Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans

[pitabread]

The level of public acceptance of evolution in the United States is now solidly above the halfway mark, according to a new study based on a series of national public opinion surveys conducted over the last 35 years.

"From 1985 to 2010, there was a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution," said lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. "But acceptance then surged, becoming the majority position in 2016."​

Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels. I've long said that education and understanding of science is the achilles heel of creationist beliefs. These types of demographic trends will continue to result in a steady decline in creationism.

 

[jacknife]

I'm stunned it took this long tbh. You would think everyone would at least get the basics.

 

[Albion]

​

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels.

Yeah, education levels. Not how educated they are, but just how much time they've spent enrolled in some educational institution.

There are certainly fewer "educated" people in our society these days than there were a few generations ago. Studies have shown that today's citizens, for example, have vocabularies that count thousands of fewer words than were used by the most average of our people a century ago, and it declines each decade.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I'm stunned it took this long tbh. You would think everyone would at least get the basics.

I'm not surprised really. Various adherents of Creationism have sunk emotional investments into their favored explanations about the origins of biological life. It's sort of to be expected.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The level of public acceptance of evolution in the United States is now solidly above the halfway mark, according to a new study based on a series of national public opinion surveys conducted over the last 35 years.

"From 1985 to 2010, there was a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution," said lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. "But acceptance then surged, becoming the majority position in 2016."​

Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels. I've long said that education and understanding of science is the achilles heel of creationist beliefs. These types of demographic trends will continue to result in a steady decline in creationism.

... there could be a decline in YEC, but anything pertaining to an Old Earth type of Creationism wouldn't necessarily be knocked out of the public eye as well.

 

[Abaxvahl]

The level of public acceptance of evolution in the United States is now solidly above the halfway mark, according to a new study based on a series of national public opinion surveys conducted over the last 35 years.

"From 1985 to 2010, there was a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution," said lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. "But acceptance then surged, becoming the majority position in 2016."​

Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels. I've long said that education and understanding of science is the achilles heel of creationist beliefs. These types of demographic trends will continue to result in a steady decline in creationism.

I didn't even know there were so many people who didn't believe it. I really do live under a rock. I thought like 85% of people did perhaps.

 

[TheWhat?]

That it was below 50% until recently is news to me.

 

[Albion]

...and the "third rail" of this debate probably still is "What do you mean when you say 'evolution' is what happened?"

 

[TheWhat?]

I also was just about to say I've not had a problem with evolutionary theory, but that doesn't mean I'm sold on the standard narrative. I'm stubbornly agnostic on many fronts.

 

[Estrid]

Yeah, education levels. Not how educated they are, but just how much time they've spent enrolled in some educational institution.

There are certainly fewer "educated" people in our society these days than there were a few generations ago. Studies have shown that today's citizens, for example, have vocabularies that count thousands of fewer words than were used by the most average of our people a century ago, and it declines each decade.

There is said to be a Babylonian cuneiform that says essentially the same thing.

That aside the essential point is that it' may be impossible for an
educated person with intellectual integrity to be a yec.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels. I've long said that education and understanding of science is the achilles heel of creationist beliefs. These types of demographic trends will continue to result in a steady decline in creationism.

We can certainly hope.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

The level of public acceptance of evolution in the United States is now solidly above the halfway mark, according to a new study based on a series of national public opinion surveys conducted over the last 35 years.

"From 1985 to 2010, there was a statistical dead heat between acceptance and rejection of evolution," said lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. "But acceptance then surged, becoming the majority position in 2016."​

Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans

One of the factors they talk about is the steady increasing in education levels. I've long said that education and understanding of science is the achilles heel of creationist beliefs. These types of demographic trends will continue to result in a steady decline in creationism.

Too bad acceptance of evolution doesn't lead to more evolved politics and less violence.

 

[Gene2memE]

There are certainly fewer "educated" people in our society these days than there were a few generations ago. Studies have shown that today's citizens, for example, have vocabularies that count thousands of fewer words than were used by the most average of our people a century ago, and it declines each decade.

I don't think that's true.

The GSS Vocabulary test, which has been conducted on adults since 1972, shows that the general adult vocabulary in the US is significantly larger now that it was in the 1980 and 1990s, and is on average a little better than it was in the 1970s.

In fact, the 2016 survey found both the largest ever functional vocabulary in US adults and the strongest general level of vocabulary comprehension.

What the GSS has shown though is a shift in the mean. Individuals with exceptionally poor or exceptionally strong vocabularies are less present now than they were in the 1970s, but the general level of comprehension has trended upwards since the 1990s.

In the 1970s, about 8% scored in the top knowledge category in testing. This dropped to about 4% in the 2010s. However, those scoring in the 6-8 categories has proportionally increased. In the 70s, this was about 40%, in the 2010s this was about 60%.

