Science a Mystery to U.S. Citizens

maddugan writes "CNN and probably others are posting their synopses of the National Science Foundation's biennial report on the state of science understanding in the US. Sixty percent of those surveyed believe in ESP, psychic power, and alien abduction."

Comments

The Demon-Haunted World

[stereoroid]

This was one of Carl Sagan's last books, which IMHO does a very good job of educating the reader in the ways of "bullshit detection" (not his choice of words!). In response to some previous comments, he also uses some good examples to explain the difference between a) allowing that something is possible, and b) believing people who tell you it's actually happening, and who will enlighten you (for a few dollars more).

(I'm not going to post a link to one bookstore and thus give it more hits - your own favorite bookstore should have it.) Alternatively, if your attention span doesn't allow for the absorption of an entire book, at least go and rent "Contact". After all, if there weren't other civilizations out there, it would be an awful waste of space...