Science and Ignorance

The USA is the most developed capitalist country in the world. It also happens to have the most developed scientists in the world, but that doesn't mean its population is the best informed. When asked the question does the earth orbit the sun how did they reply? 'The good news is that 74 per cent of Americans know the answer. The very bad news is that means 26 per cent really don't. ....... Other startling results from the survey included that only 39 per cent of Americans believe "the universe began with a huge explosion". And fewer than half of the people surveyed (48 per cent) agreed that "human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier  species of animals". .... The study also demonstrated that a total of 42 per cent of Americans thought astrology was either "very scientific" or "sort of scientific". (Independent, 16 February) The survey, as reported by Agence France-Presse, is carried out every couple of years in order to analyse whether America is making educational progress. The owning class throughout the world need the best possible scientists but if the rest of the population know little of science it is of little concern to the owners. RD