How Long Does It Take For The Earth To Go Around The Sun?

[icyfroth]

Was a question asked on this mornings breakfast show of the contestant who'd called in to participate in the Double or Quits quiz.

ummm... 24 hours, she said.  I was like

Ok it's easy to get flustered and forget basic facts when you're put on the spot on radio, I know.

But this headline in the news this morning:

Aussies confused by science fact or fiction: survey

More than 40 per cent of Australians do not know how long it takes the Earth to travel around the sun, according to a new survey.

The Australian Academy of Science surveyed more than 1,500 people, asking them basic scientific questions.

It found nearly 30 per cent did not know if humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs, and that 41 per cent did not know it took the Earth a year to travel around the sun.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/18026140/aussies-confused-by-science-fact-or-fiction-surv...

The survey also found a decline in young people's scientific knowledge in recent years.

Back in 2010 when people aged between 18 and 24 were asked the sun orbiting question, 73 per cent got it right.

But the most recent survey found that statistic had fallen to 62 per cent.

Professor Field suggested the decline was most probably from an increased reliance on technology to provide the answers quickly.

[icyfroth]

The next contestant won $800 and had the option of taking it or doubling her money. She took the $800 and ran.

The next question would have been "what's the capital of Spain"?

I blurted out "Buenos Aires"!

Everyone knows it's MADRID!

Jeez.

[lis351]

There was a similar one here in Perth a few weeks ago, 10 true or false questions for $10,000, last day of the comp, easy questions to give the money away, girl gets all 9 correct. Final question, Broome is a town in WA. The hosts were completely stunned when she answered false. They had to make up new questions and play again half an hour later. For her (and the tourism board blowing millions advertising Broome as a get away) sake, I hope she was fresh off a plane that morning!

[lakeland27]

 Considering some of the statements the opposition leader and his sidekicks make thats no surprise. in the effort to keep people misinformed News Ltd have definitely assisted the decline (along with various fundamentalist anti-science groups.)

[spotweldersfriend]

Copernicus would be hung out to dry if he were around today.

[poddster]

LL is there anything thst you dont tie int TA, the Murdoch Press or politics?

You sure are dedicated

[whispering_chinwaggers_are_calling_me]

it seems to me that especially the right wing leaders would appreciate a less informed, less able to draw logic conclusions for themselves, less intelligent public so they can BS that doesn't add up and everyone believes it cos they can' even handle the rule of three....

[icyfroth]

---

@lakeland27 wrote:

 Considering some of the statements the opposition leader and his sidekicks make thats no surprise. in the effort to keep people misinformed News Ltd have definitely assisted the decline (along with various fundamentalist anti-science groups.)

---

LOL that might be a small (teensy tiny) part of it,Lakey, but I suspect it's more to do with:

a.) what ppl see on movies and television. The Jurassic Park example was given where people were seen running from dinosaurs so they thought humans were on the planet at the same time when in fact there's a 60 mil time gap.

b.) young people spending more time playing games on their computers than reading books or playing learning games.

c.) schools being more social than academic these days.