserve their hot fusion funding? How many know that the Smithsonian deliberately tossed tons of artifacts into the ocean because it went against modern theories of the origins of man? I doubt few are aware of the evidence that the speed of light is not constant, or that the conventional Lorentz Force law for electromagnetics fails to handle the case of open loop currents such as might occur in a rail gun? How many know of Eugene Podkletnov gravity nulling experiments?

Finally to just assume that because someone has faith that they are therefore ignorant is pure ignorance. Most Americans, educated in government controlled education camps lack even basic critical thinking skills. I saw this first hand as a college level teacher. This has gotten worse as they have thrown God out of school. I have no doubt that a typical Amish person has far better reading and comprehension skills that a typical American college graduate. The Puritans had something like a 97% literacy rate. I'd like to see one of these self appointed atheist geniuses trained up good by the gubmint try out a McGuffey reader. Books meant for children would be beyond their grasp now.

1 in 5, how is this possible? I know at least 500 people and not one of them thinks the sun revolves around the earth? I think this is nonsense. I wonder who they actually polled.
Also please all other countries don't make this USA bashing time. ok maybe just the red states lol.. j/k

Any information taught to anyone is only the mass majority's personal opinion. You say that space exists? I have never been there so I cannot say, I can tell you what I have been taught.....but once again, that is only the mass majority's personal opinion on the subject. Providing scientific evidence for anything means nothing, as science itself is only opinion and theory.
I see the sun and the moon moving across the sky, slowly but surely....yet I only feel the Earth spin when I am drunk. Why can't what we can observe with our own eyes be the way it is? Because Mr. scientist guy sent a probe into space, oh...they even sent pictures back for me to see what Earth looks like from space.....ok....sure.....I'll take his word for it. But I have no real evidence, no real "experience" that space is real, except for what school taught me, and sci-fi television programs and ofcourse what NAsA claims.
The day I land on the moon I will say "I know", but for now I am just taking what information I am given, something that makes people dumber every day.....look at me for example?

Seven thuinders:

How many know of Eugene Podkletnov gravity nulling experiments?

Thanks for the information I'm doing some research on this
First time I heard of this

Originally posted by a1ex
Seven thuinders:

How many know of Eugene Podkletnov gravity nulling experiments?

Thanks for the information I'm doing some research on this
First time I heard of this

O yeah no problem. You might want to look at townsend Brown, John Searls rotating disk, Teslas anti gravity devices and of course check out this site
www.americanantigravity.com...

Well, at least it's not just Americans. Here's a video that shows that more than half of this French audience doesn't know the Moon orbits thew Earth:

Video

Again somewhat related:

“Scientist” Michael Savage thinks the Sun is “millions of light years from Earth.”

en.wikipedia.org...

Please, the guy was using sarcasm and a question to lead on the discussion.

One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth

What?
You mean it doesn't?