What revolves around the earth?

[Nielsio]

ZOMG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0CjrNgK0zw

[btmagnetw]

i need to remember to quote this whenever someone posts some stupid american not knowing something about geography (90% of the time, from are you smarter than a 5th grader)

[Nielsio]

I blaim public education obviously.

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
ZOMG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0CjrNgK0zw

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't expect much difference in the USA, from what I've seen on Leno's Jaywalk with college students/grads and quiz shows in general. Even allowing for Leno's post-film selection, a lot of the questions they get wrong are mindblowing for an unintoxicated highschool senior.

luckyme

[Borodog]

I will once again point out that Leno's Jay Walking bit would not be funny if the majority of the audience didn't know the correct answers.

[hitch1978]

OMFG!!!!!!!!

Just showed that clip to my wife!!!!

She is officially dumb!!!!!

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
I will once again point out that Leno's Jay Walking bit would not be funny if the majority of the audience didn't know the correct answers.

[/ QUOTE ]


I'm pretty sure Leno thanks god for the answers-cards.

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
OMFG!!!!!!!!

Just showed that clip to my wife!!!!

She is officially dumb!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


Did you show her this post also?

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
I will once again point out that Leno's Jay Walking bit would not be funny if the majority of the audience didn't know the correct answers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Even using as a given that is true ( it usually is), the questions are typically a level or two easier than the local astronomy one, sometimes at or near the "who's buried in Grants Tomb" type.

That we can find ANYONE with a college degree or is teaching school who gets them wrong, let alone a constant supply of them is the telling part. It's the continuum implied. Iow, the next level up, above these successful grads and teachers and degree aspirants ... never mind the ones that failed or dropped out of highschool or college.

luckyme

[VarlosZ]

France is approaching 50% atheist/agnositc, as opposed to less than 10% in the U.S. Need we look any further for the root of their ignorance?


Seriously, though, I wonder if there was something about the way the question was phrased in French that would make it confusing. 58% seems shockingly high.

[Limesparks]

maybe they were confused by the fact that the moon doesnt revolve around the earth

they revolve about their common center of mass final answer

[Nielsio]

[ QUOTE ]
maybe they were confused by the fact that the moon doesnt revolve around the earth

they revolve about their common center of mass final answer

[/ QUOTE ]


Actually all answers were correct because it's all relative and everything revolves around everything, but obviously the intent of the question was A.

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
France is approaching 50% atheist/agnositc, as opposed to less than 10% in the U.S. Need we look any further for the root of their ignorance?


Seriously, though, I wonder if there was something about the way the question was phrased in French that would make it confusing. 58% seems shockingly high.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's several factors at play. Multiple choice being one of them. Everyone know that all the objects named are involved in orbiting and if you asked, "Does the moon orbit the earth" you'd get a much higher correct response.

For most on here this may sound strange but people with poorer spatial visualization capability this becomes a merely verbal question. They don't "see" the solar system in 3D like others do when it's mentioned, they don't "see" it at all actually. for them the question could well be of the " who sailed farther, columbus or magellan." type.

Try it as presented on non-SMP types, Oprah watchers, Survivor addicts, could be interesting because you may be thinking " who could get that wrong."

luckyme

[VarlosZ]

Yeah, that makes sense.

Also, from here (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/science/30profile.html?_r=1&ex=1184990400&en=2fb126c3132f8 9ae&ei=5070&oref=slogin):

[ QUOTE ]
Dr. Miller's data reveal some yawning gaps in basic knowledge. American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

[/ QUOTE ]

[luckyme]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that makes sense.

Also, from here (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/science/30profile.html?_r=1&ex=1184990400&en=2fb126c3132f8 9ae&ei=5070&oref=slogin):

[ QUOTE ]
Dr. Miller's data reveal some yawning gaps in basic knowledge. American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

This is more the level I experience -

[ QUOTE ]
While scientific literacy has doubled over the past two decades, only 20 to 25 percent of Americans are "scientifically savvy and alert," he said in an interview. Most of the rest "don't have a clue."

[/ QUOTE ]

that in the 75% range. Unless the topic is sports or pop culture I'd expect above 50% ignorance rates.

luckyme

[chezlaw]

[ QUOTE ]
France is approaching 50% atheist/agnositc, as opposed to less than 10% in the U.S. Need we look any further for the root of their ignorance?


Seriously, though, I wonder if there was something about the way the question was phrased in French that would make it confusing. 58% seems shockingly high.

[/ QUOTE ]
maybe they just thought **** him. If he don't know that he deserves to lose.

chez

[DougShrapnel]

I'm pretty sure the correct answer is tout le reste
(everything else). People are dumb.

[foal]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
France is approaching 50% atheist/agnositc, as opposed to less than 10% in the U.S. Need we look any further for the root of their ignorance?


Seriously, though, I wonder if there was something about the way the question was phrased in French that would make it confusing. 58% seems shockingly high.

[/ QUOTE ]
maybe they just thought **** him. If he don't know that he deserves to lose.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I had that thought too. You know how those Frenchies are.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
I will once again point out that Leno's Jay Walking bit would not be funny if they showed all 75 hours of footage they took in order to find those retards

[/ QUOTE ]

[andyfox]

What difference does it make if the average person knows the answer or not?

[SNOWBALL]

so Wittgenstein was talking with a friend, and asked him "why did people used to think the sun revolved around the earth"
the friend answered "well obviously because it looked that way"
Wittgenstein countered "well, what would it have looked like had it looked like the earth revolved around the sun?"

[JayTee]

Is the translation correct? "What rotates around the Earth?"

[scorcher863]

[ QUOTE ]
Is the translation correct? "What rotates around the Earth?"


[/ QUOTE ]

hmmm, the sun does rotate and it is located near the sun.