Over half of all Americans don't know that the Earth orbits the Sun once a year, and nearly half think that humans once lived, Flintstone-like, alongside dinosaurs

Oh my

Where is this 'half' to 'over half' of Americans that supposedly believe this crap?

I want to see the Zogby or Rasmussen poll on this, otherwise I'm calling shenanigans.

Asking fifty people in Jerkwater, Kentucky about their thoughts on science is NOT a legitimate poll to be quoted as fact.

half to over half wouldn't surprise me.

70% think Saddam was connected to 9/11.

wrecker,

Have you actually walked around and talked to Americans these days, spoken to citizens from all demographics? Man, we are stoooooopid and getting stoooopider every day, particularly in science. With that said, statistics can be cherry-picked, so this number should be questioned, but from my experience, that number is pretty darn close. Just imagine the number on a complex issue.

In the end my friend, every system will get what it deserves. And not that I'm gleefull about said outcome, it is just the way things work. Uneducated populaces usually reaps outcomes caused by uneducated decisions, and the US won't escape that reality. Just look around and see how many examples we can enjoy today: current President, current economic crisis (savings, service industry), etc.

Now this isn't generalizing and assuming that there aren't smart people in the US, because there are. It is just that they are in a minority.

PS... The way to deal with people, such as Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee is to listen to their argument, think about it, then ignore them and do what you can to see that their worldview doesn't reach a bigger platform, such as the presidency. Work against their campaign by volunteering for another candidate (be them Rep, Ind, or Dem) , vote against them, and openly criticize their opinions in a well reasoned manner. That is the only power that we have in the US, and choosing the lazy or uneducated track is not an option if you aren't uneducated.

'Visitors to the United States will be surprised to learn that there isn't much difference between democrats and republicans' -Lonely Planet (may be not entirely accurate, but that's the gist).

I agree, we got bad education problems in this country.

Though, it's really really bizarre: if you've been to a decent grad school, you will see how many truly brilliant people live in the US. Its amazing, do we all live in the same country?

fastcart,

Yes, it is amazing how great a fissure there is in American society, particularly within education levels. I'm not dissing those without formal education and I'm sure that every country exhibits the same, but in the US and in my lifetime, being smart has always been looked down upon, feared, and criticized and being a vacuous idiot is idolized, held with loving affection, and encouraged. Perhaps it has much to do with the fear gene that pervades American society, where most truly fear that which isn't like to them. Instead of trying to learn about it and understand, they would much rather isolate, belittle, and harm. And that doesn't completely disappear with increased levels of education, it just becomes more muted and infrequent.

Having lived in both worlds: being raised and edumacated in a poor, uneducated locality and then studying and higher degreed in science, I know many layers of the strata. I can say that I don't want people to think like me, but I would love people to think. Most are driven by their simple lizard-brained fears, of which we all are held captive, but the problem lies in that many don't learn how to control their lizard halves, and this is all through the education strata. Kinda sad, but true. In no way do I think I'm better than anyone else along the continuum (sp?), but I have learned to control my lizard brain, except when it comes to my urge for porn.

I ran into the whole 'u r smarter then me, cuz u used a word I dont know, so u must b ridiculed' thing a bunch of times before I realized it was the kind of thing ignorant people do pridefully without realizing they're insulting themselves. It doesn't make the prospect any happier, but it does act as its own revenge, if that helps any.

I wonder if it has its genesis in the iconic idea of America as having been built by blood-sweat-tearing blue-collar immigrants on the self-empowered run from the dangerous, high-falutin' ideas of the Church and educated, ruling England.

Vas,

Interesting idea on the source of cherished ignorance. There definitely exists a pride in this attitude, and a reversal of facts by Actually Believing that being ignorant/uneducated is actually Better for your well being. And like you said, it is a self-fulfilling ignorance, as those that possess this attitude usually wind up on the short end o stick in life. Sad thing is, some of these people are actually smart, but they really waive the ignorance flag. Having grown up in this, I realized that there is nothing that one can do to change this behavior, other than by one's actions and results.

Funny story... When I was studying Russian because I was tired of German and a large portion of historic scientific research was in Russian (as well as German), I was called a Commie Bastard by many of my fellow town citizens, who knew me for years... and knew that I wasn't no Commie. They were so afraid of the Russians and the cold war, that anyone wanting to learn the language must also be a sympathizer. I laughed it off then as a quirky attitude and to this day I chuckle when thinking about their belief in their beliefs.

I always suspected you to be a commie bastard, you commie bastard.