Similarly, in the 1970s, those scoring in the bottom 5 categories was about 3% of the population. This has dropped to about 1% in the 2010s.

 

[Albion]

I don't think that's true.

Heck, you now can get a 4.3 GPA on a 4 point system in high school...and how many points on your SAT test just for showing up!? Oh, that's right, most colleges no longer even require an SAT test because that might keep some tuition-paying students from enrolling.

Of course the foreign language requirement is long gone from the required courses at the undergraduate level...and the math one as well. But if that's too hard, there's always the opportunity to earn a Bachelor's Degree in almost anything you want without ever setting foot on the campus of whatever college you are "attending." And I'm speaking of some of the better-known universities in this country, not the fly-by-night college's mail order degree that used to get you fired if it was found out that this was what you'd presented as your education when filling out your job application.

 

[Gene2memE]

When demonstrated to be wrong on a specific point, your move is for a general attack and rant only tangentially related to the topic?

Seems normal.

 

[tas8831]

Too bad acceptance of evolution doesn't lead to more evolved politics and less violence.

Too bad the religion of peace cannot seem to live up to its promises.

 

[Estrid]

Too bad acceptance of evolution doesn't lead to more evolved politics and less violence.

Being a solidly Christian nation for a couple of centuries sure didn't
do any of that.

 

[Estrid]

Heck, you now can get a 4.3 GPA on a 4 point system in high school...and how many points on your SAT test just for showing up!? Oh, that's right, most colleges no longer even require an SAT test because that might keep some tuition-paying students from enrolling.

Of course the foreign language requirement is long gone from the required courses at the undergraduate level...and the math one as well. But if that's too hard, there's always the opportunity to earn a Bachelor's Degree in almost anything you want without ever setting foot on the campus of whatever college you are "attending." And I'm speaking of some of the better-known universities in this country, not the fly-by-night college's mail order degree that used to get you fired if it was found out that this was what you'd presented as your education when filling out your job application.

That's free-dom. You make up your mind, take the chance you want.

It's also a mind- set, that them good old days was so terrif and
everything is going to "bless, don't curse".

I went to uni in the USA, saw lots of students taking ridiculous
courses with totally unrealistic career plans.

Others, serious minded, goal oriented, hard working and,
ultimately successful.

If someone wants a command system they may want to see
first how it works out when tried.

 

[tas8831]

Heck, you now can get a 4.3 GPA on a 4 point system in high school..

Never seen that... Examples?

.and how many points on your SAT test just for showing up!?

I suspect none.
Did you hear this on OAN or something?

Oh, that's right, most colleges no longer even require an SAT test because that might keep some tuition-paying students from enrolling.

I see you accept anti-education propaganda at face value.

One of the reasons higher ed is not putting as great an emphasis on things like SATs is that they do not actually track well in terms of student success or failure. High SAT scores are no guarantee that you will do well in college, and vice versa. This is not only shown empirically, but I have observed it directly - my daughter had severe test anxiety while in high school and took the SAT 3 times and still did not score high enough to be accepted into her college program of choice. She enrolled in a related but less competitive program and was able to transfer into the more competitive program in her sophomore year and ended up graduating with honors (while some with maxed-out SAT scores flunked out). On the other hand, I cannot count the number of students I have encountered, boasting of their high SAT scores, only to flunk out of their professional programs, or maintain such low GPAs that they have to change them.

It isn't about tuition. It is about performance, and SATS do not predict performance as they (perhaps) once did.

Of course the foreign language requirement is long gone from the required courses at the undergraduate level.

Do you deem foreign language requirements as needed?

..and the math one as well.

Interesting. All of the universities I have been associated with have had at least 2 semesters of math required as part of the general education requirement. Maybe you are thinking of private religious schools?

But if that's too hard, there's always the opportunity to earn a Bachelor's Degree in almost anything you want without ever setting foot on the campus of whatever college you are "attending." And I'm speaking of some of the better-known universities in this country, not the fly-by-night college's mail order degree that used to get you fired if it was found out that this was what you'd presented as your education when filling out your job application.

I get it, you were not college material.

 

[Albion]

That's free-dom. You make up your mind, take the chance you want.

Well, yes, of course. And I don't fault anyone who takes advantage of the many opportunities have developed only in recent years that amount to a "short cut" to a college degree. They want a decent job and that's a requirement for most of them.

However, that wasn't the focus of the conversation when I wrote my post. Rather it was about how educated the public is these days. That is what I responded to with my comments.

I went to uni in the USA, saw lots of students taking ridiculous
courses with totally unrealistic career plans.

To be an educated person is not the same as accumulating the prerequisites needed for holding some particular job.