At
Mother Jones, Chris Mooney writes
More and More Americans Think Astrology Is Science:
"I believe in a lot of astrology." So commented pop megastar Katy Perry in a recent GQ interview. She also said she sees everything through a "spiritual lens"…and that she believes in aliens.
According to data from the National Science Foundation's just-released 2014 Science and Engineering Indicators study, Americans are moving in Perry's direction. In particular, the NSF reports that the percentage of Americans who think astrology is "not at all scientific" declined from 62 percent in 2010 to just 55 percent in 2012 (the last year for which data is available). As a result, NSF reports that Americans are apparently less skeptical of astrology than they have been at any time since 1983.
The data on Americans' astrological beliefs are compiled by NSF but come from a variety of sources; since 2006 they have come from the General Social Survey. Over the years, the GSS and other surveys have asked Americans a recurring question: "Would you say that astrology is very scientific, sort of scientific, or not at all scientific?"
In response, a substantial minority of Americans, ranging from 31 to 45 percent depending on the year, say consider astrology either "very scientific" or "sort of scientific." That's bad enough—the NSF report compares it with China, where 92 percent of the public does not believe in horoscopes—but the new evidence suggests we are also moving in the wrong direction. Indeed, the percentage of Americans who say astrology is scientifically bunk has been declining ever since a high point for astrology skepticism in 2004, when it hit 66 percent. [...]
|
Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2013—Kochsman Marco Rubio likely to offer same old, same old energy ideas in State of the Union response:
Rebecca Leber at Think Progress points out that Sen. Marco Rubio may perhaps include something about the need for more dirty energy in the official Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address tonight.
It certainly would be no surprise given that Rubio is one of the five senators who, for his votes, received an A+ last year from Americans for Prosperity, the advocacy group founded and funded by the brothers Koch—David and Charles—to ensure, among other things, that nothing substantive on climate change or green energy manages to emerge from the Senate or the House.
Rubio himself got a career total of $32,200 from Koch Industries, $353,891 from the Koch-connected Club for Growth and $252,134 from the oil and gas industries.
While he isn't as aggressive a climate-change denier as, say, Sen. James "It's a hoax" Inhofe, Rubio does still deny in his smarmy way as can seen in this exchange hosted by Buzzfeed just a week ago:
Ben Smith: Do you see global warming as a threat to Florida?
Rubio: The climate is always changing, that’s not the question. The question is if man made activity is what’s contributing the most to it. I know people said there’s a significant scientific consensus on that issue, but I’ve actually seen reasonable debate on that principle. |
|
Tweet of the Day:
Because nothing says "war on the rich" like forcing food pantries & soup kitchens to turn away hungry people.
http://t.co/...
— @billmon1
On
today's Kagro in the Morning show, Chris Christie's gang faces a new round of subpoenas, including ones aimed at finding out whether the man himself took a helicopter flyover of the Fort Lee traffic jams.
Greg Dworkin talks flu (specifically mine) plus the looming "constitutional crisis" Christie may be provoking. House Republicans appear to be crumbling on the debt ceiling, and the employer mandate is delayed again.
Armando joined in as well, and we talk about poor Bob Costas' eyebola virus, the Michael Sam story, and the latest Christie twists. Adding to Christie's troubles, the
WaPo's look at his record of, let's say, stretching ethical boundaries.
High Impact Posts. Top Comments. Overnight News Digest.