Dying for Information

This is a scary one: Having too much information can be as dangerous as having too little. In his report Dying for Information, commissioned by Reuters Business Information, based in London, David Lewis, Ph.D. observes that too much information can lead to a paralysis of analysis, making it harder to find the right solutions or make decisions.

Unscientific Americans

From a National Science Foundation's biennial report on the state of science understanding, research, and education, of 1,574 adults surveyed:

* 54% knew long it takes the Earth to orbit the sun. In other words, 46% did not know.
* 51% knew that antibiotics kill bacteria but not viruses.
* 48% knew that the earliest humans didn't live at the same time as the dinosaurs. So, an astounding 52% did not know.

What kind of information are Americans likely to know? The name of Tom Cruise’s baby and who Brad Pitt was married to before Angelina Joli… makes me weep for the state of our collective intelligence.

What Info they ARE taking in?

Makes you wonder what information they are taking in:

American's Understanding of Science: From the National Science Foundation's biennial report issued on April 30, 2002 on the state of science understanding, research, and education, of 1,574 adults surveyed:

* 60% agreed or strongly agreed that some people possess psychic powers or extrasensory perception, a premise yet unproven.

* 30% believe that some reported objects are vehicles from other civilizations.

* 43% read the astrology charts at least occasionally in the newspaper.

Also:

* 54% knew long it takes the Earth to orbit the sun. (One year.)

* 45% knew that lasers work by focusing light.

* 51% knew that antibiotics kill bacteria but not viruses.

* 48% knew that the earliest humans didn't live at the same time as the dinosaurs.

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