Paul

A Gallup poll from 1999 has 18% of Americans responding that the Earth revolves around the Sun

No, the poll indicates that 79% of Americans properly identified that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

18% indicated that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

It’s more than a little ironic to participate in a post about people getting the relationship wrong when you can’t get it right in your own observation!

18% getting it wrong is certainly quite a bit better than 56% getting it wrong. Posting that only 18% got it right makes Americans seem vastly less-informed than the French audience appears to be in this case… and that’s an egregiously incorrect assessment as I see it.

Moy Bog! Gljup, kak tuljckiy prjanik.

Let’s hope the Muzlms will provide a better school system

spike on July 27, 2007 at 12:12 AM

They’ll have advanced degrees in chemistry and pyrotechnics.

The only thing that is wrong with France today is the French.

First, the guy doesn’t know something everyone learns in first grade, if not earlier.

Then over half the audience doesn’t know something everyone learns in first grade, if not earlier.

Then, and this is the real stupidity, this idiot doesn’t listen to his wife.

How do you translate: “It’s the moon, dumbfuck” into French? Maybe he’d have gotten it if she said that instead of being polite.

Hening, you should’ve told the snooty prick “Listen up Pierre, you wouldn’t even HAVE a language if it weren’t for people who spoke MINE!”

Oh, the heck with it. It was a trick question!

How come the French can figure out a million ways to surrender but don’t know anything about the heavens. Thank govt. run education.

Now some snarky astronomer will say that the moon is just following an almost circular orbit around the sun, and he’d be right.

It is of course absolutely true that the french will never ever express something clearly and unambiguously when a complicated and ambiguous alternative is available. I can testify to that from years of experience. Oh and they do (very officially) hate free enterprise. I should know as I run a small business here and year after year wonder why I bother.

the moon of course, and it’s 93,000,000 miles away

93,000,000 miles is the distance from the Earth to the Sun;
240,000 miles (approx.) is the distance from the Earth to our Moon.

I read that in France the audience tries to screw the contestant on purpose by giving an incorrect answer.

Er, Isn’t that similar to what the French do to us whenever there’s a critical vote in the UN Security Council?

Just sayin’.

This is a race that thinks the world revolves around France, so of course the sun would have to revolve around earth.

I tried to order dinner at a restaurant in France in French and the waiter said, “Please stop murdering my language, Monsieur”. Non tipeux for vous.

Any person who doesn’t know what the answer should be shouldn’t be allowed to win money for not knowing it.

I am now an official self-hater.

By the way…I just asked my 7 year old son the same question…his answer…”Boy Dad, that’s such a baby’s question…the moon of course, and it’s 93,000,000 miles away”.
I taught him everything he knows.

That (the distance to the sun) was a million dollar question on the American Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Increase your son’s allowance!