Only 40% of adults in the United States believe evolution to be “true”.  A third of American adults positively believe it to be false, presumably believing that God delivered man and woman,  fully formed, to the Garden of Eden five thousand years ago, as per one of the Hebrew creation myths (there were two of them – read Genesis).  And 78 % of all American adults are happy with the idea of natural selection in plants and animals, just so long as the word “evolution” is not mentioned in the same breath. It must be reassuring to think we are SO special, us humans! 

This ranks the US with Turkey in terms of resistance both  to reason and to scientific discovery, which begs the question, “ What is the role schools and teachers in America?”  Are the teachers simply babysitters, keeping an eye on phone- obsessed kids while their parents are out at work?  What are children learning?   Good question. There are doubtless many children who are open- minded and who reject the long- discredited, but stubbornly- held beliefs of their parents.   But while we still have adults who seriously believe that Genesis states the literal truth about creation, we have to put up with a vocal section of the population who reject every aspect of science, but who hold very significant political power.   

You can’t make America great again when such large numbers of your fellow citizens trash science, scientists and professional research, and elect Know Nothing people who regard anyone educated as “elite”.  Most of the scientists and researchers I have ever encountered were good, nice, interesting and articulate people, but “elite”.   Hardly.

Ignorance rules.  Was it like this fifty years ago?