MOSCOW, 2 August 2022. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey on the Russian misconceptions.

Scientific misconceptions

Despite available education and learning resources, one-third of Russians share a key misconception the modern science relies on - the structure of solar system. Every third Russian is confident that the Sun revolves around the Earth (35%); this percentage has increased by 7 p.p. over the recent fifteen years. However, only 12% agree that the Earth makes one complete rotation around the Sun every month (14% in 2007; 20% in 2011).

The statement about radiation was not so difficult to answer. Only 7% of respondents agree that radioactive milk can be safe if boiled. This share is twice as high than fifteen years ago (14% in 2007).

One-fifth of respondents believe in human-dinosaur coexistence (21% vs 30% in 2007). The share of the wrong answers about the GMO products is rather high: 44% of Russians consider that GMO products can cause cancer (−23 p.p. by 2014). According to 32% of respondents, genetically modified foods can eliminate hunger on the planet (−6 p.p. by 2014).

Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Russians still have misconceptions about the Sun rotations around the Earth, other misbeliefs seem to be declining, meaning that the overall scientific literacy levels are steadily growing.

Scientific literacy

Scientific literacy means understanding the essence of science and knowledge of its basic concepts and achievements. Based on the answers to six statements a total of three groups of scientific literacy were singled out: 2 and fewer right answers refer to low level (21% of Russians); 3-4 right answers refer to medium level (44%); 5-6 right answers point to high level (35%). Scientific literacy is largely shaped by education, media consumption, age and settlement size.

• Russians with low levels of scientific literacy tend to be older (no more than 2 right answers in the group of respondents aged 60); they are active TV viewers (43%), live in rural area (32%) and have secondary and lower educational levels of education (31-55%).
• Russians with medium levels of scientific literacy are often respondents with secondary special education (46%) and aged over 45 (48-46%), as well as those living in small cities under 100 thousand people (48%).
• Russians with high levels of scientific literacy are typically young (61% of those aged 18-24-gave 5 and more right answers), actively consume the Internet (49%), have higher education diplomas (45%), live in Moscow and St Petersburg (51%), and in North-Western Federal District (45%).

VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted July 9, 2022. A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over took part in the survey. Survey method: telephone interviews using a stratified random sample based on a complete list of Russian mobile phone numbers. The data were weighted for social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.

July 9, 2022 survey key effectiveness indicators: 1,600 respondents; cooperation rate (COOP1)* = 0.8378; minimum response rate (RR1)** = 0.0217; response rate (RR3)*** = 0.1511.

* The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.

** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers where it is unknown whether the subscribers meet the selected criteria or not.

*** The number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the telephone numbers with respect to the assessment of the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of cases of unknown eligibility.

• household face-to-face interviews (“Express” project); stratified multi-stage sample with socio-demographic quotas; sample representative of the Russian population aged 18 and over based on settlement type, gender, education. Sample size: 1,600