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Theunicornhunter

Are Americans Are Science Illiterate?

Are Americans are Science Illiterate?  

14 members have voted

  1. 1. Are Americans are Science Illiterate?

    • Yes, definitely
      2
    • Our scientists are great, average people aren't so good
      9
    • No, not at all
      3
    • Other
      0


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I am constantly amazed at what people don't know about very simple things. I also cringe when I hear people say science is boring. Florida just added science to its state testing system (for schools) so it will be interesting to see how science fares.

 

Why do you think science knowledge is lagging (if you do)?

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I believe there are lot of people in America that are science illiterate. As in general population I would have to say no. America colleges are full of students who are studying science, in whatever field, as a major.

Edited by Odie

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Guest Mike_Hines01

I think America is just like any other country, you those who are great at science and love and then you have people who arn't so great at it, like me :flowers:

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I'm probably more science illiterate than the majority of this board, but, to tell you the truth, I don't really care. I don't like science, and try to avoid the higher level science classes as much as possible. To get my requirement out of the way, I'm taking "Earthquakes and Volcanoes" next semester :flowers: .

I've always been more of a Math and History guy; science just isn't my thing. Sorry, TUH.

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Hmm, in a society where people think we'll get more out of the govt funding health care then funding nasa, no wonder i think america is science illiterate. I wish nasa was being funded as much as the medicare is being, then maybe we would have a base on mars already. :laugh:

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I would like to say that America is as scientifically advanced as the rest of the world, but then I read about Georgia trying to have Creationism taught in public schools. If a fundamental scientific principle like evolution isn't recognized as legitimate, then I have to question our nation's role as a scientific leader.

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I would like to say that America is as scientifically advanced as the rest of the world, but then I read about Georgia trying to have Creationism taught in public schools.  If a fundamental scientific principle like evolution isn't recognized as legitimate, then I have to question our nation's role as a scientific leader.

"...a fundamental scientific theory such as evolution..." :waaaa:

 

^Not a subject you want to get me on. Sci may not be my favorite topic, but I do know a few things, or know others who do.

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I would like to say that America is as scientifically advanced as the rest of the world, but then I read about Georgia trying to have Creationism taught in public schools.  If a fundamental scientific principle like evolution isn't recognized as legitimate, then I have to question our nation's role as a scientific leader.

"...a fundamental scientific theory such as evolution..." :waaaa:

 

^Not a subject you want to get me on. Sci may not be my favorite topic, but I do know a few things, or know others who do.

Bring it on. :waaaa:

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lol

Maybe some other time. I'll see if I can sick one of my pals on you if I can get ahold of him :waaaa: ; he's better at it.

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lol

Maybe some other time. I'll see if I can sick one of my pals on you if I can get ahold of him :waaaa: ; he's better at it.

Lol - oh, ok (forlorn)

 

I know we would never have convinced each other, but I was looking forward to the struggle. Maybe another time :waaaa:

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Jeffitz, what Georgia is simply trying to do is reintroduce a point of view which has largly been kept from people's ability to consider. They are in no way trying to "get rid" of the evolution theory, and it IS a theory.

 

What is going on is schools are slowly ending their abdictating that evolution is the "only" way we came about, which is an idea which has been pushed for countless decades now.

 

The reason for this is more and more evidence which simply shows a lack of a genetic link between current humans and our so-called "ancestors", this is why evolution is still a theory, because it has holes in it with-in the "ape branch".

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Interesting - I have to point out there is a difference between politics and science; and some of your complaints about science are really arguments about political views.

 

As for science, I don't know what kind of conversations you have with people but I have conversations with people that:

1. Don't understand the difference between fraternal and identical twins

2. Believe cutting you hair makes your hair grow faster

3. Believe putting salt in water makes it boil quicker

4. Don't understand the difference between bacteria and viruses - this one is having major consequences in pubic health

5. They confuse correlation with causality in statistics - another of my pet peeves - and this has adverse effects on the public treasury as government officials waste our money.

