Americans apparently overwelmingly value science as "absolutely essential" or "very important" to the U.S. healthcare system (86%), the U.S. global reputation (79%), and the U.S. economy (77%) but have a dismal understanding of the topic.
"A new national survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences and conducted by Harris Interactive® reveals that the U.S. public is unable to pass even a basic scientific literacy test."
According to the survey:
* Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun. [right, credit UCAR.edu]
* Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.
* Only 47% of adults can roughly approximate the percent of the Earth's surface that is covered with water.*
* Only 21% of adults answered all three questions correctly.
You can take the same literacy test at the Cal Academy website at www.calacademy.org.
[quotes and stats from Cal Academy news release]