Here's a post in anticipation of tomorrow's release of PISA science results, which, no doubt, will show America's 15-year-olds far from the top.  Some organizations (perhaps even the AFT in a statement responding to the results) will point out that students' science achievement today is critical to the nation's economic success in the future.

That may well be true, but let's put things in perspective by considering whether American adults know anything about science.  In a recent (and well-written) report titled, "Chance Favors the Prepared Mind," Gary Phillips of AIR noted a few problems with adult Americans' scientific knowledge. 

According to the National Science Foundation, the average U.S. citizen understands very little science. For example:

• Two-thirds do not understand DNA, “margin of error,” the scientific process, and do not believe in evolution.

• Half do not know how long it takes the earth to go around the sun, and a quarter does not even know that the earth goes around the sun.

• Half think humans coexisted with dinosaurs and believe antibiotics kill viruses.

On the other hand, according to the NSF, the general public believes in a lot of pseudoscience.

• Eighty-eight percent believe in alternative medicine.

• Half believe in extrasensory perception and faith healing.

• Forty percent believe in haunted houses and demonic possession.

• A third believes in lucky numbers, ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, and that UFOs are aliens from space.

• A quarter believes in witches and that we can communicate with the dead.

The average citizen is also not very literate in mathematics. According to the National Center for Education Statistics:

• Seventy-eight percent cannot explain how to compute the interest paid on a loan.

• Seventy-one percent cannot calculate miles per gallon on a trip.

• Fifty-eight percent cannot calculate a 10% tip for a lunch bill.

Phillips isn't making excuses for today's students' poor performance on international tests, and neither am I.  But if you think mediocre results like those that will be formally announced tomorrow are a recent phenomenon, I've got some lucky lottery numbers to give you for the next PowerBall.  No, seriously, I got them from an alien who swears he heard it from a witch.  And if you win $100 million, my commission will be 10%, which is $40 million.

(Image from Perfesser via Flickr.)