6. etc, etc.

 

As for the evolution/creationism debate - my views probably fall somewhere outside of both. Legally, in other words to remain within the terms of the First Amendment, public schools should acknowledge both points of view. Then students could develop that practically unheard of concept of rational thought by articulating what they believe and why. Regurgitating the facts of any theory or concept isn't education - it's indoctrination. When a student can put into their own words why they feel one concept is more correct than another then I think we're getting somewhere. I think I've mentioned before that I received a minor in Anthropology - my physical Anthropology class was a real challenge but I got an A because I was able to support my views with rational argument and use of available scientific knowledge.

 

I think another error many people make is that there is one "science" view and all scientists accept it. In most situations that is not the case. Oh, and then there's the pet peeve where the search for truth is held hostage to political expediency and that happens a lot - so again I could get going there.

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UN, if you think that bad. Listen to this one! One day I watch standing the mid-watch on USS Harry S. Truman. I was chit-chat with the other person that I stood watch just to keep a wake. He believed that he was from the North, because he was from North Carolina. Asked him why he thought that he was from the north and all he was there was NORTH in North Carolina.

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Jeffitz, what Georgia is simply trying to do is reintroduce a point of view which has largly been kept from people's ability to consider. They are in no way trying to "get rid" of the evolution theory, and it IS a theory.

 

I would like to point out that Creationism is fundamentally a religio-ethnically biased term that only applies to certain cultures and religions (sorry if this sounds redundant, but everyone might not know what "religio-ethnic" means"), specifically, the Christian-Judaic-Muslim worldview. There are also billions of Buddhists and Hindi's (the 2 biggies, but there are thousands more) living on this this planet, not to mention in this country. So we can either teach every religious doctrine of how human beings first appeared on Earth (I wouldn't be against this if they all got an equal time share) or we teach the worldview that is accepted by paleontologists and archeologists across all cultures; ie. evolution.

 

Evolution is an established scientific theory (American science is really in trouble if "theory" has become a bad word) with over 150 years of facts and thought to back it up. If we are to keep our edge in international science, we will have to overcome these regional biases.

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Evolution is an established scientific theory (American science is really in trouble if "theory" has become a bad word) with over 150 years of facts and thought to back it up.  If we are to keep our edge in international science, we will have to overcome these regional biases.

Theory isn't a bad word but I think the point is - it is only a theory and it is far from proven. In fact, it is the very lack of scientific knowledge that I mentioned that leads people to believe things are proven because they don't know how to think critically about them. A great many of our "facts" are actually subjective interpretations.

 

I would also suggest that what you believe regarding creation will actually have little impact on your study of physics, chemistry, engineering or even biology - all those things we need to keep our scientific competitiveness.

 

And there is no "world view" on any scientific principle - there are disagreements or different interpretations on every issue - including evolution.

 

And it doesn't matter if creationism (which I don't necessarily support) is regional - if you're living in that region.

 

Indeed, it seems anti- religionists are just as biased as they accuse religionists of being and in my experience have been just as narrow minded.

 

I do however think it is sad that this discussion became a religion/creation debate - but maybe that's because evolution is the only scientific term most people know - and that's probably only because of the debate.

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Evolution is an established scientific theory (American science is really in trouble if "theory" has become a bad word) with over 150 years of facts and thought to back it up.  If we are to keep our edge in international science, we will have to overcome these regional biases.

Theory isn't a bad word but I think the point is - it is only a theory and it is far from proven. In fact, it is the very lack of scientific knowledge that I mentioned that leads people to believe things are proven because they don't know how to think critically about them. A great many of our "facts" are actually subjective interpretations.

 

I would also suggest that what you believe regarding creation will actually have little impact on your study of physics, chemistry, engineering or even biology - all those things we need to keep our scientific competitiveness.

 

And there is no "world view" on any scientific principle - there are disagreements or different interpretations on every issue - including evolution.

