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[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
The results are in, and, Americans pretty much like science. Eighty-four percent of those polled think that “science’s effect on society” is mostly positive. That’s the result of two phone surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, released on July 9th.
Seventy-three percent believe that federal funding of basic research pays off in the long run. But the public’s rating of the overall significance of science seems to have dropped in the last 10 years. In 1999, 47 percent of those polled said that scientific advances were among the most important U.S. achievements. Today, only 27 percent think so.
And Americans are aware of scientific info much more when it’s related to their daily lives and health. For example, 91 percent know that aspirin’s an over-the-counter drug sometimes used to prevent heart attacks; only 46 percent can tell you which are bigger, electrons or atoms.
To gauge your general basic science knowledge, including on the atom/electron question, take the test at pewresearch.org/sciencequiz
—Steve Mirsky
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17 Comments
Add Comment"In 1999, 47 percent of those polled said that scientific advances were among the most important U.S. achievements. Today, only 27 percent think so."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"only 46 percent can tell you which are bigger, electrons or atoms. "
I bet the 27 percent group are also in the 46 percent group. Goes to show America's ever increasing lack of quality education. Do they even teach Science anymore?
I'm always amazed when I ponder the beliefs of morons that we're all made out of star stuff.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiscan you prove otherwise?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisjust curious...where do you think atoms came from?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI should have put a comma in there. When I look upon a moron, it amazes me that we all come from star stuff, okay?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps an island. An island where scientists can live and work and study unencumbered by the knuckle-draggers. One where countries can come begging and groveling when they want to purchase some development, and not be troubled by the hows & whys behind it all. The island can then decide who gets what and at what price, the countries can continue to live in ignorance, and slowly wipe each other out.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wonder what sort of defenses an island community of all the worlds scientists would come up with.
I just got 12/12 at that quiz and ended into raising the american knowledge. That's because they did not ask whether I'm american or not. Typical of people in USA to think that other world does not matter. In case someone wonders, I'm from Finland. It's located in Northern Europe, if you didn't know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTrust me, readers of Scientific American are quite aware of where Finland is.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJokunen, I'm afraid you didn't raise the average score of Americans. Your score was merely compared with the scores of those Americans who were surveyed by telephone, as is clearly stated in the introduction to the quiz you took:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"To test your knowledge of scientific concepts and recent scientific findings and events, we invite you to take this 12-question science knowledge quiz. Then see how you did in comparison with the 1,005 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions."
It's appropriate for any country to attempt to measure the knowledge and interests of its own citizens. And though our reporting strives for international coverage, we are, after all, Scientific American.
Well, it was a pretty easy test. I never finished high school and I never took a science course, but I certainly was able to answer every question correctly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat test could have been quite a bit more difficult and I still would have nailed it. I think something a bit more difficult is needed here.
I never finished high school either (I'm starting school in a month), and I got a full score as well. I would expect an average 7th grader to get a near perfect score, because this is a lot easier than their standardized tests.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI couldn't answer the age question; there should be an age range of 12-17, although it might defeat the purpose of comparing adults.
Science is far too politicized today than it was in the past. Take Global Warming for instance. Over the past decade global mean temps have actually been dropping, not raising. Rather than discuss and debate this we have reports about the economic impacts of cap and trade being quashed in the EPA, UN panals declaring the discussion over when obviously it's not. People would rather scientist stick to science rather than social engineering through science.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWithout science, the Americans would not be what they are.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is regrettable that science is losing out its glamor, once so dear to people who enjoy its fruit.
(btt1943)
Without science, the Americans would not be what they are.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is regrettable that science is losing out its glamour, once so dear to people who enjoy its fruit.
(btt1943)
The sad part for me is that more and more science is being drawn into industry and is judged by it's application to industry and the products it generates. Government funding at universities is more and more dependent upon first having an industrial partner and a predefined application and market before being granted.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is incredibly shortsighted as industry doesn't care about applications not related to their core business and if they won't pay off in 2-5 years. A Grand Unification Theory would not pay the bills and this kneecapping of the imagination for the very people who we should be relying upon to save us from ourselves is only going to harm us.
There are exceptions like the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario, where researchers are being freed from these shackles, but they are the exception. My preference would be to steer universities back to fundamental research and away from industrial research and let industry cater to its own needs. But I don't see that happening anytime soon.
The previous 8 years didn't do a lot for the US. The "No Child Gets Ahead" act as well as the rather adversarial position the administration held of science (and how it conflicted with their basic beLIEfs) probably had a little to do with it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo child left behind was also supported and perpetuated by your annointed one and don't beLIEve for a minute that the Obamanation is any differant than Blushfromembarasment. He's out to block any science that doesn't agree with his ideology as well.
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