Are basic electromagnetic principles big news to such a large segment of the populace? (A segment that is internet-savvy and fancies itself as being more sophisticated somehow.) Unfortunately, when basic physics comes up with my Stanford-educated girlfriend, I see more evidence of how far the US education system has degenerated. (When I explain, she gets it, but the education system simply didn't effectively equip her with the knowledge.)
Not only do they not know, they don't even have a framework for knowing the magnitude of their ignorance.
