Solar orbiters are great ways for studying the Sun, and are part of how we’ve learned so much about our Solar System’s greatest natural energy source. Image credit: ESA, via http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter.

The two questions that determine your scientific literacy

If you think you can just take a test and demonstrate your scientific literacy, think again.

“Through basic science literacy, people can understand the policy choices we need to be making. Scientists are not necessarily the greatest communicators, but science and communication is one of the fundamentals we need to address. People are interested.” -James Murdoch

There are a lot of claims going around the news lately that make one question whether, as a nation and a world, humanity is a scientifically literate species. Prominent politicians and lawmakers, among many other citizens of Earth, are debating and publicly questioning, among other topics:

• the safety and efficacy of vaccines in preventing disease,
• the truth of whether the Earth’s climate is changing and whether humans are playing a role,
• whether adding fluoride to drinking water is safe for humans to drink and effective at cavity reduction,
• whether there was a natural origin to life on Earth or whether there is evidence of divine intervention,
• and whether the Earth is billions of years old or thousands of years old.