Basically clueless.

• Position: Americans' scientific knowledge - Brief Article

When it comes to basic science, says Jon D. Miller of Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, around 75 percent of Americans "don't have a clue." According to Miller's research, one adult American in five thinks the sun revolves around the Earth. Most don't understand what molecules are, and fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only 10 percent know what radiation is. At a time when science permeates debates on everything from global warming to stem-cell research, Miller says, a tack of scientific knowledge...