Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge? : RSS 2.0http://www.plime.com/braindead/en-usplime.com2008, plime.com.Plime/1http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssDumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge? : RSS 2.0http://www.plime.com/images/logo.gifhttp://www.plime.com/braindead/<![CDATA[Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?]]>
“This is just like Pearl Harbor,” one of the men said.

The other asked, “What is Pearl Harbor?”

“That was when the Vietnamese dropped bombs in a harbor, and it started the Vietnam War,” the first man replied.]]>http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/50595/1/http://www.plime.com/plime-com/l/50595/1/braindead
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<![CDATA[dollyllama @ 2/14/2008 10:41:25 PM]]>« T1000 : I don't think that global problems become local problems, I think it's the other way around most of the time. I guess it goes both ways...
Certainly both ways.

Anyways, even if there is better education, some people just don't have that intellectual curiosity, and that's OK with me, they can work at McDonald's. I think people like that don't vote anyways.
Yes, we'll always need people to take the McJobs but that's not exactly where these people end up. And they do vote, the evidence is sitting in office.


Also, I was at a function with Robert Gates where he was required to pronounce a long list of names, and he got every single one right, even crazy long African ones. Just from that, he seems very intelligent to me. It's the little things that count haha...
I really was kidding.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q26http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q26braindead <![CDATA[ieldanth @ 2/14/2008 9:23:27 PM]]>

...oh and no cheesy 'God Light' to show the way either.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q25http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q25braindead <![CDATA[T1000 @ 2/14/2008 8:20:10 PM]]>« aclister : The article did state that only 23% of "those with some college" knew where Iraq was. Perhaps 77% don't need to know but you would think just out of interest they'd pull out an atlas (or look it up on the internet) before putting the XBox back on.Perhaps in between rounds of Call of Duty 4 they would be persuaded to find out where their virtual battlefield might be?]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q24http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q24braindead <![CDATA[T1000 @ 2/14/2008 8:19:04 PM]]>« gammerus : I agree with you there, learning things like state capitals and algebraic formulas just isn't useful knowledge for the average person, but what is so depressing is the stigma associated with intelligence. Knowing that Juneau is the capital of Alaska will not help me a get a job or retain one unless I plan on teaching at a 4th grad level, but having the desire to learn about the world around me is still a pretty valuable trait regardless of my employment.Yeah...It seems that a lot of times being aware of the world around you only makes you good at Trivial Pursuit and being "that guy".

Ha, I probably spend too much time on Plime reading about crazy and interesting stuff instead of getting homework and studying done...]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q23http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q23braindead <![CDATA[T1000 @ 2/14/2008 8:17:07 PM]]>« dollyllama : So you think living in a bubble is the way to go and that global problems can't become local problems?

Maybe they would travel to Europe if they learned more about it. Maybe they wouldn't be the average working stiff if they could do long division. Maybe if they spent some time exploring the world around them, they wouldn't have such a narrow frame of reference from which to make decisions, like voting morons into office.

Are we sure he does know? He seems unable to navigate an icy patch of pavement. I'm not going to give him credit for pointing out a foreign country on a map until I see him actually do it. (relax, I'm kidding about that last part, sort of)I don't think that global problems become local problems, I think it's the other way around most of the time. I guess it goes both ways...

Anyways, even if there is better education, some people just don't have that intellectual curiosity, and that's OK with me, they can work at McDonald's. I think people like that don't vote anyways.

Also, I was at a function with Robert Gates where he was required to pronounce a long list of names, and he got every single one right, even crazy long African ones. Just from that, he seems very intelligent to me. It's the little things that count haha...]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q22http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q22braindead <![CDATA[aclister @ 2/14/2008 7:45:28 PM]]>« T1000 : I think the reason why many Americans wouldn't know where "Hungry" is is simply because they don't need to know. Why retain gobs of practically useless information?
The article did state that only 23% of "those with some college" knew where Iraq was. Perhaps 77% don't need to know but you would think just out of interest they'd pull out an atlas (or look it up on the internet) before putting the XBox back on.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q21http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q21braindead <![CDATA[gammerus @ 2/14/2008 7:31:18 PM]]>« T1000 : I think the reason why many Americans wouldn't know where "Hungry" is is simply because they don't need to know. Why retain gobs of practically useless information?

The average working stiff isn't ever going to travel through Europe, or be responsible for making decisions that will affect our foreign policy, or be tasked with a worksheet of problems that can only be solved with long division or what have you.

