A difficult question

[Ric]

On the TripleJ breakfast show this morning there the usual competition where the listeners ring in to win something after answering a simple question.

This mornings question was "What hot object does the Earth revolve around?" :question:

This mornings answer was "The Universe" :doh:

Oh well, the person involved didn't win the prize, funny about that. :rofl:

Cheers

[Baddad]

I bet that person has a drivers license too. That is scary.

Cheers

[Starless]

You would expect the right answer from a five year old.:shrug:

[AndrewJ]

Hmmm, i always thought it was "The Core"

( but hollywood wrecked that answer by getting it spinning again:shrug: )

Andrew

[Kunama]

I thought the Earth was the centre of the universe, I know that recently there have been rumours that we orbit the medium sized star called Sol, but I am not buying into that premise.

Next they will tell us that the Earth is actually spherical !!!! Don't encourage these heretics!

[el_draco]

Nah, rotates around my adolescent daughters ego... :shrug:

[Barrykgerdes]

If you think this unusual read "young brains googled" P15 this mornings telegraph!

Barry

PS I occasionally watch some of those quiz programs to win $1000000. I have no trouble with the general knowledge and science that most miss on but I get stumped completely on the pop music questions that most contestants have no trouble with.

[AndrewJ]

Its even sadder than this.
Just listening to 774 in Melb this morning when someone did a straw poll on the street.
( Re a proposition that reliance on Google etc was dumbing down general knowledge in society)

Q. How long does it take for the Earth to orbit the sun???

1 out of 5 got it ( and she was surprised when told her "guess" was right )
:shrug:

Andrew

[UniPol]

Better change "license" to "licence" Marty otherwise someone might start a thread about incorrect spelling ;)

[cfranks]

They are both valid spellings. ;)

[Barrykgerdes]

Yes sad isn't it.

When I went to school spelling was very important and the only spelling we would have been allowed was licence. An error of one word in a test of 50 would lose 2 marks out of ten. In other words correctly spelling 90% would result in no marks.

Now with spell checkers only speaking American we have lost our old ways.

Barry

PS I receive emails from an former highschool teacher and she rarely gets more than 90% of her spelling correct. Even with the spell checker!

[UniPol]

"Licence" here in Australia, have a look at your RTA driver's licence; "License" if you live in the US.

[BPO]

Yep, this is a worry. Almost everyone around you can correctly answer questions about so-called celebrities and the royal family, or who is doing what to whom on Coronation Street. They know which weatherman is getting married and which actor is getting divorced. They know which sports "star" is going into rehab, is already in rehab, or has just come out of rehab, and can name the drugs or other addictions those people had or have.

Yet most of them couldn't point out the moon in the sky if you asked them to.

[multiweb]

C'mon!... when will you astro-geeks realise you are minority. :P 99% of the populace never look up and hear astrology instead of astronomy. How could they possibly know what revolves around us or what we revolce around. Doesn't make them any stupider than you lot. :lol:

[BPO]

The trouble is the pop culture trivia stuff is all they know.

[multiweb]

Too broad still... they revolve around their iPhone and facebook. :lol:

[Barrykgerdes]

Not quite right. 99% of the population know a lot about the stars. Particularly the ones who are on drugs or otherwise misbehaving!

Barry

[AstralTraveller]

Triple J and the Tele (BTW it's a worry that anyone knows what is in this rag) are obviously following up this survey http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-17/science-literacy-falling-among-young-adults/4824232/.

Average science literacy is low and falling. However, counter-intuitively, 18-24 year olds still score above the average, suggesting that there are more ignorant older people. However you read it though, it's a worry that 40% of people don't know how long it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun or that 30% don't know whether humans and dinosaurs co-existed (I blame Fred and Barney for that!).

[PCH]

I'm sure you all remember the uncertainty surrounding the year 2000.

One of the news programs did a survey of people asking the question ... "2000 years since what?"

Not many people knew the answer.

