What Americans believe about the paranormal

[KimmyCharmeleon]

The term paranormal refers to mysterious, unusual, or supernatural phenomena that supposedly transcend the limits of existing science and are due to hidden or occult causes. Here is a sampling of things Americans believe about science and the paranormal:

• 18% of adult Americans believe that the sun revolves around the Earth
• More than 50% of adult Americans don't know that the Earth takes a year to orbit the sun
• 63% of adult Americans don't know that the last dinosaur died before the first human arose
• 57% of adult Americans don't know that electrons are smaller than atoms
• 47% of adult Americans believe that God created human beings at one time within the last 10,000 years pretty much in their present form
• 93% of adult Americans believe in some form of paranormal phenomena
• 48% of adult Americans believe in ESP
• 25% of adult Americans believe in astrology
• 28% of adult Americans believe in communication with the dead

(Reference: Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. M. (2005). Science and pseudoscience. In Critical thinking: A student's introduction (2nd ed., pp. 454-489). Boston: McGraw-Hill.)

Some I don't care so much about, but the ones to do with science, like numbers 1-4 are pretty shocking.

 

[dkwrtw]

Sadly this statistics are probably pretty accurate.

 

[Maldoror]

"fucking magnets, how do they work?" MAGIC

 

[Peter Parka]

Believe it or not, I've actually met a Londoner (home of the natural history museum) who dosent believe in dinosaurs! :willy_nilly:

 

[KimmyCharmeleon]

Believe it or not, I've actually met a Londoner (home of the natural history museum) who dosent believe in dinosaurs! :willy_nilly:

Shhiiiiiiiiit. That is horrible.

 

[Azazel]

18% of adult Americans believe that the sun revolves around the Earth​

 

[Maldoror]

lmfao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMLilYPivfs

 

[HK]

It's interesting that they've put some of those stats in the same place, it makes it look like they're suggesting people who are stupid enough to think the sun revolves around the earth are in the same league as people who believe communication with the dead. I think they're completely different areas of stupidity.

 

[Maldoror]

stupidity is all in all one area.

edit: it's either that or stupid people tend to be extremely prolific in all areas of stupidity.

 

[KimmyCharmeleon]

It's paranormal because it ain't normal lol!

 

[dkwrtw]

I had to CONVINCE my dad that the sun doesn't revolve around the earth.

 

[Guyzerr]

Kimmy are you our new Maz now? How about posting the same info on Australians so we can compare?

 

[KimmyCharmeleon]

No I am not a new Maz, just because I posted something on America, geez. If you can't handle facts, that's your problem, not mine.

 

[MoonOwl]

Yeah so? We can make bombs that turn your country into rubble. So there

Those stats don't surprise me either. We elected Dubya twice.

Good to know my swollen ego has been proven correct in knowing that I am above the fray of the general population in my vast amounts of knowledge.24:

Tho, as an aside, I don't give a shit what some scientists say - Pluto is Still A Planet!! Dagnabit!

 

[hart]

There are stupid people in every culture....nothing new here

 

[Zorak]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_mkwB9ayK4

luckily, they're all from the north, and don't represent those of us who live above ground

 

[Zorak]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONCrE4IoSsY&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_396862

 

[edgray]

people are pretty dumb at times the world over, really.

 

[dkwrtw]

I agree, people are equally worthless pretty much everywhere you go.

 

[edgray]

I agree, people are equally worthless pretty much everywhere you go.

I feel the love in that post.