We're Number 33!

By now, you might have heard about the Science article examining the acceptance of evolution in 34 countries. I don't have much else to say that PZ, Shelley, John, and Nick Matzke haven't said already. But I have some additional good news and bad news. The bad news is that we're even more stupid that we thought: 30% of Americans don't know what year the 9/11 attacks were, and five percent can't identify the month and the day of the 9/11 attacks.

The good news is that I was at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory to give a lecture about antibiotic resistance to high school teachers, and they all had pins that said "Teach Evolution, Learn Science." I can safely say that there are 16 teachers in the U.S. who are not creationists. Um, I forgot the good news part...

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Can't even get the month and day? It had to have been November 9, a "day that will live in infamy," a phrase that clearly puts it in the Roosevelt administration. Therefore, by simple and irrefutable logic, the attacks occurred on 9 November 1941.

I note without amusement that 30% is approximately the Bu--sh-- approval rating.
It would be interesting to pop the question to the Great Smirking Chimp itself, and see if HE remembers the year, without deferring to advisors; he wasn't really paying much attention to the events back then, only on the lies he was delighted to pass on.

By goddogtired (not verified) on 12 Aug 2006 #permalink

Don't be too hard on them - the article you link to says that 47% of those who didn't know the year were over 65, so probably had memory problems relating to age, which probably accounts for those who had no idea of the month or day either.

So how does antibiotic resistance to high school teachers work? Do they flee in terror, does their teaching ricochet off of young heads, do they wither and die? Is this a good idea?