Okay, Now I'm Depressed

Scientific illiteracy is one of my big buttons. So imagine my chagrin when I read this article about the pathetic results on a survey of scientific knowledge. I can tolerate, barely, that people don't know about cells or Strontium 90 as a component of nuclear fallout. But this just takes the cake:

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.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll have another go at teaching. Somebody has to step up and do something about this.

And I don't mean government, they've done enough damage already.

Hat tip: Instapundit