Evolution less accepted in the U.S.

[Gilding the Lily]

People in the United States are much less likely to accept Darwin's idea that humans and apes share a common ancestor than adults in other Western nations, a number of surveys show.

In the U.S., only 14 percent of adults thought that evolution was "definitely true," while about a third firmly rejected the idea.

The investigation also showed that the percentage of U.S. adults who are uncertain about evolution has risen from 7 percent to 21 percent in the past 20.

National Geographic article and chart after the jump.

 

[Garfield1966]

Wow, had that come from any other source than NG I would have been highly skeptical. I wonder what the cross section of the people interviewed was. If they only interviewed the people from Ashburn Georgia then I would not be surprised. How do a 1/3 of the people reject fossil evidence that the world is more than 6,000 years old? This country is turning into a third world nation more and more every day. The ID folks must be laughing that collective butts off.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

Wow, had that come from any other source than NG I would have been highly skeptical. I wonder what the cross section of the people interviewed was. If they only interviewed the people from Ashburn Georgia then I would not be surprised. How do a 1/3 of the people reject fossil evidence that the world is more than 6,000 years old? This country is turning into a third world nation more and more every day. The ID folks must be laughing that collective butts off.

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

 

[Garfield1966]

I always liked Mr. E.

 

[UAL_TECH]

I always liked Mr. E.

View attachment 5919

Now do you get it?

😛 UT

 

[Garfield1966]

View attachment 5919

Now do you get it?

😛 UT

Not sure what your interpretation is but I do not see it as a belief in 'creationism' or ID.

 

[Gilding the Lily]

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

Your single quotation of Einstein should not be read in a vacuum. Take for example the following: "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

 

[wnbubbleboy]

Your single quotation of Einstein should not be read in a vacuum. Take for example the following: "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

It’s not being read in a vacuum it’s being read in the context of the conversation. But I will elaborate.

I believe that something greater beyond any comprehension has had a hand in our being. But Mr. Einstein said it a lot better.

 

[local 12 proud]

“Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control.â€￾
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

[UAL_TECH]

Not sure what your interpretation is but I do not see it as a belief in 'creationism' or ID.

😛 <---

Gee Garf, have you no humor?

B) UT

 

[Gilding the Lily]

It’s not being read in a vacuum it’s being read in the context of the conversation. But I will elaborate.

I believe that something greater beyond any comprehension has had a hand in our being. But Mr. Einstein said it a lot better.

I agree. Could it be possible that our Creator, in an unfathomable way, used the process of evolution to create our being?


Keep in mind... evolution is demonstrable. Evolution, as a theory of creation, is debatable.

 

[local 12 proud]

I agree. Could it be possible that our Creator, in an unfathomable way, used the process of evolution to create our being?

No doubt about it in my mind, we see it daily.

Keep in mind... evolution is demonstrable. Evolution, as a theory of creation, is debatable.

Yes microevolution is demonstratable, but macroevolution is just a theory that one species evolved into another. The theory of natural selection was'nt even put forth until Darwin proposed it and even he had his own doubts.

 

[KCFlyer]

Here in Kansas, we belive in the monkey to man theory about as much as we believe in gay marriage.

 

[delldude]

Don't forget....God created scientists....

 

[jerseyfinn]

It's kind of hard to believe that only 40% of folks living in this penultimate science & technology nation would affirm the fundamentals of evolution. Then again America has some of the best spin doctors on the planet as well.

OTOH, it's been my belief that science is more about not getting the answer wrong than it is about revealing fundamental truths. That's the job of philosohy and spiritualism to take science and put a human perspective on it.

We perceive science as knowledge and irrefutable truth. But it really isn't. In human hands, it's more of an informed "best guess" which sometimes stands the test of time, but mostly doesn't as new theories supplant the old and we convince ourselves that we've discovered something new.

Ptolomy does a decent job of fulfilling his scientific role in the context of his times. His answer was of course wrong and we've moved on.

I'm not saying that Evolution is the wrong theory. I happen to think that we only scratch the surface if we consider evolution only in anthropic terms. It's a cosmic thang.

And it's much grander than anything the ID folks can throw at us. Albert's instinct was right.

Barry

BTW, despite my "pragmatic cynicism" towards science, I work in the medical sciences as a nurse anesthetist. Truth is, we don't know precisely how anesthesia really works. But we do know how to wake 'em up. 🙄