Probing a more universal measure of knowledge, Gallup also asked the following basic science question, which has been used to indicate the level of public knowledge in two European countries in recent years: "As far as you know, does the earth revolve around the sun or does the sun revolve around the earth?" In the new poll, about four out of five Americans (79%) correctly respond that the earth revolves around the sun, while 18% say it is the other way around. These results are comparable to those found in Germany when a similar question was asked there in 1996; in response to that poll, 74% of Germans gave the correct answer, while 16% thought the sun revolved around the earth, and 10% said they didn't know. When the question was asked in Great Britain that same year, 67% answered correctly, 19% answered incorrectly, and 14% didn't know.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/3742/New-Poll-Gauges-Americans-Ge...

http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/...

I don't find it strange or alarming. No more than the fact that a dog who has learned to bark on command doesn't automatically know how to kneel on command.

Memory is an odd thing though. I mainly remember why the earth has seasons now (though I always knew it) because I remember the study that I quote above.