The State of Science in America
Three-quarters of adults say they do not have a good understanding of science, and 80 percent say the subject should receive more attention in schools, a survey commissioned by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has found.
A majority of adults questioned, 70 percent, said the United States is not a world leader in science, and about the same percentage said the country would not be a world leader in science within the next 20 years, largely because of a lack of funding and high-quality instruction in science education.
Data for the report were gathered by Harris Interactive, a Rochester, N.Y.-based company that conducts opinion polls. The nationally representative telephone survey, taken in November and December of 2007, polled 1,300 adults.
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