A new survey conducted by the National Science Foundation found that 1 in 4 Americans believe that it is the Sun that revolves around Earth, not the other way around. This only proves that even if people are interested in science, not all are equipped with the basic knowledge.
About 2,200 people participated in the survey which asked about basic knowledge on science. This survey is done every two years to see the national progress of the Americans. The participants were given 10 questions about physical and biological sciences. The average score of the participants was 6.5 which didn't even meet the passing grade.
To set the record straight: it is the Earth that revolves around the Sun, not the other way around. This is a scientific fact discovered by Nicolaus Copernicus during the 16th century.
The participants were also asked about human evolution in which 48 percent responded that we came from earlier species of animals.
Aside from testing the knowledge of the participants about science, the survey was also designed to measure the public attitude of the Americans about scientists and scientific studies.
In terms of interest, four out of five of the respondents said they are "interested" in "new scientific discoveries" especially medical, environmental pollution, and new inventions and technologies. When compared to the European survey, the Americans fared higher in interest.
It was also found that the number of Americans using the Internet to learn about science has also increased by seven percent compared to previous survey. Those who watch the TV about science dropped while the online newspapers reading increased.
When asked about personal opinion on the government involvement to scientific studies, four in 10 respondents said that the government is spending "too little on research" and education but spends "too much" on helping other countries.
The results of the survey were presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.
Read the complete NSF report here.
