Truths gained from opinion polls

[medhead]

A recent post (quoted) has made me wonder the extent of the truths, the unknown knowns, that can be gleaned from opinion polls.

A CNN poll says that 53% of Americans think Obama is untrustworthy.

So here is my starting point of polls that show us the truth.

7% of Americans believe the moon landing was faked.

26% of Americans think princess Diana's accident was planned.

26% of Americans think the government took no action to prevent or assisted the 9/11 attacks.

52% believe it is likely the CIA has allowed drugs dealers sell cocaine to African-American youth in inner-city neighbourhoods.

74% believe fluoride is added to water for sinister reasons.

 

[DrA]

98% of statistics are made up...

 

[medhead]

Indeed. I guess the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research has done a good job of making up the numbers I mentioned.

 

[get me outta here]

A recent post (quoted) has made me wonder the extent of the truths, the unknown knowns, that can be gleaned from opinion polls.




So here is my starting point of polls that show us the truth.

7% of Americans believe the moon landing was faked.

I would have thought that those thinking that the moon landing was faked would be higher.

 

[medhead]

I would have thought that those thinking that the moon landing was faked would be higher.

That was for a poll in march this year. 6% overall in 1995 and 1999. Unsures at 9% this year and 11% and 5%, respectively, in the other years.

More interesting is the demographic break down with 11% of 18-29 years thinking it was faked, versus 4% in 46-65 year olds.

15% of Hispanic people thought it was faked, 12% not sure. African Americans 8% faked and 24% not sure.

 

[JohnK]

The moon landing was faked. So what?

As for opinion polls my responses change regularly. I tell them what they want to hear. Wrong attitude? Who cares? Most statistics are made up anyway.

 

[Sprucegoose]

The moon landing was faked. So what?

As for opinion polls my responses change regularly. I tell them what they want to hear. Wrong attitude? Who cares? Most statistics are made up anyway.

86.4% of stats are made up on the spot.....

 

[NM]

and there are still people who believe the world is flat. And of course they are wrong. Its not flat at all. Its quite bumpy in the middle and also near the edges right before you fall off.

 

[Warks]

Which moon landing was faked? They talk about as though it only happened once. And yet there were six successful missions with 12 Americans having set foot upon the moon and one mission that failed to make it to the surface (no prizes for guessing that Tom Hanks never walked on the moon).

If you split the results of opinion polls into the ignorant and the knowledgeable you might see some more meaningful results. What they would mean is anyone's guess though.

 

[TomVexille]

86.4% of stats are made up on the spot.....

98% of statistics are made up...

I thought it was 83.7%...