1 in 4 Americans think the Sun goes around the Earth. Does it matter?

[KingOrfeo]

[Sherlock Holmes'] ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. My surprise reached a climax, however, when I found incidentally that he was ignorant of the Copernican Theory and of the composition of the Solar System. That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to be to me such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it.

"You appear to be astonished," he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. "Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it."

"To forget it!"

"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

"But the Solar System!" I protested.

"What the deuce is it to me?" he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun. If we went round the moon it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or to my work."

-- "A Study in Scarlet," Arthur Conan Doyle

I do not agree with Doyle's assessment of the limitations of human knowledge and memory and recall, I've spent my whole life learning things for the sake of learning them, but the above does make me think:

Apparently, 1 in 4 Americans are unaware the Earth orbits the Sun. (Well, we know a lot of things about 1 in 4 Americans.) Since no major religion or denomination (some few very minor ones, perhaps) actually teaches the Ptolemaic theory or denies the Copernican any more, and no one is really emotionally invested on the Ptolemaic side culturally that I know of, what accounts for their ignorance of something so often mentioned or implied in the media? Perhaps they're simply indifferent? Of course this is something you have to get right if you're ever to have the most basic grasp of astronomy or cosmology or large areas of physics, but a great many people probably have no interest in acquiring such grasp, or see any use for it in their daily lives, and probably they never will have.

Or, there could simply be a segment of the population -- but 25% seems quite a lot! -- that is just that profoundly unteachable. If the latter, is it possible that nothing can be done about it, ever, in any society?

I wonder what would have been the results if they had asked whether the world is flat or round (oblate-spheroid, whatever).

What's more:

Here’s the thing, though: Americans actually fared better than Europeans who took similar quizzes — at least when it came to the sun and Earth question. Only 66 percent of European Union residents answered that one correctly.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I'm honestly not surprised.
Just take a look at the number of posters here who have adopted the mantra "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts!"

 

[bill-pix-trade]

I listened to an adult tell their kid one time "During the day the earth moves closer to the sun and at night the earth moves closer to the moon". No shit a true story. I considered calling DSS to get the kids removed from the home, but thought nawwwww the kids will figure out she is a idiot by 4th grade.

 

[about_average]

It would be really interesting to see the correlation, if any, between those who believe the sun orbits the earth and those who believe creation myths.

 

[bronzeage]

It would be really interesting to see the correlation, if any, between those who believe the sun orbits the earth and those who believe creation myths.

I know a lot of deeply religious people and I know a lot of deeply stupid people, but I don't know anyone who thinks the sun goes around the Earth. My social circles may be small, but if the true number is 25%, I should have run across at least one, by now.

 

[bill-pix-trade]

It would be really interesting to see the correlation, if any, between those who believe the sun orbits the earth and those who believe creation myths.

It could be, but I am willing to bet stupid comes in all shapes and sizes.

 

[KingOrfeo]

It would be really interesting to see the correlation, if any, between those who believe the sun orbits the earth and those who believe creation myths.

Well, the same poll results say:

And the fact that only 74 percent of participants knew that the Earth revolved around the sun is perhaps less alarming than the fact that only 48 percent knew that humans evolved from earlier species of animals.

But, it says nothing about the size of the Boolean intersection between the 26% ignorant of Copernican theory and the 52% ignorant (or in denial) of evolution. I would hazard a guess that the latter set entirely or almost entirely contains the first . . .

But, N.B., the two ignorances are not really quite comparable -- the theory of biological evolution is controversial for purely religious reasons; as noted above, (practically) nobody has any religious imperative to deny Copernican astronomy, and there are no (significant) organizations dedicated to denying it or offering alternative theories.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Then again, it might have something to do with this . . .

 

[about_average]

I know a lot of deeply religious people and I know a lot of deeply stupid people, but I don't know anyone who thinks the sun goes around the Earth. My social circles may be small, but if the true number is 25%, I should have run across at least one, by now.

Yeah, same here. Or maybe I just don't want to believe it.

Maybe I should say thinking anyone is that stupid is against my religious beliefs.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I know a lot of deeply religious people and I know a lot of deeply stupid people, but I don't know anyone who thinks the sun goes around the Earth. My social circles may be small, but if the true number is 25%, I should have run across at least one, by now.

Fallacy of the small sample here. You seem to be reasonably well-educated, so I'm not surprised your immediate circle of friends don't include any heliocentric deniers.

