How good is your general Science Knowledge?

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#1165579 31-Oct-2014 09:57

12/ 13

linw

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#1165585 31-Oct-2014 10:06

13/13.

Yep, I am appalled that we are paying that Green idiot big money to participate in the running of the country. If I believed in god I would say, "God help us".

nzrock

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#1165603 31-Oct-2014 10:26

13/13 the Americans must be lowering the average a lot

Amosnz

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#1165614 31-Oct-2014 10:37

13/13. I had to think back to high school days for a couple, but most were pretty straight forward.

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Brumfondl

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#1165746 31-Oct-2014 12:07

trig42: 13/13. Thought I may have buggered up the nitrogen one - I have got that wrong before by over thinking it. Went with my gut this time.
Pretty easy questions though.

I did over-think it so only got 12/13. Quite disappointed in myself.

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gzt

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#1165800 31-Oct-2014 12:30

13/13.

Aredwood:

I hate to tell you this but the premise is false. There are many educated people who believe all kinds of unusual things.

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robjg63

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#1165823 31-Oct-2014 12:51

trig42: 13/13. Thought I may have buggered up the nitrogen one - I have got that wrong before by over thinking it. Went with my gut this time.
Pretty easy questions though.

Same here.

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jpoc

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#1165830 31-Oct-2014 12:57

I am struck by the antibiotic question which seems to highlight a gap between knowledge and understanding or application.

The problem of antibiotic resistance seems to be an issue about which people have knowledge but still, when they go to see the doctor, they are only to happy to be given an antibiotic and told to go home even if the are not suffering from an illness that can be treated with antibiotics.

13/13

danfaulknor

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#1165836 31-Oct-2014 13:01

13/13 for me :)

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#1166044 31-Oct-2014 17:35

13/13

Aredwood

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#1166096 31-Oct-2014 19:49

Fred99:

Question number 11 (drug trial) 75% of people got right.
The question was "better way". The correct answer would not be a good method to throw doubt on homeopathic methods - it would be a very poor method.

Curious what your line of thinking is on this. My understanding is that both the treated and control groups must be told that they are receiving the treatment. (So in the homoeopathic example, 1 group will get the so called homoeopathic water. And the other normal water. And both groups are told that they are receiving homoeopathic water). And you only look at the difference in results between the treated group and control group. If the % of people who are successfuly cured / condition improves ect. Is the same for both groups. Then you know the improvement is entirely due to the placebo effect.

Only difference I can see between testing a homoeopathic substance and say an antibiotic. Is that some or all of the treated group might do worse than the control group. Due to allergic reactions, incompatibilities with other drugs they are taking, Or the antibiotic under test turns out to be bad for you.

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Fred99

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#1166109 31-Oct-2014 20:22

Aredwood:
Fred99:

Question number 11 (drug trial) 75% of people got right.
The question was "better way". The correct answer would not be a good method to throw doubt on homeopathic methods - it would be a very poor method.

Curious what your line of thinking is on this. My understanding is that both the treated and control groups must be told that they are receiving the treatment. (So in the homoeopathic example, 1 group will get the so called homoeopathic water. And the other normal water. And both groups are told that they are receiving homoeopathic water). And you only look at the difference in results between the treated group and control group. If the % of people who are successfuly cured / condition improves ect. Is the same for both groups. Then you know the improvement is entirely due to the placebo effect.

Only difference I can see between testing a homoeopathic substance and say an antibiotic. Is that some or all of the treated group might do worse than the control group. Due to allergic reactions, incompatibilities with other drugs they are taking, Or the antibiotic under test turns out to be bad for you.

The suggested scenario:

Which is the better way to determine whether a new drug is effective in treating a disease? If a scientist has a group of 1,000 volunteers with the disease to study, should she...

The correct answer is "Give the drug to half of them but not to the other half, and compare how many in each group get better"

There are several potential problems with this scenario:
"volunteers" are a self-selected group.
It doesn't mention that the study is blind or double blind, so placebo effect, and bias in interpreting results isn't eliminated. There's no mention of a "control group".

Splitting hairs perhaps, but a bit disappointing that in a science quiz a "better" answer is still an incomplete answer.

Batman

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#1166113 31-Oct-2014 20:31

13. very general.

Fred99

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#1166145 31-Oct-2014 20:58

jpoc: I am struck by the antibiotic question which seems to highlight a gap between knowledge and understanding or application.

The problem of antibiotic resistance seems to be an issue about which people have knowledge but still, when they go to see the doctor, they are only to happy to be given an antibiotic and told to go home even if the are not suffering from an illness that can be treated with antibiotics.

13/13

IMO data on development of resistant strains suggest that it's perhaps not so much a problem in the general population, but a "hospital problem".
I also suspect that while GPs these days might be inclined not to routinely prescribe ABs for colds/flus, they'd be the first to take them themselves when they got a cold/flu, as prophylaxis against secondary infection.

Batwing

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#1166151 31-Oct-2014 21:07

13/13. Score and level of drunk.

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