Ah, life in the Middle Ages

The Vega is the very first to admit that deep knowlege on pretty much any scientific subject is completely foreign to him. And the Vega also knows that he's about ten steps ahead of the average American in understanding basic science; debates about Terri Schiavo's brain, Darwin's theory, and Bush's stem cells are certainly proof of that.

Even so, we are in some pretty deep shit here.

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.

At one time, this kind of ignorance may not have meant much for the nation's public life. Dr. Miller, who has delved into 18th-century records of New England town meetings, said that back then, it was enough "if you knew where the bridge should be built, if you knew where the fence should be built."

"Even if you could not read and write, and most New England residents could not read or write," he went on, "you could still be a pretty effective citizen."

No more. "Acid rain, nuclear power, infectious diseases - the world is a little different," he said. [emphasis added solely for effect]

The Enlightenment -- just a phase the West was going through.