Now lesser-educated chodes such as JamesBRacist, I'd suspect that 50% or more of his fellow trailer trash might accept the notion of the sun movin' around the Earth.

 

[bronzeage]

Fallacy of the small sample here. You seem to be reasonably well-educated, so I'm not surprised your immediate circle of friends don't include any heliocentric deniers.

Now lesser-educated chodes such as JamesBRacist, I'd suspect that 50% or more of his fellow trailer trash might accept the notion of the sun movin' around the Earth.

No, really, I know some very stupid people.

I think the real question to be answered is why do we accept the results of surveys such as this one, which has about the same amount of documentation as the Book of Genesis.

On the other hand, we need to consider what it would look like if the Sun did go around the Earth.

 

[dan_c00000]

A lot of Americans think astrology is a science. And 27% (again about 1 in 4) believe God helps decide sports.

 

[Phelia]

I think instead of the pointless suspension of that Duck Dynasty guy, AMC should have required that they include five minutes of old Bill Nye the Science Guy footage with every new episode.

This seems fitting:

http://api.ning.com/files/ZWspYqpxd8R8lTFnKUJhwF7LBzLeomFx-Nu0pYbV0visEZceQPV2v-zFcl6pV3HIk4ziR1jduT4xlnz9eHIoGevDEKEudSp7/facebooksunearth.jpg?width=483&height=555

Then again, it might have something to do with this . . .

That is upsetting.

"Optical intercourse" is hilarious, though.

 

[Aphro]

Well, they have this place, so nothing surprises me as far as what people might believe.

 

[KingOrfeo]

And 27% (again about 1 in 4) believe God helps decide sports.

That is even more disturbing -- because it is indefensible even on faith's own moral/spiritual terms. Who are the "good guys" and "bad guys" in a sporting contest?! The concept is meaningless! It's a game, not a war! And how is God to prefer one team/athlete over the other for any other reason? (Unless He has money riding on the game . . .)

 

[Phelia]

That is even more disturbing -- because it is indefensible even on faith's own moral/spiritual terms. Who are the "good guys" and "bad guys" in a sporting contest?! The concept is meaningless! It's a game, not a war! And how is God to prefer one team/athlete over the other for any other reason? (Unless He has money riding on the game . . .)

It's exactly like war. The "good guys" are usually just the ones you happen to be cheering/playing for.

ETA: G-d is a Leafs fan.

 

[Wrong Element]

Psalms 93:1

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.



How many Americans believe the Bible is literally true in all matters? 25 percent sounds about right.

 

[dan_c00000]

That is even more disturbing -- because it is indefensible even on faith's own moral/spiritual terms. Who are the "good guys" and "bad guys" in a sporting contest?! The concept is meaningless! It's a game, not a war! And how is God to prefer one team/athlete over the other for any other reason? (Unless He has money riding on the game . . .)

To them a story like Young Goodman Brown could and does actually happen.

There's tons of excellent books but the three I could suggest are: Idiot America, What's the Matter with Kansas?, and Merchants of Doubt.

It boils down to the fact that money, ignorance, and a world view incompatible with modern society are to blame for stuff like this.

 

[Magnetron]

That there are still Americans that believe Obama is a Muslim, nothing surprises me.

 

[StrangeLife]

90% of all Europeans believe that strict gun-control makes them safer. Does it matter?

 

[mngramps]

People can think what they want. Makes no never mind to me...

 

[KingOrfeo]

90% of all Europeans believe that strict gun-control makes them safer. Does it matter?

On the evidence it does matter, because it does make them safer.

 

[KingOrfeo]

To them a story like Young Goodman Brown could and does actually happen.

There's tons of excellent books but the three I could suggest are: Idiot America, What's the Matter with Kansas?, and Merchants of Doubt.

It boils down to the fact that money, ignorance, and a world view incompatible with modern society are to blame for stuff like this.

How does money figure into it?!

 

[KingOrfeo]

It's exactly like war. The "good guys" are usually just the ones you happen to be cheering/playing for.

ETA: G-d is a Leafs fan.

Lightning fan, you blaspheming heretic!

 

[KingOrfeo]

Psalms 93:1

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.



How many Americans believe the Bible is literally true in all matters? 25 percent sounds about right.

Yeah, but nobody interprets that scripture as implying a stationary Earth any more, AFAIK.