Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
90
80
70
60
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20
Continental
drift
Heliocentric
Radioactivity
human
10
Big bang
Antibiotics kill
viruses
Evolution
0
1985
1988
1990
1992
1995
1997
1999
2001
2004
2006
2008
2010
2011
Figure 41.
Pop u lar understanding of major scientifi c concepts. People generally accept
continental drift and the heliocentric view, while the big bang theory of the origin of
the universe and evolutionary theories are correctly understood by less than half of
Americans.
People are well informed on some concepts, such as the heliocentric
view, the source of radioactivity, and the existence of continental drift.
The concept of evolution does not fare well with many Americans. The
big bang theory has actually lost ground among the public over the last
quarter century. On the other hand, understanding of the effect of an-
tibiotics on viruses has improved markedly. Perhaps people pay atten-
tion to scientists, as they do to their doctors, when it makes a difference
to their personal welfare.
Now turn to views on global warming. Surveys on this topic have
been conducted starting in 1997 in the United States. I gathered the ma-
jor surveys conducted by different survey groups and selected the eight
panels that had repeated the questions for several years; fi ve by Gallup,
two by Pew, and one from Harris. As an example, one of the Pew sur-
