Poll: 31% of Americans don't believe in DNA

[August]

A little tongue in cheek here, because the same level of certainty for climate change is being reported as disbelief, when I don't think it is. But in any case, only 69% are "very or extremely certain" that DNA exists.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/ ... CIENCE.png

[Mama Mia]

The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me.

I recently saw a Facebook post about some silly online I.Q. Test. Apparently, from the comments, many people were surprised they only scored 140 , because that must mean they were below average. Others were thrilled they got 180 or 190. Several said, in all seriousness, it really helped with their score that they could look up the answers online. Many others said they got the first question wrong...the first question was a row of numbers and the question was which one did not belong, all the numbers were odd except for one even number.

Reading the blurb for the test there were several errors in both spelling and grammar, of course.

[Arete]

According to that poll, only 8% of 1,000 people think that DNA doesn't exist, or am I reading the table wrong? :?

[thoughtful]

Ah, but do they believe in ribs? How about digestive systems? Spleens?

I mean, really -- I've never seen mine. Maybe those evil scientists are just telling me they are in there.

ETA -- I wonder if Emily believes in Dna.

[lipstickgoalie]

Ah, but do they believe in ribs? How about digestive systems? Spleens?

I mean, really -- I've never seen mine. Maybe those evil scientists are just telling me they are in there.

ETA -- I wonder if Emily believes in Dna.

You hit on something I have been wondering about for a few days now. For a bunch of Christians, Fundie and otherwise, the main hangup about evolution is that it is "just a theory". But so is gravity. Do those same people not believe in gravity? I am actually mostly serious about that question.

[DGayle]

We have a large number of people in the US who don't know how many states there are. Don't be surprised by how many people think a visually observable thing doesn't exist while swearing a loving ghost-daddy is waiting with open arms to todd heathen babies into hell.

[RosyDaisy]

And this is the first thing I read after feeding the feline headship this morning. This world is full of ignorant people.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I cant believe this. The stupidity, it burns!

[debrand]

This is depressing. The number of stupid things my friends and family sometimes post on facebook makes my brain hurt. These are people that I care about so correcting them can be a bit tricky.

[DomWackTroll]

Doug Phillips is praying that the entire 31% live in the San Antonio area.

[docmom]

I don't believe in oxygen. Have you ever seen oxygen? It's all just a theory put in place by evil heathens to turn us away from the truth.

[littlemommy]

Maybe they believe in midichlorians. They are the teeny tiny thingies that make up the Living Force and...I got nothin'.

[dpndetfarm]

There's no such thing as gravity.... The world SUCKS!!!!!11!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!

[Joan of Snarc]

Judging by the way they write, most fundies don't believe in grammar or spelling either. :nenner:

[argypargy]

You hit on something I have been wondering about for a few days now. For a bunch of Christians, Fundie and otherwise, the main hangup about evolution is that it is "just a theory". But so is gravity. Do those same people not believe in gravity? I am actually mostly serious about that question.

Yeah, those people don't really understand the difference between scientific theory and "oh, golly gee, I think this might be why that happens". Scientific theories are things that that are substantiated. They have been confirmed via the scientific method again and again and again. If that weren't the case it would be the evolutionary hypothesis still.

[apple1]

OK- While I am sure (unfortunately) that there are way too many people whose beliefs on many subjects bear no resemblance to substantiated fact, I have more than a few issues with the table in the opening post.

Whose table is it? (actual source - There may be a reliable source, but it isn't shown in the table). Exactly where did they get their info? Who did they survey? How did they choose their surveyed population? How did they ensure that the surveyed population was representative? Representative of what? How exactly were their questions worded? etc. etc.

Nearly anybody can make up a table with numbers. I need to know more.

[KSmom]

To quote my biology book, "a theory is supported by a broad range of observations, experiments, and data and is thus similar toa law, such as the "theory" of gravity."

People who argue against the theory of evolution as "just" a theory are using the same word with two different meanings. And the problem with trying to explain this's so many times they just won't listen!!

[Aggie2145]

The table is misleading, I wonder if the 31% who were not extremely certain did not understand the prompt. "Inside our cells there is a complex genetic code that helps determine who we are." Some may interpret that as DNA, others may opine that this prompt is stating that DNA determines personality or personal choice. The 31% who were not too confident may not have confidence in the question. I aced college genetics and am not too certain about the question as written.

[medimus]

There's that wonderfull bit by Tim Minchin where he talks about how people say that evolution is just a theory and he hopes that they think the same about the theory of gravity and will "just float the fuck away" one day.

Obviously his delivery is better than mine.

[LeopardLady]

There's no such thing as gravity.... The world SUCKS!!!!!11!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!

That would certainly be one way to explain how we keep getting pulled toward the ground. :mrgreen:

Ok bad pun, but I couldn't resist.

[Earthshine]

Ah, but do they believe in ribs? How about digestive systems? Spleens?

I mean, really -- I've never seen mine. Maybe those evil scientists are just telling me they are in there.

ETA -- I wonder if Emily believes in Dna.

I was just popping in on this thread to say this. :lol:

[cindyluvs24]

You hit on something I have been wondering about for a few days now. For a bunch of Christians, Fundie and otherwise, the main hangup about evolution is that it is "just a theory". But so is gravity. Do those same people not believe in gravity? I am actually mostly serious about that question.

there is no gravity, only intelligent falling. :angry-banghead:

[Mama Mia]

The table is misleading, I wonder if the 31% who were not extremely certain did not understand the prompt. "Inside our cells there is a complex genetic code that helps determine who we are." Some may interpret that as DNA, others may opine that this prompt is stating that DNA determines personality or personal choice. The 31% who were not too confident may not have confidence in the question. I aced college genetics and am not too certain about the question as written.

I agree. Its a misleading thread title, since there wasn't an actual question t hat even contained "DNA" , just a strangely worded description.

[August]

According to that poll, only 8% of 1,000 people think that DNA doesn't exist, or am I reading the table wrong? :?

Grr, my reply was just eaten.

That's partly the point. All news sources are reporting this as if you only believe in something if you're entirely convinced, the leftmost two columns. Which is not correct, But also, they're picking up on the sexy vaccine climate change and evolution denialists when in fact the DNA denialist show their sample was just as dumb as a box of rocks.

For medimus: Tim Minchin WTFing a reporter.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1lX-IJ-ag

and the quote

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KMAezEgYFeE

[elsabee]

Grr, my reply was just eaten.

That's partly the point. All news sources are reporting this as if you only believe in something if you're entirely convinced, the leftmost two columns. Which is not correct, But also, they're picking up on the sexy vaccine climate change and evolution denialists when in fact the DNA denialist show their sample was just as dumb as a box of rocks.

For medimus: Tim Minchin WTFing a reporter.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1lX-IJ-ag

and the quote

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KMAezEgYFeE

Yesss Tim Minchin!!!