In Brief

Most Americans Doubt Big Bang Theory: AP Poll

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Big Bang Theory: Universe Timeline
This graphic shows a timeline of the universe based on the Big Bang theory and inflation models. (Image credit: NASA/WMAP)

A majority of adults in the United States are not convinced that the universe began with the Big Bang, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.

"Science ignorance is pervasive in our society, and these attitudes are reinforced when some of our leaders are openly antagonistic to established facts," 2013 Nobel Prize in medicine winner Randy Schekman of the University of California, Berkeley told the AP. You can read the full story behind the poll and look at the survey itself directly via the Associated Press: http://ap-gfkpoll.com/featured/findings-from-our-latest-poll-2

The AP-GfK survey rated the confidence individual respondents had in statements about medicine and science. Only four percent of responders do not think that smoking leads to cancer and 15 percent were unsure about the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines, the AP reported.

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Miriam Kramer
Miriam Kramer
Staff Writer

Miriam Kramer joined Space.com as a Staff Writer in December 2012. Since then, she has floated in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight, felt the pull of 4-Gs in a trainer aircraft and watched rockets soar into space from Florida and Virginia. She also served as Space.com's lead space entertainment reporter, and enjoys all aspects of space news, astronomy and commercial spaceflight.  Miriam has also presented space stories during live interviews with Fox News and other TV and radio outlets. She originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee where she and her family would take trips to dark spots on the outskirts of town to watch meteor showers every year. She loves to travel and one day hopes to see the northern lights in person. Miriam is currently a space reporter with Axios, writing the Axios Space newsletter. You can follow Miriam on Twitter.