Only 7% of the 1006 Americans surveyed managed to get full marks in this short every-day science quiz:

http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/science-knowledge/

No wonder it is so difficult to have proper public debates on sciencey-stuff like global warming, fracking and genetics!

How do you fair?

*NO SPOILERS PLEASE*

I got “unknown host” clicking on the link – have I unwittingly failed at the first? 🙁

100%. Cos I R teh orsums.

Yep, I got them all right. Not very difficult to be honest.

100%
Some if the questions were a bit easy, like “what sex are you?”.

Nitrogen. Who knew.

Doh, 1 wrong 👿

bloody electrons.

12/13, bugger

100% here too (which surprised me!)
I’ll get my 11 year old to do it later, see how he fares.

How do you fair fare?

Grrrrrrrrrr…..fracking scientists….

Will anyone be prepared to admit falling far short of 13 on this one?

10/13. I’ll show myself out.

Not tough at all. But I’d question what percentage of British people would get 100%. I’d be interested to see one of these studies rate people from countries around the world on the same thing. I still don’t think that as a whole, the average American is any more stupid than the average Brit.

How do you fair fare?

I didn’t notice that! But I did think “Have I spelt that right” when I used the same word 🙂

lucky 13 for me

I am the new Brian Cox

Perhaps this will add to the Simple things that passed you by for years thread. 😀

Have they tested other nationalities too or is it just another “let’s laugh at the silly yanks” thing?

Huv nit used ani siensse sins fivr year at school. Gud innit. 100% fir me.

Got them all right, but I’d be a bit worried if I didn’t, what with being a scientist and all that.
More interesting/worrying I thought was that only 30 something percent of college graduates know what makes up the air we breathe.

deadlydarcy – Member

Have they tested other nationalities too or is it just another “let’s laugh at the silly yanks” thing?

It’s not really a fair sport now is it?

Ok. I am too thick to find the door. Can someone help me?

Have they tested other nationalities too or is it just another “let’s laugh at the silly yanks” thing?

Seeing as the Pew Research Center is an American organisation, I don’t think it’s unreasonable they are publishing results on Americans.

It would have been more satisfying to know I was more intelligent than say 93% of South Koreans for example but hey, every little morale boost counts.

Can they do one on world geography also please!

Cheers

Danny B

Americans have proper science quizzes.

According to the results so far one percent have scored 0 ! Surely you would need to know all the answers and make a point of giving the wrong answer to achieve a score of 0. You have a 50% chance of guessing the correct answer. How could anyone possibly guess incorrectly 13 times ? 🙂

EDIT : Sorry just remembered that not all questions were true or false. Still some achievement to score 0 though.

Me 13
wife 12 ( she was pairing socks ) It was the Nitrogen again

Kids get the test tonight

13/13…

How do you fair fare?

Doh!

I’m only Hominidae after all. 😀

For Jamie

11/13

13! what a shocker…. Id have to hang my head with shame as some of the questions are related to my job….. 🙂

12/13

Nitrogen question again.

Thankfully got all 13. Tempted to send that quiz to some of my colleagues at my old job. Would be interesting to see how a bunch of scientists get on.
I was surprised at how few got the nitrogen answer right.

Seeing as the Pew Research Center is an American organisation, I don’t think it’s unreasonable they are publishing results on Americans.

Yes, I know that. Just wondering if other nationalities have been tested. There was no box to tick in the demographic questions at the end.

7/13 here. And I think I got the age question near the end wrong too. 😐

13/13

You have a 50% chance of guessing the correct answer. How could anyone possibly guess incorrectly 13 times ?

Question 14: What is the probability of someone guessing incorrectly 13 times?

13. Clearly I’ve missed my true calling, and am a science genius…..

Have they tested other nationalities too or is it just another “let’s laugh at the silly yanks” thing?

Not intended as that at all. American group, linked to the Smithsonian, publishing results on the Americans they tested.

Though they did ask some other questions with some revealing results. Apparently 44% of those surveyed think America ranks at the bottom when compared to other “developed” nations, and 46% think science is “too hard”.

Just wondering if other nationalities have been tested. There was no box to tick in the demographic questions at the end.

The results from the online test are not counted (because it is too easy to cheat) – they only published the results from a proper survey.

13/13

Nitrogen. Who knew.

me too. 12/13.

Looking at the stats at the end, it’s really the nitrogen question that drags the averages down, not too surprising

13/13