-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: from, who else? The Onion
Date:   Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:32:36 -0800
From:   [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask]



When I worked as an undergraduate student assistant for a major U.S.
college, lo these 40 years' past, I encountered second and third year
science majors who didn't know water sought its own level or that light
emanating from a source didn't somehow 'increase' to illuminate larger
areas with distance...

The cited statistics seem just about right, given the precipitous
decline in STEM knowledge and skills among Americans over time -)

Edward Sullivan


----- Reply message -----
From: "Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee"
<[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: from, who else? The Onion
Date: Wed, Jan 2, 2013 07:48


Too silly?

forwarded by Angie


-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        from, who else? The Onion
Date:   Wed, 02 Jan 2013 09:34:14 -0600




        Increasing Number Of Americans Unable To Point Out Map

   From The Onion
<http://www.theonion.com/articles/increasing-number-of-americans-unable-to-point-out,17650/>:



WASHINGTON—-An alarming new study released Tuesday by the Department of
Education found that nearly 70 percent of Americans are incapable of
pointing out a map when presented by researchers with a map. "Not only
did a majority of people just stare blankly ahead, but nearly half
pointed to nearby desk lamps in their attempts to guess correctly," said
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who called the findings endemic of
the nation's failing school system. "In fact, 14 percent of all
Americans claimed they had never 'even heard of no map,' and asked if
being prompted to locate one was some kind of trick question." According
to Duncan, the Department of Education has suspended all further studies
and will instead be spending the next six months just screaming into a
pillow.