The Sun Orbits The Earth, According To 1 In 4 Americans: Survey

Shocking Percentage Of Americans Don't Know This Basic Fact

If you ask an American if the sun orbits Earth, there's a 1 in 4 chance he'll say yes.

According to a new National Science Foundation study, 74% of Americans believe that Earth revolves around the sun. The other 26% believe that the opposite is true.

Of course, it's a fact that the Earth orbits the sun. The modern heliocentric model of the universe was first presented by Nicolaus Copernicus, a 16th century Polish astronomer. The study took place in 2012.

The survey revealed other distressing facts about science in America. For example, only 48% of Americans believe in evolution.

As NPR pointed out, European and Asian countries fared much better on the evolution question.

According to RT, a similar survey is taken every two years. The findings will be formally presented to Congress and President Obama.

CLARIFICATION: The article has been updated to specify that European and Asian countries fared better specifically on the survey's evolution question.

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