# USA "Next to Last" in international evolution survey. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 15, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863 "2006-08-15T19:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/1 "2006-08-15T19:04:30Z")
A handy [graph](http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=060810_evo_rank_02.jpg&cap=A+chart+showing+public+acceptance+of+evolution+in+34+countries.+The+United+States+ranked+near+the+bottom%2C+beat+only+by+Turkey.+Credit%3A+Science) for your amusement. [Read](http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060810_evo_rank.html) all about it here, and weep (or not, I suppose, depending on who you are). An interesting pair of quotes: > [@](#): > > “American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University. > [@](#): > > But the problem is more than one of education—it goes deeper, and is a function of our country’s culture and history, said study co-author Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education in California. > > “The rejection of evolution is not something that will be solved by throwing science at it,” Scott said in a telephone interview. I think that about says it all, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/2 "2006-08-15T19:10:00Z")
Sad, but true. I think you’re second quote is key. If the non-fundamentalist denominations would simply make it a point to teach their congregations that Darwin’s theory of natural selection is not incompatible with belief in God, or how the Bible should be interpreted, we’d pretty much have this problem licked. Too many people think their religion teaches them that evolution is false when that simply isn’t true. Sure, some religious denomination do, but most don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/3 "2006-08-15T19:10:07Z")
Hmmm…Canada was not included, a serious oversight. The similarities between Canadian & Yank ways of life are considerable. If there were a significant variation in views, we might learn something. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/4 "2006-08-15T19:14:12Z")
_Weeps_ ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/5 "2006-08-15T19:17:58Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Hmmm…Canada was not included, a serious oversight. I agree. That said, one of the authors comments on Canada [here](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1682161/posts): > [@](#): > > Although Canada wasn’t surveyed in the study, Mr. Miller speculated that support for evolution would be much stronger here than in the United States and would likely align with countries like Britain and France. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/6 "2006-08-15T19:25:57Z")
So, according to the linked article, 39 percent of Americans think there is just a list of animals that Chuck Norris let live? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/7 "2006-08-15T19:44:02Z")
Hey, am I the only one here who noticed that the [graph quoted](http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=060810_evo_rank_02.jpg&cap=A+chart+showing+public+acceptance+of+evolution+in+34+countries.+The+United+States+ranked+near+the+bottom%2C+beat+only+by+Turkey.+Credit%3A+Science) was Really just a [modified logo of the NBA???](http://www.batug.com/wallpaper/nbalogo1024.jpg)😃 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/8 "2006-08-15T19:54:21Z")
See, I always figured Scandinavia would be a nice place to live, and that graph only confirms it. Denmark, here I come! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/9 "2006-08-15T20:05:40Z")
> [@Article in the OP](#): > > But the problem is more than one of education—it goes deeper, and is a function of our country’s culture and history, said study co-author Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education in California. > > “The rejection of evolution is not something that will be solved by throwing science at it,” Scott said in a telephone interview. Heh. Reminds me of _A Very Venture Christmas_… **Dr. Venture** _(referring to the [Krampus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus) demon that has appeared at his Christmas party)_: Can’t you just – _magic_ it away? **Dr. Orpheus** : No more than you can _science_ it away. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/10 "2006-08-15T21:14:23Z")
So what about China, the Mideast, and abroad? They’re comparing the US against basically Europe… what is with that? A bit skewed don’t ya think? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/11 "2006-08-15T21:24:10Z")
I think they tried to focus on Western democracies, and one could argue Japan and Turkey are modeled after those. I suppose that’s “skewed”, but for these kinds of surveys, narrowing the scope can yield results that might be more informative than having an essentially random grab-bag of nations that culturally and governmentally have little in common. The entire point of surveying otherwise similar nations is to try to determine what factor is responsible for the reported discrepancy, namely, the degree of public acceptance of modern evolutionary theory. Comparing, say, Italy to the United Arab Emirates introduces so many important variables it might make meaningful interpretation of the results impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/12 "2006-08-15T21:29:59Z")
I should have said that also many of the former Eastern bloc countries included might also currently fall under the header of Western nations with some or other form of democratic govt. At least, they’re a lot more “Western” than, say, Iran. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/13 "2006-08-15T21:31:37Z")
Wow. Iceland tops the list, and they’ll relocate roadways to avoid gnomes. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/14 "2006-08-15T21:44:17Z")
> [@](#): > > “The rejection of evolution is not something that will be solved by throwing science at it,” Scott said in a telephone interview. "She went on to explain, ‘We need to devise a means of delivering science with much greater force and increased range; possibly by catapult.’ " I never really thought of science as something that could be “thrown” at people. Dr. Scott certainly has a colorful way with metaphor. Better science education through dodge ball! \*“Dude, get him! Get the tubby creationist! Peg him in the head!” “_sob_ Leave me alone you guys!” \* _ **BWOOONGKK** _ The graph in the OP only serves to confirm my longstanding high opinion of Iceland. They should be allowed to rule us all. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/15 "2006-08-15T21:50:52Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > Wow. Iceland tops the list, and they’ll relocate roadways to avoid gnomes. well, we don’t, and ya don’t see any gnomes around here do ya? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/16 "2006-08-15T22:03:29Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > A handy [graph](http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=060810_evo_rank_02.jpg&cap=A+chart+showing+public+acceptance+of+evolution+in+34+countries.+The+United+States+ranked+near+the+bottom%2C+beat+only+by+Turkey.+Credit%3A+Science) for your amusement. > > [Read](http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/060810_evo_rank.html) all about it here, and weep (or not, I suppose, depending on who you are). > > An interesting pair of quotes: > > I think that about says it all, I’m afraid. I know this sounds over the top in some ways, but man, when I see things like this, it makes me feel like we are so close to a theocratic totalitarian regime in this nation. I think of books like the Handmaid’s Tale and wonder, exactly how much fear would it take before the fundamentalists could take over? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/17 "2006-08-15T22:08:04Z")
> [@wring](#): > > well, we don’t, and ya don’t see any gnomes around here do ya? _That’s_ what that thump under my car was the other day! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/18 "2006-08-15T22:22:57Z")
I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. America is a very religious country, and this kind of ignorance/denial of reality is what religion is based on. I’d be surprised if America _wasn’t_ near the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/19 "2006-08-15T22:38:41Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. America is a very religious country, and this kind of ignorance/denial of reality is what religion is based on. I’d be surprised if America _wasn’t_ near the bottom. What’s your excuse, then? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863/20 "2006-08-15T22:46:42Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > What’s your excuse, then? :rolleyes: :dubious: Your meaning ? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usa-next-to-last-in-international-evolution-survey/368863.md?page=2)