According to a new survey done by Michigan State University, one-third of the US population rejects evolution as scientific fact. The survey sampled responses from 32 European countries, the US, and Japan. The US would have been the least accepting of evolution but at the last second, Turkey took that crown.
The survey, which appeared in the Aug. 11 issue of Science, also explains that the number of people in the US who believe in evolution has dropped since 1985, even though Americans, on average, have more years of education in 2006.
According to this account of the study, the waning belief in evolution in the US is attributed to the strong influence of religious fundamentalism in that country. The authors remark “there is no major political party in Europe and Japan that uses opposition to evolution as a part of its political platform”. Such a stance, however, is a cornerstone belief of everyone’s favourite political party, the Republicans.
Finally, the study showed that those with pro-life attitudes in the US were much more inclined to reject evolution that their pro-choice counterparts. I don’t think that stat surprises anyone.
Keep up the good work down there! Carolyn, Suzanne, and Dana, you’re welcome to sleep on our couch when the time is right.
Bonus points to anyone who gets the reference in the post title without Googling it!