Russians increasingly understand less about science and increasingly believe in mermaids and house spirits - intelligence

One in ten Russians believes that the Sun revolves around the Earth, and almost half do not understand how antibiotics work. At the same time, the demand for esoteric goods, particularly aspen stakes, is rapidly growing, with interest increasing by 300% over the year. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.

Details

A study by the Higher School of Economics, published in the statistical yearbook "Indicators of Science," records a gradual deterioration in the level of basic scientific knowledge among the Russian population.

Specifically, according to the survey:

• 10% of citizens believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth, and this figure has increased by 3 percentage points in three years;
• 18% are unaware of continental drift;
• about 30% do not understand the ratio of the sizes of an electron and an atom;
• 43% are convinced that radiation is a phenomenon of exclusively anthropogenic origin that did not exist before human activity.

According to intelligence data, the worst situation is in the field of medicine. The proportion of those who consider antibiotics effective against viruses increased from 28% in 2011 to 49% in 2023-2024.

Misconceptions about genetics are also spreading: if in 2011, 29% of respondents believed that genes are only present in genetically modified products, now 40% think so, the intelligence service noted.

Science in the Russian Federation, as indicated, is losing public authority. The proportion of those who consider scientific knowledge necessary in everyday life fell from 43% in 2014 to 35% in 2023-2024. Those who consider it unnecessary increased from 51% to 58%, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine noted.

"The spiritual vacuum is filled by mysticism. About two-thirds of Russians admit the existence of higher powers and saints. Most believe in spirits and patron gods. Every second believes in house spirits and psychics. Every third believes in forest spirits, every fifth in mermaids. More than a third have experience with fortune-telling, every fourth uses amulets and charms, every seventh has turned to healers or priests," the foreign intelligence post states.

Recall

A March survey by the Levada Center shows that Russians' trust in the government and President Putin is falling, especially among young people. The proportion of those dissatisfied with government policy is growing, and the rating of key institutions in the country is gradually declining.