Pew Research:
Test your knowledge of science facts and applications of scientific principles by taking our short 12-question quiz. Then see how you did in comparison with a nationally representative group of 3,278 randomly selected U.S. adults surveyed online and by mail between Aug. 11 and Sept. 3, 2014 as members of the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel.
When you finish, you will be able to compare your scores with the average American and compare responses across demographic groups.
I got 11 out of 12. I should have aced it if I had only thought a little longer about one of the questions. According to Mental Floss, only 6 percent of Americans aced this basic science survey. How did you do?
Most people are clueless about boiling water.
Not a fan of the nuclear weapon question as I think “all of the above” is the correct answer. But, then again, I do love to argue about “correct” answers to multiple-guess questions.
Likewise the tides question.
Likewise the cellphone question.
Darn missed the water boiling. I thought the temp was the same but took more energy at a higher altitude.
12 of 12…but I have a degree in Radio/Nuclear Chem and I have been working the science field for 20+ years (humble brag). 😉
It’s why pasta and rice are always difficult to cook in Denver or Lake Tahoe. Less air pressure means water boils at a lower temp (201°F in Denver vs. 212°F at sea level. Water also evaporate faster at altitude.
Gravity waves would be cool.
Which is the humble part, lol?
Lol, I still managed to get 12/12 even though I can’t see and had to guess on the graph and magnifying questions.
LOL!! Touche….but what I was trying to get across is that I SHOULD get 12/12 with my education and job field but I knew it would come across as bragging. I’m not sure everybody should get 12/12 on those. I’m sure there are quizzes in Art History or Literature that I’d do quite poorly on. We all have our ‘specialties’. I find that there is real “mystique” with a lot of people about science, almost to the point where they think it’s like some secret magic that they can’t know. It’s like anything…I was interested in it…studied it…and now have a career in it. Anybody can do it too…just a matter of interest and desire.
12 out of 12
Attorney. Though I did work some time ago in a physics lab that used enriched uranium as an ingredient in making hi-temp superconductors 🙂
I tried to deduce the correct answer for the magnifying glass one but got it wrong.
Last question is a trap…
Why on earth in a scientific questionnary do you want the astrology as an answer !
Someone with a good basic understanding of science should know the difference between astronomy and astrology. That’s why.
12 for 12. Disappointed; I thought there would be some hard ones.
Science background: BA in History.
12/12 and I sucked at natural sciences and made my master in forensic psychology back then…
But seriously, these questions are at quiz show level, no idea how so many people can fail them. Everything under 10/12 is hard to fathom.
I Agree, but astrology is not a science, so why define in a such way it exist…
There is no such thing as «Study the effect of planet and stars on human behavoir »
Yes, there is such a thing, and it is actually much older than astronomy. As a matter of fact, astronomy started as a more objective sibling of astrology. Major astronomic observations, as represented in e.g. Aztec and Maya temples and sites like Stonehenge precede “our” astronomy.
While it is not quite the norm, observations made under wrong assumptions can still yield accurate results.
And, let’s not forget… e.g. the position of the moon is having effects on human behavior in some cases. Not even “real” scientists deny that. (It is just not researched under “Astrology”.)
Low scores may reflect trying to answer too quickly without thinking about the question, rather than actual knowledge.
However I agree that 12/12 on this questionnaire should be attainable by a large percentage of the population.
I’ll admit the magnifying glass one slowed me down, until I remembered using them to focus the sun’s rays on a piece of paper until it burst into flames.
It’s a trick question designed to catch those who don’t know any better.
Well, there was only one graph showing the image to be bigger than the source.The hardship of aligning that with magnification… uh well.
But I agree, trying to answer too quickly might be part of the problem. Still, almost 2/3 not knowing about boiling water… is stunning.
Yeah – I think that’s cheating. 🙂
I would have formulated the question «Study of stars and planets = astronomy» instead to acheive the same objective…
It seems i am not alone to think that way !
Asking respondents to identify the correct definition of astrology
just breeds more misinformation by inappropriately validating it as a
field of “study” that could be misconstrued a real science.
http://www.techinsider.io/most-baffling-question-on-pew-science-quiz-2015-9
Except that would be the incorrect answer, if we assume the direction of the arrows is interpreted as coming from the object being studied! Folks looking at the diagram might interpret the lens with the diverging arrows to be the one magnifying. Magnifying glasses, as all convex lenses converge light rays to a single focal point.
My 9-year-old went 9 for 12. Not bad for a 4th grader. Any adult who did worse should be very embarrassed.
The sound wave question/anser was pretty pathetic: height is a property of the graph of pressure variation as sound occurs, not of sound waves. Sound waves are travelling pressure variations.
I made 11 too. But I´m German. The comet got me on the wrong foot.
12/12, and agreed, completely. I can’t fathom how only 6% of people who took the survey did as well as we did. I obviously can’t speak for you, but outside of the question about the polio vaccine I can’t imagine anyone getting any of these wrong. Okay maybe the boiling water question. So yeah 10 out of 12… Maybe
Being German means what exactly?
12/12. Software developer. I admit I got the polio vaccine only by eliminating choices rather than knowing the answer and I spent a bit of extra time on the magnifying glass and sugar questions just to check I wasn’t selecting the ‘obvious’ answer instead of the correct one.
Philosophy degree and 12/12. OK, let the jokes fly…
12/12. But I’ve been interested in science since childhood. The polio question isn’t really a science question, so I could see 11/12 as doing well and the boiling water one, while not hard, might feel counterintuitive unless you think about it.
It means, that doing the test in a foreign language is a little bit of an obstacle in contrast to a native speaker. But I admit, that the test isn´t that difficult.
I’m curious. Which two did you get wrong?
No need for the frowny face, apparently you did better than many people. : )
I didn’t pay attention enough. On the question about loudness of sound I answered “wavelength” and the one who developed Polio vaccine I checked “Marie Courie” (too quickly I must say).
But hey, I studied graphic design so these are not my field anyway. 😀
Maybe it could breed misinformation among those who fail at critical thinking.