"To Ignorance and Beyond!!!"

[Good Egg]

I'm slightly staggered that Ms Autumn is unaware of the origins of her name. Still I've never had a very high regard for academic study outside of the great universities. I've met too many people with degrees who seem to unable to read, write, add and subtract construct an argument or make a plan based on an appreciation of the situation or indeed - think.

Dumb Britain is an feature in 'Private Eye' where the stupid answers contestants give in TV quizzes are published:

Irony


Sara Cox Show, BBC Radio 1
Sara Cox 'Beauty is in the eye of the...'
Contestant Tiger.

Fifteen-to-One, Channel 4
William G. Stewart: Above the entrance to which place do the words “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” appear?
Contestant: A church?
Stewart: Er, sorry, no, hell.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Where was the recent Winter Olympics held?
Contestant: Taunton.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: The Grapple in the Apple, recently held in New York, was a debate between the journalist Christopher Hitchens and the politician George who?
Contestant: George Washington.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: In which film did Harry Lime say 'In Switzerland they had brotherly love and they had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did they produce? The cuckoo clock!'?
Contestant: One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: In Italian history, in 1919 which former journalist set up the Fascist Party?
Contestant: Silvio Berlusconi.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Name the man who was President of Italy until May 2006.
Contestant: Don Corleone.

Beg, Borrow or Steal, BBC Two
Jamie Theakston: Where do you think Cambridge University is?
Contestant: Geography isn't my strong point.
Jamie Theakston: There's a clue in the title.
Contestant: Leicester.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: A selection of small, highly coloured sweets is known as Dolly...
Contestant: Parton.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: In politics, what is the current occupation of David Blunkett?
Contestant: Blind. (He was an MP and Home Secretary at the time)

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: The adjective Rubenesque, meaning a plump, voluptuous woman, is derived from the work of which 17th century Flemish artist?
Contestant: Aretha Franklin.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: He was known as the King of the Cowboys. He was Roy who?
Contestant: Keane.

Sara Cox Show, BBC Radio 1
Sara Cox What was Bram Stoker's most famous creation?
Contestant Branston Pickle.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: In the 1940s which politician was responsible for the welfare state; William...?
Contestant: The Conqueror.

The Vault, ITV
Melanie Sykes: What is the name given to the condition where the sufferer can fall asleep at any time?
Contestant: Nostalgic

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: What force of nature is responsible for keeping the Earth, planets and asteroids in orbit around the Sun?
Contestant: Delta Force.

Ignorance

The Vault, ITV
Melanie Sykes: In which European city was the first opera house opened in 1637?
Contestant: Sydney.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Leno: Who was the first man on the moon?
Contestant: Louis Armstrong.

National Lottery Jet Set, BBC One
Anne Robinson: There are three states of matter: solid, liquid and what?
Contestant: Jelly.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Which m describes exhibiting clothes or making airfix aircraft?
Contestant: Hangar.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: What 4 letter word beginning with d has shelves and is used for writing on.
Contestant: Table.

Chris Searle Show, BBC Radio Bristol
Searle: In which European country is Mount Etna?
Caller: Japan.
Searle: I did say which European country, so in case you didn't hear that, I can let you try again.
Caller: Er... Mexico?

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: No what please we’re British?
Contestant: Thankyou. (There is a well known play: No Sex Please, We're British)

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Which hot drink is eat an anagram of
Contestant: Hot chocolate.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: A wild guess is a shot in the...
Contestant: Arm.

Family Fortunes with Les Dennis
Dennis: Name something people believe in but cannot see.
Contestant: Hitler.

The James O'Brien Show with James O'Brien
O'Brien: How many kings of England have been called Henry?
Contestant: Er, well I know there was a Henry the eighth ... Er ... er... three?

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Which part of the human body is closest to the floor when we are walking?
Contestant: The head.

The Big Ask, LBC
Gary King: What is the largest carnivore that lives on the land?
Contestant: A Whale.

Bizarre

Steve Wright in the Afternoon, BBC Radio 2
Steve Wright: On this day in 1963, how did Valentina Tereshkova become famous?
Contestant: Was she the first woman to grow a potato?

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: A pain in the muscles or bones of the lower legs, often suffered by sportsmen is known as Shin...?
Contestant: ...dlers List.

Studio 7, The WB Network
Presenter: Which former British colony was handed back to the Chinese in 1997?
Contestant: London.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: Which actress was married to Humphrey Bogart, and is the also the cousin of former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres?
Contestant: Gene Kelly.

24 Hour Challenge, BBC Radio York
Jonathon Cowap: If someone is described as hirsute, what are they?
Contestant: Erm.
Cowap: Here's a clue. Most men are, and most women would like us to think they are not.
Contestant: Is it gay, Jonathon?

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: In the Lord's Prayer, what word beginning with 'H' meaning 'blessed' comes before 'be thy name'?
Contestant: (quietly) Howard.
Anne Robinson: (incredulously) Pardon?
Contestant: (louder) Howard.

The Weakest Link, BBC Two
Anne Robinson: What word for an ancient Roman marketplace is also a site on the internet for open discussion?
Contestant: Chatroom.

Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old?, Sky One
Presenter: Was the Tyrannosaurus Rex a carnivore or a herbivore?
Contestant: No, it was a dinosaur

[O'Callaghan]

Or Sumerian.

