A new study by the Higher School of Economics (HSE), published in the “Science Indicators” statistical yearbook, has recorded a critical level of scientific illiteracy among Russian citizens. The data shows that a significant portion of the population not only holds medieval misconceptions but also demonstrates growing skepticism toward the value of scientific knowledge itself.
Key Indicators of Scientific Illiteracy:
- Astronomy and Physics: 10% of Russians are convinced that the Sun revolves around the Earth. About 30% do not understand the basic structure of matter (the size ratio of an electron to an atom), and 18% are unaware of tectonic plate movement.
- Radiophobia: 43% of respondents believe radiation is exclusively man-made, denying the existence of a natural background radiation.
- Medicine and Biology: Nearly half the population (49%) mistakenly believes that antibiotics kill viruses. This misconception has surged from 28% in 2011 to 49% in 2024.
- Genetics: 40% of those surveyed believe that only GMO products contain genes, while “natural” plants supposedly do not.
Analytical Summary:
The results of the HSE survey indicate a profound systemic crisis in education that extends beyond simple lack of erudition and is turning into a threat to national security.
Archaization of Consciousness: The rise in the number of people believing in geocentrism or the absence of genes in ordinary food points to the inefficiency of school education and the triumph of “everyday mysticism” over rationalism. In an environment of isolation from the global scientific community and the dominance of conspiracy content in the media, the space for rational thinking is shrinking, returning society to pre-scientific worldviews.
Medical Catastrophe: The belief that antibiotics treat viruses, shared by half the population, is a direct path to uncontrolled self-medication and a rise in bacterial resistance. On a national scale, this means the devaluation of modern treatment protocols and potential vulnerability to new epidemics. The sharp jump in this misconception (from 28% to 49% in 13 years) suggests a total failure of public health education.
Degradation as a Social Demand: The most alarming trend is the declining significance of science in the eyes of the average citizen. When 58% of citizens consider scientific knowledge “optional” and the share of those recognizing its usefulness drops to 35%, it signifies a societal refusal to develop. Ignorance becomes a comfortable environment where complex scientific explanations are replaced by simple myths. This creates ideal ground for manipulation and further technological degradation, as a lack of interest in science deprives the country of the human potential needed for innovation.