Miller classified “scientifically literate” people as those who can understand a majority of the scientific concepts and terms found in the science section of The New York Times. If more than 70 percent of the U.S. can’t even understand the science presented in a national newspaper, the U.S. population will be forced to rely on the simplified and politically motivated scientific interpretations of politicians to make their voting decisions.

Sure, U.S. universities require undergraduates to take a year of science, but not everyone in the U.S. goes to college or finishes high school. Increasing the nation’s scientific literacy needs to start early, so by the time people reach 18 and can vote they have at least a rudimentary understanding of the science behind the political rhetoric. For those who attend college, that mandatory year of science can be almost useless because universities like MSU have to pack hundreds of students into each section of core science classes.

Three hundred different students will be at 300 different levels of understanding, and too often the professor is forced to spend weeks or months teaching very basic scientific concepts to bring everyone up to speed. Secondary schools should be required to teach students the basics so those students will be able to jump into college-level science classes better prepared. Scientific topics are complex and can take years to fully comprehend, and it can be difficult to teach such issues in one or two semesters. Of course, the amount learned in every class depends on the interest level of the individual student and the quality of the professor. Some students will really enjoy learning about anatomy or chemistry and will have an easy time understanding the topics, but many won’t.

Since most of the students taking introductory science classes won’t go on to major or minor in the field, it’s up to the professors to garner student interest. Many students won’t remember or care about the details, so professors need to teach core concepts and ideas behind the bigger issues and the hot topics so students will better understand what everyone else is talking about. For a student more interested in marketing or art history than anatomy, learning about the basics of DNA and stem cells will be far more valuable than memorizing every bone in the body.

Regardless of how highly the U.S. ranked comparatively, a scientific literacy rate of less than 30 percent is embarrassing. Science teachers and programs at every level, from kindergarten to college, need to reevaluate the classes and curricula to make basic, essential scientific concepts more attainable and interesting to everyone.