Sad State of American Science Education..

[flacaltenn]

How do you get thru 12 years of education not knowing anything about the Solar System?
And NO -- this is not a political discussion.. What ARE your kids learning about the world they live in?

To put the brightest possible spin on this story is to say that three-quarters of Americans are fully aware that the Earth revolves around the sun. The downside, of course, is that means 1 in 4 are in the dark about what Discovery calls "probably the most basic question in science." The National Science Foundation asked that question and nine others of 2,200 Americans, with the average score on the quiz coming in at 6.5, reportsPhys.org.

Some other results noted by NPR:
39% answered correctly that "the universe began with a huge explosion"
Fewer than half—48%—agreed that "human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals"


Read more: 1 in 4 Americans don't know Earth circles Sun

 

[ScienceRocks]

I was just about to post this. sad that the educational system is failing so badly...Believe me this doesn't end well if we don't turn it around.

 

[flacaltenn]

Some of the worst school districts in the nation now spend more on a grade schooler, than it takes to send a Freshman to a state university. It's not money -- it's FOCUS. And the basics are being ignored because the ED schools turning out the teachers have LOWERED the reqs for science and math in favor of brainless education policy and philosophies..

 

[Mr. H.]

All the school kids are Republicans?
I mean, it's got to be in there genes to not want to learn that shit. After all, Republicans don't believe in science.

 

[Steven_R]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Q8UvJ1wvk]Who's More Pro-Science, Republicans or Democrats? - Neil deGrasse Tyson - YouTube[/ame]

It's not a Republican or Democrat funding of science issue. It's an issue of school boards not doing their job, either because they are inept or have an agenda. It's about teacher's unions fighting tooth and nail to keep bad teachers on staff. It's about parents who don't care enough to get involved in their kids' education. It's about school administrations that are top heavy and care far more about making sure they get new office furniture than they do making sure kids learn trig. It's about making sure that resources are wasted on kids who don't want to be in school, or are just disruptive because they don't care, but nobody is willing to take the political flack to kick those kids out to concentrate on kids who want to learn. It's about putting school sports first and funding six million dollar HS football stadiums but not funding chemistry classes.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Who else would believe that the earth is the center of our solar system besides bible readers?

 

[Steven_R]

Believe it or not, there is a modern geocentrism movement. I was astonished to see one of the people involved has a PhD in Astronomy from Case Western Reserve University. It's just a case of people who know better rejecting their training because it conflicts with the Bible. It's bad enough, but the mental gymnastics they go through to validate their positions in their own minds and the minds of those the convince that they are right is amazing. Stuff like the Ferroluminous Aether Theory is right and that the Michaelson-Morley Experiement actually confirmed the theory.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Believe it or not, there is a modern geocentrism movement. I was astonished to see one of the people involved has a PhD in Astronomy from Case Western Reserve University. It's just a case of people who know better rejecting their training because it conflicts with the Bible. It's bad enough, but the mental gymnastics they go through to validate their positions in their own minds and the minds of those the convince that they are right is amazing. Stuff like the Ferroluminous Aether Theory is right and that the Michaelson-Morley Experiement actually confirmed the theory.

There is also a PhD that teaches that humans and dinosaurs coexisted

 

[flacaltenn]

Who else would believe that the earth is the center of our solar system besides bible readers?

We're talking about kids who have no clue what a Universe is.. Got nothing to do with religion or politics. This is a systemic failure to prioritize what's being taught. Same kids are just as ignorant about how the government works.. Guaranteed....

 

[Moonglow]

My youngest is 11 and knows all about science of Astronomy and Evolution.

 

[Katzndogz]

Give the students enough pot and they won't care. Knowing the principles as astronomy is not going to put a single joint in their hands. Knowing anything about evolution won't make twerking better. Students have priorities.

 

[Moonglow]

Give them a Bible so they will have paper to roll that joint, or for shit tickets.