(CBS) Most Americans do not accept the theory of evolution. Instead, 51 percent of Americans say God created humans in their present form, and another three in 10 say that while humans evolved, God guided the process. Just 15 percent say humans evolved, and that God was not involved.
These views are similar to what they were in November 2004 shortly after the presidential election.
You can read the whole sad story here. The idea that more than half of the American population “rejects” a well established scientific theory should be troubling to everyone. And, as Anne Applebaum points out in a Washington Post column today about the Bird Flu, there are consequences to fanciful beliefs such as this.
Polls show that most don’t believe in evolution. But it is actually impossible to talk logically about bird flu, or any other rapidly evolving and constantly changing virus, without using the language of evolution — specific words such as “mutant,” “recombination,” “genome” and “selection.” Without that language, a sensible popular or political discussion, let alone a scientific discussion, is impossible: We’re stuck talking about the virus “jumping” from birds to humans, as if it were a magic bug with a mind of its own. We’re stuck thinking that a virus is a hex that can be lifted with a single lucky charm, not something that will change over time.
And that goes double for any of the other viral and biological threats that we face from the natural world. Its time to put the fantasy world of the Garden of Eden behind us.
H/T: Vodkapundit
