Pennsylvania gets an "A" in science!

Being from a small town trapped between Pittsburgh and the dogmatic Allegheny Plateau, I never thought Pennsylvania was so hot at science. Sure, we got some pretty great schools, such as Penn State, Pitt, Bucknell, Penn, and Carnegie Mellon, but what about the high schools? My high school was far from the ideal setting in which to learn about the sciences. But much to my surprise, Pennsylvania fairs better than most states in the Union. According to a recent study released by the NCSE, Pennsylvania does pretty well in the science department.

Back in January I posted a review of the most and least academic states in the Union and their inverse relationships with religion. Vermont is the least religious in the nation, while Mississippi is the most. In nearly every aspect of everyday living, Vermont came out on top. Not only is the quality of education and IQ higher there, but the overall quality of life is better. Meanwhile, Mississippi predictably lags behind. I also drew comparisons between the Northeast and the Bible Belt. Any ideas which region came out on top?

As predicted, the Northeast leads the Southeast in terms of science education. Not surprisingly, Texas has taken a sharp nose-dive thanks to anti-science goons like Don McLeroy. Meanwhile, the West dominates the trend toward quality scientific education.

But back here at home, things are okay. Maybe things aren't as bad in Pennsylvania as I once thought.