FLICKR, KATE TER HAARA new report from the Pew Research Center examines US responses to 12 questions about the physical sciences. Correct answers to the questions varied significantly among demographic subgroups, including age, gender, education level, and race.
The survey, conducted August 11 through September 3, 2014, included responses from 3,278 US adults. Most answered via computer or smartphone; 355 respondents answered the survey by mail. The 12 questions touched on topics such as the hottest layer of Earth’s crust, the identity of the polio vaccine inventor, the definition of “astrology,” and the type of waves used to make and receive cell phone calls. Only 6 percent of respondents got a perfect score.
The question most answered correctly (86 percent overall) required respondents to identify the Earth’s core as the hottest part of the planet. The hardest question asked whether water boils differently at high versus low altitudes—only 34 percent of respondents answered correctly. (Water does boil at lower temperatures in higher altitudes.)
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