PLN 21

I believe it absurdly disgraceful to witness the numbers displayed on the Denver post’s blog entry “How much does this really matter?”. This article’s primary focus is to underscore the stupidity residing within the boundaries of “the greatest nation on earth”. According to the assembly of statistical facts as the National Foundation of Science is credited with obtaining, “66% do not understand DNA, “margin of error,” the scientific process, and do not believe in evolution. 50% do not know how long it takes the earth to go around the sun, and a quarter does not even know that the earth goes around the sun. 50% think humans coexisted with dinosaurs and believe antibiotics kill viruses.” The piece also complimented our nation’s stupidity by stating: “88% believe in alternative medicine. 50% believe in extrasensory perception and faith healing. 40% believe in haunted houses and demonic possession. 33% believes in lucky numbers, ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, and that UFOs are aliens from space. 25% believes in witches and that we can communicate with the dead. The article then begins to move on to question legitimacy of understanding this elementary composition of obvious facts.

Maybe because of my high appreciations for the field of science, or my battle hardened yet still firm belief that science tremendously benefits society, I would classify the country as a whole (based on these results) prone to become shockingly accurately “the stupidest country on earth”. Presently, competition is brewing in the world. We as a nation are plummeting into the abyss, others are mockingly dethroning us from our previous position. We must act accordingly, for if we do regard this crisis as a mere fluctuation in the normal conduct of the nation, we will be deceived. If inhabitants of America do not even understand the concept of the planet earth circling our nearest star, I can’t possible envision success as bestowed upon brain dead individuals. A decrease in the success rate within America will also provoke the common stereotype dubbing us “stupid” to become one of truth. Do we want to be frowned upon by neighboring countries? Do we want to become in actuality “the stupidest”? No, we must take action.

To achieve this fete, it would be plausible to institute a more rigorous science curriculum in schools dotting the nation, for the adults who have proved brain invalid through these results have produced such due to their initial school careers. If the present schoolchild generation is to be more forcefully educated in factual realities of life, of course test scores will rise and as a result, this depression will rise.

I also do not understand an instance where people who fit these results may make a living. What institution in their right mind would allow the enrollment of some individual who can’t even comprehend basic science? How is a person able to nourish a family with the absence of a collage earned job? If understanding is not met in these topics, people who are unlucky enough to have been “educated” by faulty science teachers will inevitably spend their days as garbage collectors and other related professions. What a life that would be, boring, dirty, and lonely. Do we want to see our nation’s workforce comprise of un- marginal numbers of unskilled workers? No, all these hindrances of our possibly utopian society (after renovation of course) may be avoided if schools would devote more time and effort to science studies.

To me, it is most disheartening to face these facts. I guess it is partially the belief instilled in generations who have achieved so poorly that science is evil. People too immature simply listed to their grandmas from the 1600s (when science was considered a real evil) and meekly avoid the whole topic. Although I am not one to talk, I still respect people's decisions to elude the subject, but to me, not understanding the concept of the earth traveling around the sun is very embarrassing. Scientific discoveries have benefited man kind since its institution. Take for example cancer. Every moment, people are infected with this notorious disease, and what saves their butts? Science which derived Chemo therapy. How about the flu vaccine (also a product of scientific discovery), this year alone would turn into a scramble of confusion and cover from the infected if not for the medicine. I am not trying to convey the message that science is the all powerful, but understanding simple aspects may save a person from extreme embarrassment.