Wouldn't that make her an Iraqi, or Iranian perhaps? Well, either that or a few thousand years old!

[O'Callaghan]

I'm slightly staggered that Ms Autumn is unaware of the origins of her name. Still I've never had a very high regard for academic study outside of the great universities. I've met too many people with degrees who seem to unable to read, write, add and subtract construct an argument or make a plan based on an appreciation of the situation or indeed - think.

I usually hear that said by people who couldn't get into university. However, you did exempt the 'great' universities, but if you mean Oxbridge then their quirky admission systems ensure that they are mostly populated by those who merely went to the 'right' school and aren't necessarily any brighter than students elsewhere, with a sprinkling of true genii from humble origins, such as Dudley Moore, for example (I don't allege that he was ever the world's greatest comedian, merely very bright).

All that said, at the end of my first year studying electrical engineering at university a student near the top of the class (I was nearer the bottom) asked me how many legs there were on a transistor. There are invariably three, occasionally four. I took it for granted that he had never seen one(!), but what I couldn't understand was how he wasn't able to reason that if three are shown in the circuit diagramme (or schematic as Americans call it) then there might very well be three on the real thing (and maybe an extra one if a guard or substrate electrode or some such is also shown). So in fact yes, you can send someone to university, but you can't make them think.

[Brian K]

I usually hear that said by people who couldn't get into university. .

In Courtmount's defense, I have known many very bright, highly educated people who are unable to think in the manner I think he intends, not because of some native inability, but rather because they have been entirely too specialized in their education. Engineers who only know engineering. Chemists who only know chemistry. Business students who care nothing about anything outside their field of specialty. There are, of course, other examples, but I assume you get the point. Those who study subjects in the humanities and social sciences tend to be more generalists due to the natures of their fields of study, but even they can be too narrowly focused.

The main culprit would seem to be the tendency to see education as a job track activity. Why learn something you won't need to make a living? I wish we could get back to the idea of education for its own sake as a way of guaranteeing a rich and interesting intellectual life. Going to school should fit you for making a life as well as making a living.

Regards,

Brian

[londonpiper]

I usually hear that said by people who couldn't get into university. However, you did exempt the 'great' universities, but if you mean Oxbridge then their quirky admission systems ensure that they are mostly populated by those who merely went to the 'right' school and aren't necessarily any brighter than students elsewhere, with a sprinkling of true genii from humble origins, such as Dudley Moore, for example (I don't allege that he was ever the world's greatest comedian, merely very bright).

As someone who has lived and worked in both Oxbridge towns for a large part of their life, may I reassure one and all that the stereotype portrayed above is almost non existent. Certainly with regard to the graduates and undergrads I meet every week.
Perhaps it's been a while since O'Callahan visited either of them.

[macwilkin]

I'm slightly staggered that Ms Autumn is unaware of the origins of her name. Still I've never had a very high regard for academic study outside of the great universities. I've met too many people with degrees who seem to unable to read, write, add and subtract construct an argument or make a plan based on an appreciation of the situation or indeed -think.

I'll take an education from a land grant university over the so-called "great" universities any day.

http://www.iastate.edu/IaStater/1997/feb/landgrant.html

I've also never been one for generalisations, especially when it comes to people.

T.*

* Who is proud of the work he did for his BA and MA.

[Whidbey78]

I'll take an education from a land grant university over the so-called "great" universities any day.

http://www.iastate.edu/IaStater/1997/feb/landgrant.html

I've also never been one for generalisations, especially when it comes to people.

T.*

* Who is proud of the work he did for his BA and MA.

I agree. I'd rather have small classes, get my questions answered, and spend my time on my studies rather than have professors who don't bother to learn my name and spend my time at the yacht club. And I think that those who believe that small colleges don't give you a good education are either snobs or born into money. Either way, I couldn't care less what those peoples' opinions are.

As for not knowing exactly where the name came from, I believe we have a case of low reading comprehension. First, it's her married name, so she probably isn't concerned with it. Second, I can't fault her for not knowing or caring where a name is from, because it may not matter to her as she is probably and hopefully more concerned with her husband's character and personality than where his dead ancestors got on a boat. Maybe he is adopted. Maybe she knows all about it but just wanted to end the conversation. Who cares? That wasn't the point of the story. Some guys will go to a movie and stare at their popcorn.

Did courtmount say where he went to school? I got bored with the examples of ignorance and skipped most of it. Oh, and I found the speling an grammur mistrakes quiet destracting(that is a joke for those who don't get it).

And Danny Bohy is one funny Scot!

[macwilkin]

And I think that those who believe that small colleges don't give you a good education are either snobs or born into money.

Again, see my comments regarding generalisations.

To quote the milkman Teyve, "if money is a disease, my G-d strike me down with it, and may I never recover!"

T.

[Whidbey78]

Again, see my comments regarding generalisations.

To quote the milkman Teyve, "if money is a disease, my G-d strike me down with it, and may I never recover!"

T.

The post we were both alluding to says that the writer does not believe that a good education is to be had at any but the major universities. Hence--snob status. I will grant that I do not know his financial condition nor that of his family.

But I think we can all agree that he missed the point of the story.

[macwilkin]

The post we were both alluding to says that the writer does not believe that a good education is to be had at any but the major universities. Hence--snob status. I will grant that I do not know his financial condition nor that of his family.

But I think we can all agree that he missed the point of the story.

Point well taken.

T.