Still, why should we worry, these are only gonna be the guys driving the country in a very few years time :help:

[blink138]

2000 years since we started counting the years would be my response!
pat

[Baddad]

That triggered it Steve, (Unipol):)
You started a discussion on spelling:lol:
I am obviously a bad speller. Look at my avatar:D

I'm not sure about what hot object they refer to. Also the answer "Universe is wrong.
The Sun and Universe revolves around the Earth. You only have to go and look at the night sky for a few hours each night. (Strike out Universe, insert stars)

Cheers:)

[sjastro]

Not only that but the new millennium was celebrated a year too early.:(

Regards

Steven

[Barrykgerdes]

Technically Steven is correct. But who knows why?

Barry

[Profiler]

With reference to the original post none of us should be surprised by the general levels of public intelligence and public perceptions surrounding the science of astronomy.

I have just returned from my local newsagent wherein I found the current issue of Oz S&T snuggly fitted in between "The Ufologists" and "Spirits and Astrology".

The S&A cover page with the close up face on picture of the old Gypsy lady wistfully looking into her crystal ball was particularly poignant right next to the picture of "Saturns Rings?" - :rofl:

look to the right of this page for current Oz S&T issue

[multiweb]

+1 :)

[stanlite]

"Originally Posted by sjastro View Post
Not only that but the new millennium was celebrated a year too early.

Regards

Steven
Technically Steven is correct. But who knows why?

Barry"


As a 25 year old I feel the need to demonstrate that not all of us are completely ignorant.

The answer is that a new century or millennium starts from the year 1 in that century eg. 1901

This is because the Roman numeral system had/has no conception/expression for the number zero (it is an arab invention we stole to make our math work). Therefore the calender went from the year 1BC (or BCE to be technically correct now) to the year 1 AD or CE. Likewise this is the reason that we are in the 21st century because the 1st century was for the years 1-100 so the 21st is the years 2001-2100.

So headmaster how did i do on the test ;)

[AndrewJ]

But, did you look it up in Google??? :lol::lol::lol:

Andrew

[CJ]

On my browser it's on the right.

[pmrid]

And probably votes, can own a firearm, drive a car and breed. All scary stuff.
Peter

[LewisM]

Nope.

License and Licence are CORRECT - Licence is a NOUN, License is a VERB.

Same as Practice vs Practise.

This does NOT hold true in the American ba.stardised English Standard :) Only English Grammar.

[UniPol]

Tich, tich Grady, "calendar" not "calender"

[UniPol]

Sorry Lewis, a driver's licence is still a "driver's licence" not a "driver's license" here in Australia. You are correct regarding license being a verb (a doing word as I was taught at school). When it comes to spelling and grammar, I don't need to look at Google to check facts, I consult my wife who has a 1st class honours degree from Sydney University in English Literature and Biblical Hebrew. At least one of has to have some brains, I'm just the one who does the doing stuff.

Better check your spelling as well Lewis i.e. " This does NOT hold true in the American ba.stardised English Standard Only English Grammar." unless "stardised was meant to be a pun ?

[stanlite]

I am shocked you would make such an accusation. :P

that is something I knew thanks to mum and dad ... the secret to a successful education is engaged parents ... spelling aside :P

[MattT]

What was the prize?
Haven't seen anyone give the correct answer yet, or any answer for that matter, and on this forum I suppose someone knows????
The Hilton Twins? :question:
Ummm.... yes no that must be like totally wrong like cause there are like totally like two of them....

As Fraser from Dad's Army used to say....we're all doomed ...doomed.

[astroron]

Just asked my neighbour and she didn't know that it took the Earth one year to go round the Sun :sadeyes:
She would be classed as middle aged:(
Cheers:thumbsup:

[LewisM]

Nope, the nanny swear blocker kills b a s t a r d i s e d if spelled altogether :)

So, the period was intentional.

[AndrewJ]

It wasnt an accusation, it was a question :D

So whats the answer???

Andrew

[UniPol]

???

[LewisM]

Type in "b a s t a r d" WITHOUT spaces between letters Steve and you get this: *******

It's the built in forum software profanity censor

[stanlite]

i said mum and dad taught me that lol no google involved at all ;)

[bigjoe]

Its only a matter of time before a lot of english grammar, speech and spelling has been b a s t a r dis(z)ed by the yanks.Not much we can do about it except teach them correctly I fear.