Why Don’t More People Know This?
The fact that Earth orbits the Sun is a long-established fact. Yet, for some reason that I don’t completely understand, 1 in 4 of my compatriots here in the U.S. do NOT know this. How do I know this? The National Science Foundation surveyed Americans about their attitudes toward science and technology. You can read an especially relevant chapter of the report they made here. (PDF)
I’m still reading the chapter closely, but I am concerned that the survey is really giving us a broad-brush look at general attitudes. Still, with that caveat, it does bother me quite a bit that 1 in 4 people don’t know a simple fact that has been proven time and again. Or that a huge number of people have some belief in astrology and/or confuse it with the science of astronomy.
The question I have to ask here is, “How could this be possible?” I’m open to discussion on this, particularly from those who do science outreach (like me), or are involved in science education. What’s the deal here?
Just before this report came out, the NSF released another one called “U.S. Lead in Science and Technology Shrinking”. Taken together (and I am NOT suggesting causal links between the two), it makes me wonder if we are failing our students and ourselves when it comes to science understanding. Again, I’m open to discussion on this. Feel free to comment (I moderate comments, so keep it professional and respectful).
I think the problem is that many people just don’t care about this kind of ‘abstract’ information. They have too many other more pragmatic things to assimilate, such as all of their passwords to social media sites, the local price of gasoline, etc. Astronomical data of the kind that we astronomers generate serves for them no useful purpose, and so they are not attentive to memorizing these facts the way they would other things in their lives like baseball scores etc.
And,I remember as a kid many of us DID know such material. We had a shiny new space program to follow.
This is today’s America. We’re seventh in literacy, twenty-seventh in math, twenty-second in science, forty-ninth in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies.
It’s not the America I grew up thinking we would become.
As i read/follow/do astronomy everyday, these things(Earth revolving around Sun) are so obvious. Maybe that is the problem, This information is so obvious that the people dont have to know it, the information will come from somewhere else if needed.
With the digital era and mobile internet, who needs to know things, when you can check them out on the net. Everybody knew how to count when I was a kid, but these days, the calculator is there on the phones to do it for you. Maybe it is the same here!
Good luck for you in the U.S.
Yes, the info is ubiquitous. but, even though the info can be sought immediately via the Web, understanding is rather more complex. Knowing a fact and understanding why it is so are two different things.
I just teach Sunday School and I’m teaching on creation but facts like the orbiting of the Sun by earth was something I grew up with. I have decided to teach the children as much science as I am able which isn’t a lot but they love it. Learning about crystals and minerals in the Earth, Light and looking through prisms, planting a garden, and now we are learning about the Sun. I grabbed your photo for them and left the link on my page. Their minds are so open. I love science and don’t think it conflicts with but rather adds to my christian beliefs. I am from New Zealand and I have to say that children here don’t know a lot about any of the science stuff I just mentioned above, I remember getting taught this in school but now they don’t get any of this stuff unless they choose it as an option in high school. Its sad, and its as if someone wants to close their minds and they are just craving for new stuff, sorry rambling. Just love what you have to say and had to comment
Thank you for your kind words. The best thing we can do for our children is to open their eyes to ALL the possibilities the cosmos has to offer!