vagrant

When I was in college, I worked for the survey lab that DID those surveys for the NSF. One of the most depressing things I have experienced. Talking to people with 0 [thats zero, none, nada, zip, zilch] clue as to how the universe operates.

Upside was some fascinating calls to the other side of the survey fence, the "scientific elite" portion of the survey population. I had a tendency to go off script often talking to those guys. Had a few nut jobs, but quite a few who really got into talking about what they were doing and science education.

Lasseman

A bit of additional info. These programs are generally three-year courses, although some of the more complex are one year more. These programs are free of charge, but require minimum grades to be admitted. Almost everyone take a gynasieprogram.

Mecha_Dude

I know people who will refuse to believe pencils use graphite and will rant on and on about how pencils use lead! Sad, isn't it?

Nickolaus

Almost everyone? Also, would any or all of these optional programs count as going through 12th grade? They sound rather specialized.

What I'm concerned with is that the study in the link SC gave us purports to have tested people who had graduated 12th grade. In the US you are required to go to school until you either graduate 12th grade or reach age 18 (or maybe 17, I wouldn't know since I didn't drop out).

I've heard that other countries weed out students sooner, based on test scores, and send them instead to specialized vocational schools or into the military. If that's the case there could be significant selection bias in this study.

I'd be much more interested to see a random survey of the general population independent of achieved education level. I don't know enough about this organization to speculate whether they have an axe to grind, but I'm skeptical because of their decision not to do that.

crocodile deathroll

A good question for Americans
Why does a spinning baseball ball curve?
I sure many of them would like to know

Principia

Sounds so familiar...

SC

[ April 08, 2002: Message edited by: Scientiae ]</p>

Bookman

In that case, many of them should read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060950471/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">The Physics of Baseball</a>.

Its really a must have for those of you (like me) that are crossover geeks interested in both science and baseball.

Bookman

[ April 09, 2002: Message edited by: Bookman ]</p>

Megatron

That was the inspiration for my little "nugget" in the "Original Ideas" thread... that half a rock is not a rock, but something else.

That's almost the exact phrase the guy used when talking about steam.

"Once you boil water, it's not water anymore, it's steam, which is something else. The chemicals are different."

After I finished laughing, I was really disappointed in our school systems...

[ April 09, 2002: Message edited by: Zero Angel ]</p>

fando

Oh wonderful, a science poll. I don't ever trust these because you can't tell if the participants are joking or biased (non-random sampling). And I hope those weren't the actual questions because the Sun can definitely be said to be going around our planet from our point of view. Wording is everything.

Let's see... the Sun question says:

It also asks whether, "The universe started with a big explosion." The respondant might know that there's a Big Bang theory, but he or she might not bbelieve it to be correct.

I hope the rest of the report isn't this shoddy.

[ April 11, 2002: Message edited by: fando ]</p>

Coragyps

Fando - Agreed, some of the questions were phrased pretty sloppily. But the overall poll still gives me a chill.