Join Early Retirement Today
Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
How much do you know about science topics?
Old 09-16-2015, 11:52 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,054
How much do you know about science topics?

Take the test, 12 questions...

Science Knowledge Quiz | Pew Research Center


12 of 12 for me
jim584672 is offline  
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-16-2015, 12:06 PM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
12/12 here too.
Meadbh is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:09 PM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
JoeWras's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 11,701
12 for me, but I'm a total science geek, so this was a gimme.

The results breakdown is interesting.

- Not surprised that old people smoked the nukes question. I guess since nukes are being swept under the rug these days, the kids struggled.

- Ditto on polio. Old people remember or were touched by or know someone touched by it. Kids? Why even get vaccinated. That's poison! They probably know that Jenny McCarthy is right. Sigh.

- Glad the astrology question wasn't worst than it is.

- Chem geeks like me are distressed by the boiling answer. I guess with microwaves these days, nobody has to follow "high altitude" baking anymore.
JoeWras is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:10 PM   #4
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 903
Lol, 11 of 12 for me. I've forgotten my gas pressure laws so I already knew I was going to get the boiling point question wrong. Instead of getting lucky on a guess, I deliberately chose the wrong answer on that one.
hnzw_rui is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:21 PM   #5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,819
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeWras View Post
...
- Chem geeks like me are distressed by the boiling answer. I guess with microwaves these days, nobody has to follow "high altitude" baking anymore.
I also assumed the notes on cooking directions would have sunk in to the general public.

I also say one of their answers was incorrect (but I chose it, got 12/12, as it was the 'best' answer) - spoiler alert - I'll put the comment in white text, highlight it with a mouse-drag to read it:

[spoiler-alert]

A sound wave really doesn't have 'amplitude' or 'height' - it has peaks and troughs of pressure differences. Now, if you graph them, you could refer to the 'height' or 'amplitude' on the graph, but the sound wave itself does not have these things. Waves in water have amplitude, but not sound waves.

[/spoiler-alert]

In some ways, that was better than some other 'science' tests I've seen, which were mostly memory/history tests. This had some of that, I'd prefer to see questions that test understanding of science (like the boiling point one).

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:23 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
samclem's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
12/12. Kinda surprised that 3 questions were missed by more than 50% of respondents. It looks like the average # right was between 8 and 9, so we'll see if e-r.org is like Lake Wobegon.
samclem is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:28 PM   #7
Moderator
braumeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,198
BZZZZT!
Sorry, but astrology has nothing to do with science. What was that doing in there?
braumeister is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:38 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,819
Quote:
Originally Posted by samclem View Post
12/12. Kinda surprised that 3 questions were missed by more than 50% of respondents. It looks like the average # right was between 8 and 9, so we'll see if e-r.org is like Lake Wobegon.
I was curious if their age/education/race breakdowns were from this self-selected survey, or was that from random testing where those demographics were obtained w/o self selection (or even lying)?

IIRC, education had perfect correlation - the more education the better they did on every question. I can understand that certain ages could have a better understanding in different areas (like older people being more aware of polio). But age and other demographics also can overlap with education. It would be interesting to see the other factors adjusted for education - i.e., split college education by age group, etc.


Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister View Post
BZZZZT!
Sorry, but astrology has nothing to do with science. What was that doing in there?
I think the point was whether people know that astronomy is the correct word for the science of stars/universe. And they didn't say 'astrology' was a science - they asked (again, highlight to see):

Which of these terms is defined as the study of how the positions of stars and planets can influence human behavior? - So clearly, astrology is a wrong answer - that's fair, no?

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:45 PM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
samclem's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 14,404
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
I also say one of their answers was incorrect (but I chose it, got 12/12, as it was the 'best' answer) - spoiler alert - I'll put the comment in white text, highlight it with a mouse-drag to read it:
Yes, I agree. I had to guess at what they meant to say on that one, too. But, to be charitable, I reasoned that
[spoiler-alert]

. . . by "amplitude" they could mean "amplitude of pressure", and reading it that way makes it work. It was the "least-bad" answer[/spoiler-alert]
samclem is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:52 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Tadpole's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,428
I think that 12/12 stat is from retired-early types. 12 here also.
Tadpole is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 12:53 PM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
NW-Bound's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
12/12. And that puts me at the top 6% of the public. Hah!