Now what would be scary is if you asked the Secretary of Defense where Hungary was or something similar and he had no idea. People who need to know that stuff usually are trained to know it.I agree with you there, learning things like state capitals and algebraic formulas just isn't useful knowledge for the average person, but what is so depressing is the stigma associated with intelligence. Knowing that Juneau is the capital of Alaska will not help me a get a job or retain one unless I plan on teaching at a 4th grad level, but having the desire to learn about the world around me is still a pretty valuable trait regardless of my employment.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q20http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q20braindead <![CDATA[gratheo @ 2/14/2008 6:30:46 PM]]>« maven : This is not new. I was ostracized in high school because I got good grades--most of the kids with straight a's or in AP courses were. It isn't 'cool' to be smart or educated. A lot of people are honestly proud of being ignorant, which is mind boggling.I agree completely.
It wasn't so at my old school, where taking advanced courses was seen as 'cool', and ideal. But then, that was in Asia. Here in North America, though, I agree that generally the rule of the lowest common denominator seems to be more and more taking over classrooms.
While British Columbia is a far cry from Kansas, the quality of public schooling is still a growing concern that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
Certain countries, such as South Korea and Japan, have cultures built on the acquisition of knowledge. I know for a fact that all of my South Korean friends back in Indo took at least three hours of supplementary education after school each day, rising to six or eight on weekends. Now, the school I was at in Jakarta was quite advanced in of itself. However these friends were learning advanced mathematics by grade three, and calculus by grade nine.
What I'm trying to illustrate with this is the fact that there is a [u]HUGE[/u] gap between attitudes towards schooling and education in North America and in the rest of the world, particularly eastern Asia.
Just my $1/50.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q19http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q19braindead <![CDATA[dollyllama @ 2/14/2008 6:26:13 PM]]>« T1000 : I think the reason why many Americans wouldn't know where "Hungry" is is simply because they don't need to know. Why retain gobs of practically useless information?
So you think living in a bubble is the way to go and that global problems can't become local problems?

The average working stiff isn't ever going to travel through Europe, or be responsible for making decisions that will affect our foreign policy, or be tasked with a worksheet of problems that can only be solved with long division or what have you.
Maybe they would travel to Europe if they learned more about it. Maybe they wouldn't be the average working stiff if they could do long division. Maybe if they spent some time exploring the world around them, they wouldn't have such a narrow frame of reference from which to make decisions, like voting morons into office.

Now what would be scary is if you asked the Secretary of Defense where Hungary was or something similar and he had no idea. People who need to know that stuff usually are trained to know it.
Are we sure he does know? He seems unable to navigate an icy patch of pavement. I'm not going to give him credit for pointing out a foreign country on a map until I see him actually do it. (relax, I'm kidding about that last part, sort of)]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q18http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q18braindead <![CDATA[T1000 @ 2/14/2008 6:02:20 PM]]>
The average working stiff isn't ever going to travel through Europe, or be responsible for making decisions that will affect our foreign policy, or be tasked with a worksheet of problems that can only be solved with long division or what have you.

Now what would be scary is if you asked the Secretary of Defense where Hungary was or something similar and he had no idea. People who need to know that stuff usually are trained to know it.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q17http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q17braindead <![CDATA[larknet @ 2/14/2008 4:57:31 PM]]>« ArchAngel : I have to say, I'm in complete agreement with 2many.

Also, I played the Are You Smarter than a 5th grader with my family a little bit ago.

We started with my little bro(a fifth grader, who is homeschooled). He burned through each question, got his million dollars without even sweating.

Needless to say, We quit the game, a little more depressed about the academic health of our nation.It seems like the academic health of the nation is pretty good when you base it on your brother (a fifth grader) knowing all the questions. Now, the rest of the family on the other hand, can you say "retention problem"? I knew you could.

(it is really a joke, please take it as such)]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q16http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q16braindead <![CDATA[germz @ 2/14/2008 4:18:32 PM]]>« eLJay : No child left behind. I don't think it works the way it was intended. Maybe it does. All I know is, both my daughters are struggling because of the way teachers have to cram curriculum down these little people's throats. I think our generation and generations before us made out pretty darn good. Back to basics. I suck at geography and I always will. But I do know the difference between hungry and HUNGARY. I totally agree, No Child left behind is kinda a continous spiral. They punish the teachers and the school for not getting their students to pass therefore the school gets less funding...isn't that a lot of redundance!...less funding means less chances for their students to suceed. Also no matter how hard the teacher tries to teach someone that is determinded not to work or listen they will not be able to teach them.
« Killerbean : Looks like we're well on our way toward idiocracy.
haha totally.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q15http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q15braindead <![CDATA[Killerbean @ 2/14/2008 4:11:54 PM]]>Not only are citizens ignorant about essential scientific, civic and cultural knowledge, she said, but they also don’t think it matters.Looks like we're well on our way toward idiocracy.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q14http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q14braindead <![CDATA[ArchAngel @ 2/14/2008 4:09:46 PM]]>
Also, I played the Are You Smarter than a 5th grader with my family a little bit ago.

