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Thursday Science Qu...
 

[Closed] Thursday Science Quiz: Can you do science better than 93% of Americans?

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[#5550219]

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?

[img] [/img]

[b]*NO SPOILERS PLEASE*[/b]


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:48 am
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I got "unknown host" clicking on the link - have I unwittingly failed at the first? 🙁


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:50 am
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100%. Cos I R teh orsums.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:51 am
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Yep, I got them all right. Not very difficult to be honest.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:51 am
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100%
Some if the questions were a bit easy, like "what sex are you?".


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:53 am
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Nitrogen. Who knew.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:54 am
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Doh, 1 wrong 👿

bloody electrons.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:54 am
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12/13, bugger


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:55 am
 DezB
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100% here too (which surprised me!)
I'll get my 11 year old to do it later, see how he fares.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:55 am
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How do you [s]fair[/s] fare?

Grrrrrrrrrr.....fracking scientists....

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


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:55 am
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10/13. I'll show myself out.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:55 am
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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.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:57 am
 DezB
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[i]How do you [s]fair[/s] fare?[/i]

I didn't notice that! But I did think "Have I spelt that right" when I used the same word 🙂


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:57 am
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lucky 13 for me

I am the new Brian Cox


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 9:59 am
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Perhaps this will add to the [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/simple-things-that-passed-you-by-for-years ]Simple things that passed you by for years[/url] thread. 😀


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:01 am
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Have they tested other nationalities too or is it just another "let's laugh at the silly yanks" thing?


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:01 am
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Huv nit used ani siensse sins fivr year at school. Gud innit. 100% fir me.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:01 am
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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.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:02 am
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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?


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:02 am
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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.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:03 am
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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


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:03 am
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Americans have proper science quizzes.

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:04 am
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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.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:04 am
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Me 13
wife 12 ( she was pairing socks ) It was the Nitrogen again

Kids get the test tonight


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:04 am
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13/13...


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:05 am
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How do you [s]fair[/s] fare?

Doh!

I'm only Hominidae after all. 😀


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:06 am
 DezB
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For Jamie

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:06 am
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11/13


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:07 am
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13! what a shocker.... Id have to hang my head with shame as some of the questions are related to my job..... 🙂


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:08 am
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12/13

Nitrogen question again.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:10 am
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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.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:10 am
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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. 😐


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:10 am
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13/13


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:10 am
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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?


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:10 am
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13. Clearly I've missed my true calling, and am a science genius.....

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:12 am
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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 [i]think[/i] America ranks at the bottom when compared to other "developed" nations, and 46% think science is "too hard".

[img] [/img]

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 [i]proper[/i] survey.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:14 am
 D0NK
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13/13


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:14 am
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[i]Nitrogen. Who knew. [/i]

me too. 12/13.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:14 am
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Looking at the stats at the end, it's really the nitrogen question that drags the averages down, not too surprising


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:15 am
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13/13


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:15 am
 emsz
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12/13

The chemical reaction one, I was going to put a nail rusting, but can someone tell me why sugar dissolving isn't a chemical reaction?


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:16 am
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Because its a solid suspended in water. No actual chemical reaction takes place. Rusting is oxidisation


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:18 am
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Because although the sugar experiences a physical change, there is no change in its chemical makeup, whereas the oxidation of the metal in the nail produces a new chemical.


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:19 am
 D0NK
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that dissolving/mixing/probably a proper scientific word for it. Remove the water (by heating) and the sugar will still be there


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:19 am
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'cos it's still sugar and water


 
Posted : 26/09/2013 10:19 am
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