But everybody knows how to work a smartphone now. That's more important, is it not?

Regarding the pick on one question, I look up the dictionary definition of the word they use, and it says

[spoiler-alert]
Amplitude: the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.

An electrical wave can have an amplitude, or an optical wave, or a radio wave. It does not have to be a physical motion displacement.

[/spoiler-alert]

Hence, I do not see a problem with their choice of word.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)

"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
NW-Bound is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:04 PM   #12
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
12/12 here too for a bit of a science geek with a knack for multiple guess tests.
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
CoolChange is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:36 PM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Bikerdude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,901
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
I also assumed the notes on cooking directions would have sunk in to the general public.

I also say one of their answers was incorrect (but I chose it, got 12/12, as it was the 'best' answer) - spoiler alert - I'll put the comment in white text, highlight it with a mouse-drag to read it:

[spoiler-alert]

A sound wave really doesn't have 'amplitude' or 'height' - it has peaks and troughs of pressure differences. Now, if you graph them, you could refer to the 'height' or 'amplitude' on the graph, but the sound wave itself does not have these things. Waves in water have amplitude, but not sound waves.

[/spoiler-alert]

In some ways, that was better than some other 'science' tests I've seen, which were mostly memory/history tests. This had some of that, I'd prefer to see questions that test understanding of science (like the boiling point one).

-ERD50
Well, it's certainly true when viewed on a oscilloscope.
__________________
“I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said” Alan Greenspan
Bikerdude is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:44 PM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
JoeWras's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 11,701
Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister View Post
BZZZZT!
Sorry, but astrology has nothing to do with science. What was that doing in there?
You may not have taken the quiz. I said "astrology question" casually. ERD50 explained it better. This, by the way, is my #1 pet peeve about science, so I was glad to see it included, and frankly surprised the wrong answer wasn't picked more often.

And brau... being a master of the brew, I'm 100% confident you'd get the boiling point question.
JoeWras is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:52 PM   #15
Moderator
Walt34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
11/12, I missed the magnifying glass one - should have known better but I was on a roll.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
Walt34 is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:55 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Katsmeow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,307
I was 11/12 (actual score was 10/12 but I had selected the correct answer then failed to enter it). I was shocked since it is a long time since I took a science course and I always tell my husband that science might as well be magic to me. The question I actually missed was on the magnifying class. I had known that at one time, but that time was long ago.
Katsmeow is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 01:58 PM   #17
Moderator Emeritus
aja8888's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Conroe, Texas
Posts: 18,645
12 of 12 right and I am a Mechanical Engineer.
__________________
*********Go Astros!*********
aja8888 is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 02:33 PM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Accidental Retiree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,499
12 of 12 right. Former English teacher here, and quite surprised.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
__________________
Chief Retirement Strategist
The AR Group
Accidental Retiree is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 02:52 PM   #19
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Car-Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,863
12 for 12 here. I was 100% sure on all of them except the one on boiling water in LA and Denver. I was pretty sure on that one too, but not 100%. Pretty simple test to be honest but fun.
Car-Guy is offline  
Old 09-16-2015, 02:54 PM   #20
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
12/12

Pretty easy, but I watch the Science channel!
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire

...not doing anything of true substance...
HFWR is offline  
Closed Thread


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
RSS Feeds and Web Portal Links for ER Forum Topics and Posts BigMoneyJim Forum Admin 1 04-25-2006 10:12 PM
Is there a way search for post only by the poster's name & topics they started? dex Forum Admin 5 03-25-2006 12:16 PM
Have the # of new topics fallen off; also less interesting? dex Other topics 7 01-06-2006 06:57 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:19 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.