Good Essay About Public Ignorance Of Science

The article by Donald Prothero points out to the ignorance of the Americans to the basic scientific issues. His approach is based on a number of studies that disclosed a large percentage of Americans lacking understanding of basic science and cultural aspects. To make this worse, much of this information that the Americans have no clue on is just basic. To some extent, he manages to point out to where the problem lies and the possible solutions to the problem. However, in a country that fancies politics to education, it is almost impossible to think that he politicians will be willing to cut their spending to fund education. Whereas America is considered to be a superpower, it ranks lowly in matters of education, science in particular. This is despite the fact that the government sets aside a huge budget for educational matters. Most of the countries above America are behind America in terms of what they spend on education. Finland is a perfect example. Despite her national spending being a way below what America spends, Finland is ranked among the best as far as scientific education is concerned. With this in mind, it is only fair for the government to take drastic measures to ensure that literacy on science is promoted in America.
It would be wrong to think that Americans are only illiterate in matters of science. It is disheartening that most citizens of the great America do not have any clue on aspects like history, issues to do with culture, government and civics. The ‘Jay Walking’ episode is a perfect example on how much behind America is when it comes to such issues. In random issues asked in the streets, most citizens seemed clueless on matters that should be considered basic. It is appalling to know that in the period where science is highly regarded in the world, few citizens have a hint on the basic aspects (Skepticblog » Cultural Ignorance and Scientific Illiteracy, N.P). Where is America heading? Whichever answer given, there is no doubt that the American government needs to do something quickly. This is the only way that the integrity of Americans can be restored.
The ‘Jay Walking’ episode is consistent with a number of studies which argued that a large percentage of the American public lacks cultural knowledge and public issues. Having a keen analysis of this is likely to lead to confusion and crucification of the education system in America. As a matter of fact, 85 percent of Americans finished high school. Of these, up to 30 percent receive college education. Although this seems like a small percentage, it is way far than what America produced in the 1940s. The high public spending on education also means that this percentage is better than a number of countries that are ranked ahead of America as far as knowledge; or rather scientific knowledge is concerned. To think that most of the issues that the Americans show illiteracy on are basic is humbling. Perhaps this has been motivated by the media and the content that they prefer to air. It is disheartening that a majority of the citizens understand the composer of ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Beat It’ to be Michael Jackson at the expense of understanding what the bill of rights is and whether it is a constitutional amendment. Be it as it may, the clear evidence is that the method Americans use to prioritize issues is not correct. With more than 80 percent of the national population finishing high school, the general expectation is that scientific illiteracy, especially on basic issues, should be done away with. Without this, Americans will be wasting their money in carrying out research which may turn out not to be beneficial at all.
As compared to the general ignorance that Americans have, scientific ignorance is more shocking and staggering. A number of studies carried out reveal that most Americans are clueless on how the world works. To think that only 53 percent of the entire population understands the duration the earth takes to go across the sun is abysmal. This is basic science that is taught in every high school in the introduction to science. Various issues then arise as a result of this. For instance, what is the value of education is the citizens cannot apply it in the day to day activities? Other basic issues that proved to be problematic include the percentage that water covers in the service of the earth and that dinosaurs never co-existed with humans. With such a high level of ignorance in basic science, it would be awful and detrimental to try and understand on what Americans know about complex scientific matters. The inability to define and differentiate between an atom and an electron raises further eyebrows. The fact is that Americans have concentrated more on the entertainment sector and other aspects that may not add value to their lives at the expense of more useful things like education. The faster America realizes this, the better. If the government fails to take immediate action, then the country will be composed by a bunch of fools.
The best way to frame the issue about American ignorance on science is to carry out a comparative analysis to understand how America ranks with other countries. Sadly, America has never been near the top when it comes to the best performing countries. In fact, most of such studies conclude that America ranks in the bottom when compared to nations that are industrialized. One of these studies, conducted recently, ranked America in the 29th position as regards to science literacy of 15-year olds. Whereas Finland emerged at the top, a number of countries that followed come from Europe (the northern part). Such a poor raking in crucial matters is a disgrace to the country and the American society in general. Averagely, America spends more money per child in educational matters than the countries that emerge top. Most of the industrialize countries tend to perform better despite their educational budget being a fraction of the American budget. This poses a major threat to the future of America’s economic well-being. To be considered as having a bright future, it is crucial to understand science and educe illiteracy!
The sad thing about the situation is that everybody tends to have their favorite culprits when the question of the reason why America is scientifically illiterate. Although this is the case, most people blame the media and the role that it has played. Instead of airing educative materials, the media fills the internet and print and airwaves with reality shows and celebrity gossip that does not encourage education. At times, these media present science that is substandard. A case in point is when the Discovery Channel aired a document full of fake documents. If this is the case, America will remain at the rock bottom when it comes to scientific knowledge. The government should play some part and intervene for the sake of America’s literacy.

Works Cited

"Skepticblog » Cultural Ignorance and Scientific Illiteracy." Skepticblog. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.