An article on Dr. Jon D. Miller, a political scientist who studies how much Americans know about science and what they think about it, does not have too much to say that we should find encouraging.

Dr. Miller’s data reveal some yawning gaps in basic knowledge. American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that 20% of American adults believe the Sun orbits the Earth. But this is a pretty credible source.

Psychology Today has an interesting article which may not make you feel too good about being human, but raises some interesting topics for those discussionary low-points at your next party. I found #4 (Most suicide bombers are Muslim) to be particularly interesting. Perhaps we should be sending platoons of prostitutes to Iraq instead of soldiers? It would probably be cheaper.

If you’ve ever fantasized about paperboys delivering hero sandwiches or motorized recliners, then this testosterone laden Utopian vision from Ford’s down-under division is for you…