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Tables Derived from the Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 The first of these tables is reproduced directly from Table 7-9 from the 2012 Science and Engineering Indicators report. The second table combines that data with the data from reports of previous years to show a trend. Back to Blog Entry |
| Table 7-9 Correct answers to factual knowledge questions in physical and biological sciences, by country/region: Most recent year (Percent giving correct answer) |
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| Question | United Statesa (2010) (n = 1,932) | South Korea (2004) (n = 1,000) | EU (2005) (n =16,029) | Japan (2001) (n = 2,146) | Malaysia (2008) (n = 18,447) | India (2004) (n = 30,255) | China (2007) (n = 10,059) | Russia (2003) (n = 2,107) |
| Physical science | ||||||||
| The center of the Earth is very hot. (True) | 84 | 87 | 86 | 77 | 66 | 57 | 49 | NA |
| The continents have been moving their location for millions of years and will continue to move. (True) | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83 | 44 | 32 | 44 | 40 |
| Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth? (Earth around Sun) | 73 | 86 | 66 | NA | 72 | 70 | 78 | NA |
| All radioactivity is man-made. (False) | 67 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 14 | NA | 40 | 35 |
| Electrons are smaller than atoms. (True) | 51 | 46 | 46 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 22 | 44 |
| Lasers work by focusing sound waves. (False) | 47 | 31 | 47 | 28 | 16 | NA | 20 | 24 |
| The universe began with a huge explosion. (True) | 38 | 67 | NA | 63 | NA | 34 | 22 | 35 |
| Biological science | ||||||||
| The cloning of living things produces genetically identical copies. (True) | 80 | NA | 68 | NA | 53 | NA | NA | NA |
| It is the father's gene that decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl.b (True) | 61 | 59 | 64 | 25 | 40 | 38 | 55 | 22 |
| Ordinary tomatoes do not contain genes, while genetically modified tomatoes do.c (False) | 47 | NA | 41 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 22 |
| Antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria. (False) | 50 | 30 | 46 | 23 | 8 | 39 | 21 | 18 |
| Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals. (True) | 47 | 64 | 70 | 78 | NA | 56 | 69 | 44 |
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NA = not available, question not asked EU = European Union; data not available for Bulgaria and Romania a See appendix table 7-9 for U.S. trends. b China and Europe surveys asked about "mother's gene" instead of "father's gene." c Russia survey asked about "ordinary plants" instead of "ordinary tomatoes." SOURCES: United States-University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey (2010); South Korea-Korea Science Foundation (now Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity), Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology (2004); EU-European Commission, Eurobarometer 224/Wave 63.1: Europeans, Science and Technology (2005), and Eurobarometer 224/Wave 64.3: Europeans and Biotechnology in 2005: Patterns and Trends (2006); Japan-National Institute of Science and Technology Policy/Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Survey of Public Attitudes Toward and Understanding of Science and Technology in Japan (2001); Malaysia-Malaysian Science and Technology Information Centre/Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Survey of the Public's Awareness of Science and Technology: Malaysia (2008); India-National Council of Applied Economic Research, National Science Survey (2004); China-Chinese Association for Science and Technology/China Research Institute for Science Popularization, Chinese National Survey of Public Scientific Literacy (2007); Russia-Gokhberg L and Shuvalova O, Russian Public Opinion of the Knowledge Economy: Science, Innovation, Information Technology and Education as Drivers of Economic Growth and Quality of Life, British Council, Russia (2004). Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 |
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| 1985 (n = 2,003) | 1988 (n = 2,041) | 1990 (n = 2,005) | 1992 (n = 1,995) | 1995 (n = 2,006) | 1997 (n = 2,000) | 1999 (n = 1,882) | 2001 (n = 1,574) | 2004 (n = 2,025) | 2006 (n = 1,864) | 2008 (n = 1,505) | 2010 (n = 1,932) | |
| Physical science | ||||||||||||
| The center of the Earth is very hot. (True) | NA | 80 | 79 | 81 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 84 | 84 |
| The continents [on which we live] have been moving their location for millions of years and will continue to move [in the future]. (True) | 79 | 80 | 77 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 79 | 77 | 80 | 77 | 80 |
| Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth? (Earth around Sun) | NA | 73 | 73 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 75 | 71 | 76 | 72 | 73 |
| All radioactivity is man-made. (False) | NA | 65 | 63 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 76 | 73 | 70 | 70 | 67 |
| Electrons are smaller than atoms. (True) | NA | 43 | 41 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 46 | 48 | 45 | 53 | 53 | 51 |
| Lasers work by focusing sound waves. (False) | NA | 36 | 37 | 37 | 40 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 42 | 45 | 49 | 47 |
| The universe began with a huge explosion. (True) | NA | 54 | 32 | 38 | 35 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | NA | 38 |
| How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun? (One year) | NA | 45 | 48 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 54 | NA | 55 | 51 | NA |
| Biological science | ||||||||||||
| The cloning of living things produces genetically identical copies. (True) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 80 |
| It is the mother's gene that decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl. (False) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 71 | NA |
| It is the father's gene that decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl.b (True) | NA | NA | NA | 65 | 64 | 62 | 66 | 65 | 62 | 64 | 62 | 61 |
| Ordinary tomatoes do not contain genes, while genetically modified tomatoes do.(False) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 47 |
| Antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria. (False) | NA | 26 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 43 | 45 | 51 | 54 | 56 | 54 | 50 |
| Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals. (True) | 45 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 53 | 42 | 43 | NA | 47 |