WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) — When it comes to the subject of basic science, Americans aren’t all that bright.
According to the Pew Research Center, when it comes to understanding basic scientific concepts, the American public is only a grade away from flunking.
In a recent 12-question, multiple-choice science quiz, taken by more 3,200 U.S. adults so far, Americans get more answers right than wrong — but only just barely.
The quiz included rather simple questions about whether Earth’s core was the planet’s hottest layer. One question asked quiz-takers to distinguish between the definitions of astronomy and astrology. Some 27 percent of adults failed to do so correctly.
Only 6 percent of adults got all 12 questions correct. It’s not a flattering statistic. Pew, perhaps realizing as much, attempted to downplay the results in a press release.
“How much Americans appear to know about science depends on the kinds of questions asked, of course,” Pew officials wrote. “Science encompasses a vast array of fields and information, and the questions in the new Pew Research survey represent a small slice of science knowledge.”
What concept tripped up American adults the most? The effect of altitude on water’s boiling point.
Take the quiz at www.pewresearch.org/quiz/science-knowledge/.
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