Developmental Snapshot: Scientific Literacy

Asymmetrical symmetry, Denver Colorado

One of my colleagues shared this Science Literacy quiz.

Although the questions seemed perhaps much too easy, I was fascinated -after taking the quiz and being able to review how my results compared with those of many others-by the close to gaussian distribution of % correct answers as well as the details of the same % stratified by gender, age grouping and education.

My colleagues from the Academic Women's Network and I have been discussing scientific literacy recently: a theme of the utmost importance when thinking about trying to close the gap on many major health outcomes disparities.

Amusingly thus, we are eating dinner last night and our 13 year old son is commenting on his school course load: what he likes vs. endures.

"Well, there are these things that I don't find super interesting but I need to know about them..."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"Learning about Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs and...You know Science in general..."
"So, you don't think Science is super interesting but you think you need to know it? Why is that?"
"Well, if we lived in a world where many more people knew about Science, maybe when Politicians say ridiculous things that many people believe, people would be much more likely to recognize when what is being said is completely ridiculous!'

From the mouth of children...

Till Later,

Anne