 

And it doesn't matter if creationism (which I don't necessarily support) is regional - if you're living in that region.

 

Indeed, it seems anti- religionists are just as biased as they accuse religionists of being and in my experience have been just as narrow minded.

 

I do however think it is sad that this discussion became a religion/creation debate - but maybe that's because evolution is the only scientific term most people know - and that's probably only because of the debate.

I agree with you in principle that all knowledge is subjective, but a line must be drawn. So, my question to you is, does our "region" only include Christian Fundamentalists, or does it encompass all the religions of the United States?

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I do however think it is sad that this discussion became a religion/creation debate - but maybe that's because evolution is the only scientific term most people know - and that's probably only because of the debate.

I'm sorry too, there is a false dichotomy between science and religion, Stephen J. Gould wrote about it extensively, but I neither have his knowledge or wisdom. All I can ask is that we meet 1/2 way and discuss it.

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I do however think it is sad that this discussion became a religion/creation debate - but maybe that's because evolution is the only scientific term most people know - and that's probably only because of the debate.

I'm sorry too, there is a false dichotomy between science and religion, Stephen J. Gould wrote about it extensively, but I neither have his knowledge or wisdom. All I can ask is that we meet 1/2 way and discuss it.

I started this thread to discuss the state of scientific knowledge in the US and you're trying to turn it into a debate between religion and science. I guess what I was saying was I wish you'd start another thread.

 

Honestly, when I read "it must be so because Stephen Jay Gould said it was" it comes across just like it "it must be so because the Bible said it was". However, if you read my previous post I only said that schools should acknowledge there are other views - not teach them AND students should be allowed to present their views in assignments (tests, reports etc) if they do so in a professional manner.

 

A line must be drawn
... I guess that is the ulitmate question that has dogged mankind from the beginning... who decides which segment of society imposes their views, beliefs, etc on the other segment? We get to decide this again come November. :bow: Edited by TheUnicornHunter

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I think far too many people find science boring and impossible to understand. But we do have our fair share of smart and interested students. I'd like to include myself in that count seeing as I am seriously considering a career at NASA :bow:

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Our scientists are great, average people aren't so good.

 

The problem is that a lot of us don't think about the science that runs our lives. They ponder about money. Our school system focuses too much on the tests, but not application in the real world.

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Some people just don't like what they don't understand.

I, on the other hand, like science of some kind or another. I enjoy learning about new things. I may not get some concepts but others I grasp quickly.

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I consider Americans to be somewhat knowledgable in science, but most Americans aren't scientists. I mean, your average teenager probably knows more about science than you give them credit for. think about how much science is required just to work on a car. you have to know chemestry and physics to understand how the engine works.

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I consider Americans to be somewhat knowledgable in science, but most Americans aren't scientists. I mean, your average teenager probably knows more about science than you give them credit for. think about how much science is required just to work on a car. you have to know chemestry and physics to understand how the engine works.

I agree with you. Lots of people aren't aware of how much science that do in everyday life. Like you said about the cars it also applies to baking a cake or bread. Science is very much part of our life.

Edited by Odie

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Actually, I disagree. We might know how to fix an engine but we don't know the science behind it. We might know how to load a program but do we know how electricity can give so much computing power to a machine?

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Actually, I disagree. We might know how to fix an engine but we don't know the science behind it. We might know how to load a program but do we know how electricity can give so much computing power to a machine?

I have to agree with that. Most people understand how to do something, but not many know why it works.

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I think most Americans are scientifically illiterate, but you can't blame all of that on laziness. Our media constantly gets it's science wrong and our politicians and government agencies are too willing to distort science to suit their political ends or apply for funding.

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CNN once said "Research on a HIV killing medicines" HIV can't be killed as it is a virus and they are not alive....

 

"Mad cow infection found" Mad cow disease is actually not a disease but food poisoning as the culprit is a prion also known as a poisonous protein that triggered a neurological or nervous response.

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