This is a slice of the article
"A slightly higher proportion of American adults qualify as scientifically literate than European or Japanese adults, but the truth is that no major industrial nation in the world today has a sufficient number of scientifically literate adults," he said. "We should take no pride in a finding that 70 percent of Americans cannot read and understand the science section of the New York Times."
Approximately 28 percent of American adults currently qualify as scientifically literate, an increase from around 10 percent in the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to Miller's research.
the article raises the point: we expect people to meaningfully debate topics like global warming?
pay attention in science class
source
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070218134322.htm
