Comments on: The people aren't always right: Alabama & Creationism

By: StacyC

StacyC — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:06:13 +0000

Interesting analysis, but as a side note, the author(s) need some serious cartographic remediation, these graphics are horrible.

By: Yoav

Yoav — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:48:15 +0000

Hi, I’m a bit concerned about the statistical data and the conclusions from the survey results. You should pay attention to the fact that although 53,043 people participated in the survey, only 3673 have answered this very question!
I’m not a statistics expert, but it seems hardly enough for region slicing. Don’t you agree?
I mean, in all of New England (population over 14 million, right?) merely 160 people have answered to this question. How can we say that the results are statistically significant?

By: Jack Newman

Jack Newman — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:33:00 +0000

Would love to know the breakdown by religions.

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Thu, 13 May 2010 19:32:09 +0000

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By: Ben Snyder

Ben Snyder — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:36:47 +0000

Oh wonderful glorious GSS, is there anything you can’t do?

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:11:30 +0000

I suspect that Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia more closely track the views of the Middle Atlantic region (and are often included in that group in other surveys), given the high percentage of college graduates and professionals who live there. This wouldn’t much change the results for the Middle Atlantic region (if included in that region), but does help explain the slightly higher percentages in the South Atlantic region.

By: Doug Watts

Doug Watts — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:45:06 +0000

Several years ago, when Maine had one of its never-ending statewide referenda to make discrimination against homosexuals illegal, the Bangor Daily News produced a fascinating town by town map showing how the residents in each town voted. Invariably, all over the state, the vote broke down by geographical proximity to a university or college. The farther the town was from a university or college, the stronger the vote was against gay rights; the closer the town was to a university or college the stronger the vote was for gay rights. The towns and cities in which universities or colleges were located had the strongest majorities for gay rights. The geographic correlation was far too massive to not be causative.

By: Art

Art — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:16:09 +0000

Only in one region do a majority of the people believe in evolution beyond a doubt. I’d almost be as embarrassed to live there than in the region that believes to the contrary. Such confidence in something that can’t be proven seems pretty arrogant for anyone.

What percentage of people are deists? What would you call someone who believes matter was created, and, subsequently, physics and chemistry created life- as there is no answer to the question “where did the dense, hot cloud come from”, or “where did god come from”?

I’m not religious and I’m not trying to argue, but I just find it unsettling that people can be polarized in an argument that will probably never be settled definitively.

“Something” came from “nothing” regardless of how you feel about religion.

By: Jones

Jones — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:20:19 +0000

You need to check your grammar on that last sentence. What are you trying to say there?

By: Doug from Dougland

Doug from Dougland — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:21:32 +0000

I have to admit i’m rather disappointed but not entirely surprised in my Midwest East North region cohorts. I remember having an off the cuff conversation years ago with my then high school counselor and talking about evolution and having him tell me he hoped I’d get better. Like not believing in magic was an illness.

By: kirk

kirk — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:20:31 +0000

As outrageous as this is, it’s actually sorta predictable:

1. It’s Judge Roy “big ole 10 commandments statue” Moore.
2. He doesn’t have any money (he only raised $300K)
3. He cannot afford to go after the Teabagger in 1st place.
4. He’s throwing his pennies away going after the guy he’s tied with for last place.
5. He will only get 3 extra hillbilly votes from this stunt.
6. This destroys both candidates chances (and neither was going to win anyway).

that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:16:25 +0000

I’m sort of shocked that we in the east north central are the second stupidest people in the country, with our cluster of urban areas and universities. Oy. Depressing.

By: Carl Zimmer

Carl Zimmer — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:13:04 +0000

It doesn’t help matters that the teachers’ union is apparently behind the attack ad, using this distrust of evolution as a political weapon against a candidate they don’t like for entirely different reasons.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:10:12 +0000

Hooray for New England!
I would have expected longer green and yellow bars though – there are quite a few creationists in VT, NH & ME.

By: XXL

XXL — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:47:01 +0000

Not surprising. We have the Creation Museum here in Kentucky.

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By: steve

steve — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:24:50 +0000

Found it Razib, thanks. (I am new to your blog.)

By: Razib Khan

Razib Khan — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:08:24 +0000

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2009/09/the-root-of-all-anti-evolutionism/

i’ve done a lot of blogging on the GSS variables. use the search box “evolution” and “GSS” might help you find them.

By: steve

steve — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:05:51 +0000

It would have been interesting to see this breakout by state. I presume that Georgia weighted the answers in the South Atlantic, for example, and by that I am assuming that higher poverty areas were more superstitious.

For that matter, it would be interesting to see educated vs. non educated.

The question as asked implies that we are somehow no longer animals. Why?