We started with my little bro(a fifth grader, who is homeschooled). He burned through each question, got his million dollars without even sweating.

Needless to say, We quit the game, a little more depressed about the academic health of our nation.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q13http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q13braindead <![CDATA[larknet @ 2/14/2008 4:04:50 PM]]>« leehblanc : Part of the reason I frequent Plime is because this "culture of ignorance" manifesting itself in our country seems to stop at Plime's virtual door. Most people I encounter here have half a brain. Not true in the real world. I have a high school education, with some college, and I regularly talk circles around people at work that are the proud owners of college degrees. I'm not bragging, just stating a fact. I saw the episode noted in the article above, and it made me sick. Okay, so I knew the answer, and I wouldn't condemn someone for NOT knowing, but thinking Europe is a country is unbelieveable.I sometimes think that people with degrees are less "educated" than those of us without them. I don't mean to insult those of higher learning but sometimes they are so arrogant you can't get things past their big heads.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q12http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q12braindead <![CDATA[eLJay @ 2/14/2008 4:02:16 PM]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q11http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q11braindead <![CDATA[eLJay @ 2/14/2008 3:58:54 PM]]>« larknet :

Now Plime, on the other hand, is full of terribly entellectuwal people with much nowlej.wut r u sayun deer]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q10http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q10braindead <![CDATA[leehblanc @ 2/14/2008 3:57:37 PM]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q9http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q9braindead <![CDATA[maven @ 2/14/2008 3:56:45 PM]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q8http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q8braindead <![CDATA[2manyusernames @ 2/14/2008 3:55:32 PM]]>« unzercharlie : What?


How do you feel those who excel in any particular field are manipulated to lessen their accomplishments? Who does it hurt when someone else does well? Someone who doesn't?

Double negative! (Just doing my part.)ha ha. Yes, I was writing fast and wasn't paying attention to what I wrote. I was also writing multiple things at one time. I had deleted parts without realizing it which didn't help matters.

(I am at work. Shhhh)

I meant to say that kids get promoted even when they can't do the work so as to not hurt their feelings.

Kids get awarded for anything. Get the worst grade, you still get a ribbon.

Meanwhile more and more schools don't want to post or advertise honor rolls because it hurts the feelings of students who didn't do as well.

Many schools have quit such things as spelling bees because - again - it hurts someone's feelings.

You do poorly, you get rewarded the same as you do well.

You do well, your accomplishments are downplayed.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q7http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q7braindead <![CDATA[germz @ 2/14/2008 3:51:42 PM]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q6http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q6braindead <![CDATA[2manyusernames @ 2/14/2008 3:50:39 PM]]>
When calculators became ultra-cheap disposable technology people quit learning long division and multiplication (don't even ask about factors, powers, quotients, etc)

Perhaps now that all the knowledge is a click away people don't bother learning facts? You'd think it would sink in through osmosis though. You'd think some sort of knowledge would be retained even if you just looked it up.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q5http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q5braindead <![CDATA[unzercharlie @ 2/14/2008 3:49:04 PM]]>« 2manyusernames:Ignorance and an inability to to basic school work promoted so as not to hurt someone's feelings.What?

Meanwhile if you excel at something if you are very smart than you are not recognized for your abilities and are even manipulated to lessen your accomplishments to - again - not to hurt someone's feelings.
How do you feel those who excel in any particular field are manipulated to lessen their accomplishments? Who does it hurt when someone else does well? Someone who doesn't?

America has fallen so far behind in academics. It is scary. The consequences of not having people who don't have basic 5th-grade knowledge, let alone the ability to do top-level work is horrible.
Double negative! (Just doing my part.)]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q4http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q4braindead <![CDATA[larknet @ 2/14/2008 3:45:39 PM]]>
Now Plime, on the other hand, is full of terribly entellectuwal people with much nowlej.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q3http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q3braindead <![CDATA[2manyusernames @ 2/14/2008 3:33:01 PM]]>
Ignorance and an inability to to basic school work promoted so as not to hurt someone's feelings.

Meanwhile if you excel at something if you are very smart than you are not recognized for your abilities and are even manipulated to lessen your accomplishments to - again - not to hurt someone's feelings.

America has fallen so far behind in academics. It is scary. The consequences of not having people who don't have basic 5th-grade knowledge, let alone the ability to do top-level work is horrible.

America won't be able to produce the mathematicians, scientists, etc that are needed in today's world.

I guess we'll still be able to create hollywood movies (provided copying old movies/tv series is "creating") and crack-ass video game players.]]>http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q2http://www.plime.com/braindead/l/50595/1/rss2_0.rss#q2braindead