Comments on: New polling data on evolution

By: TheMonkeyMan

TheMonkeyMan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:01:46 +0000

I’ll try to get a copy and send it on!

By: dogmeatIB

dogmeatIB — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:03:01 +0000

Actually the US numbers don’t quite add up either, knowledge ends up at 84%, evidence ends up at 80%, unless there were other responses.

I agree that it is likely that a sizable majority who claim they know/understand evolution have no idea or know the creationist/ID “version” of evolution. I have students all the time in my European history class (when we discuss Darwin and 19th century intellectual developments) who insist they know what the theory of evolution is and then provide a ridiculous creationist cartoon version where fish morph into apes in front of your eyes, etc. Most of these students have already had biology by the time they have my class, including the coverage of evolution, many of them literally refuse to accept the actual evidence and stick to the things their preachers and parents told them.

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:47:18 +0000

@ Divalent Appears to be the case. I checked my table against the original data.

By: Divalent

Divalent — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:43:31 +0000

Egypt numbers don’t add up, unless a substantial number refused to give any answer for some questions.

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:22:02 +0000

[citation needed]

By: TheMonkeyMan

TheMonkeyMan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:21:15 +0000

If you want to see some really funny results, a friend of mine did a big project for his masters a couple of years back on the views on evolution from people (students and professionals) in the life and social sciences. It is mind blowing how many social sciences reject evolution. And that’s for both the UK and US.

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:28:17 +0000

My guess is they asked the interviewee whether they knew anything about evolution/Darwin.

By: Robin

Robin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:21:35 +0000

I know this was not the intent, but the summary of the data seems to indicate that 8% of Egyptians know nothing, 7% of Brits know nothing, and only 4% of we mighty Americans know nothing. While clearly the data means something else (likely knows nothing ‘about evolution and/or Darwin’), it did make me wonder how the polsters determine that certain people know nothing.

By: John M. Lynch

John M. Lynch — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:12:28 +0000

Heh! Same thought occurred to me.

I seem to remember a survey from a few years back which showed that American students thought they knew more than they actually did about science. This could be a manifestation of the same thing: over-confidence.

By: Bob O'H

Bob O'H — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:11:57 +0000

There's fun and games over at UD on the DI's poll - basically, the pro-evolution voices that haven't been banned yet are pointing out that the data show a reduction in support for ID/creationism.

By: Jim Lippard

Jim Lippard — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:09:51 +0000

55% of Americans think they know a good/fair amount about evolution, compared to 45% in the UK, yet only 84% of Americans have so much as *heard* of Darwin, compared to 91% of those in the UK.

I wonder how many of those 55% who think they know a good/fair amount about evolution are wrong. 90%? They should have included a few evolution knowledge questions in the survey to determine that.