Jay Leno's Astronomy Quiz

STEM
Environmental and Science Education
Miscellaneous
Edward Hessler

Long ago Jay Leno gave this quiz to some people on the street in Hollywood.

One may throw you since the status of this planet has changed since the quiz was given: Pluto.

Unfortunately these questions what many people think science is: knowing stuff. Well knowing stuff is useful but knowing how we know that say the earth is round or how species evolve or the crucial importance of evidence in science and how it is used or the value of models in science and engineering or...well that is quite another thing.

These are about smiles and maybe groans.

So while I'm at it let's take a look at questions Harvard graduates were asked on graduation day on the cause of seasons.  It is from a stunning series on misconceptions in science, The Private Universe. The project wondered why even the best and the brightest students don't know basic science concepts.

I hope you have a chance someday to see some teachers in this project in action in their classrooms as well as their students.