Sunday, August 13, 2006

Americans don't understand evolution

A study of 34 nations (the US, Europe, and Japan) by Michigan State Univeristy reports that Americans rank near the bottom in understanding genetics, biology, and especially evolution. An increasing percentage of American adults are unsure about evolution (the percentages of those who fully accept it and completely reject it are both dropping). It's not just a matter of religious beliefs, but a poor grasp of biology in general that contributes to the increasing confusion. This article from LiveScience.com has a good sampling of the conflicting views over the causes and consequences of this situation.

COMMENT: While a growing number of Christians (like myself) believe the Genesis timeline is an analogy and not a literal account of creation, even those determined to oppose such thinking need to understand that evolution through natural selection is a dominant scientific paradigm. Even if you think it's false, you have to understand it in order to work anywhere in the life sciences or understand the thoughts of those who do.

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