I tried to tell my Japanese wife about the "debate" between religion and reality. I had been reading in Archaeology Magazine about a Gallup Poll asking Americans about science. It seems that 49% of Americans do not believe in evolution and 51% of Americans believe that dinosaurs and humans co-existed.

She was incredulous. She asked me how they could be considered 'educated'. She wanted to know what the vaunted American education system was good for.

So then I explained to her that the President of the United States does not believe in evolution, that he was one of those in that 49%. This floored her.

It seems that, in Japan, ignorance is considered shameful.