O (mau) conhecimento de ciência em Portugal

Knowledgeability about science was surveyed by asking 10 quiz questions, such as whether the statement that ‘lasers work by focusing sound waves’ was false or whether it was true that ‘human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals’. On average, 66% of respondents (70% of men and a 62% of women) gave correct answers, with extremes of 78% for Sweden and 48–52% for a group of countries that includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Malta, Lithuania and Portugal.

On the question of whether people regularly read articles on scientific topics in newspapers, magazines or on the Internet, the smaller countries in north and northwestern Europe emerged with a clear lead: in descending order, from 38% to 26% of respondents in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Finland answered this question in the affirmative. Switzerland, Norway and Iceland also scored in the high twenties. The highest score for the larger countries went to France, with 25%. Italy could manage only 10%, Bulgaria, Romania and Portugal 11%. The differences shrink if one combines the answers for regular and occasional reading.

in UNESCO Science Report 2010 (relatório em pdf)