Identify the Main Issue in the Following Passage

question 102

Essay

Identify the main issue in the following passage. If two or more issues are present, indicate how they are related-that is, does the settlement of one depend upon the settlement of the other?
The results of a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Laboratory at Northern Illinois University show that on very basic ideas, vast numbers of Americans are scientifically illiterate, laboratory director Jon Miller said. Only about 5 percent of American adults have a minimal knowledge of scientific vocabulary and methodology and an understanding of the impact of science on the world (55 percent did not know that the Earth goes around the Sun once a year; 28 percent didn't know that the Earth goes around the Sun at all). In an election year when candidates are talking about the Strategic Defense Initiative, acid rain, and the greenhouse effect, this survey shows that many Americans have little idea of what the candidates are talking about.

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Definitions:

Representative Sample

A subset of a population that accurately reflects the members of the entire population.

Population of Interest

The complete set of individuals or elements who are the subject of study in a statistical analysis.

Hand-picked

Selected with great care or with particular criteria in mind.

T-statistic

A value used in statistical analysis that measures the size of the difference relative to the variation in a sample data set.