OT: Worrying! [Archive] - Kung Fu Magazine Forums

Budokan

11-20-2002, 04:39 PM

Not surprising. And I wouldn't lay it all on American youths, most American adults couldn't find it on a map, either, not to mention their a$$ with both hands. For a so-called Western Civilized country Americans are some of the dumbest f*cking people around.

I ought to know. I flunked a bunch of the sh*theads when I was teaching physical science in high school.... I mean, you're talking about people too stupid to remember to bring pencil and paper to school. Of course they can't find Iraq on a map.
;)

Shadow Dragon

11-20-2002, 04:49 PM

Budokan.

It is not just the USA, looks like the level internationally is dropping badly.
Even the European countries faired poorly.

Hated Gepography myself, but we were required to get atleast 75% accuracy on our tests.
And that included Country, population, capital, etc per country.
If you coudln't keep up, out you went to a school for kids with learning probs, or pull your socks up by studying all summer and retaking exams.
Don't meet the grade = no advancement.

Looks like the pass-mark these days has dropped to about 60~65% or lower in most countries.
You would think that with the access to modern technology like the Net and similar it would be reversed.

Cheers.

TaoBoy

11-20-2002, 04:54 PM

Most Americans can't find Australia either - but as long as they know the names of all the states in the USA everything will be okay.

:rolleyes:

joedoe

11-20-2002, 05:12 PM

Taoboy, don't joke too much. Aussie kids are getting just as bad. :(

OdderMensch

11-20-2002, 05:26 PM

its not like any of those nincompoops will ever become the President or anything ;)

Shadow Dragon

11-20-2002, 05:28 PM

Originally posted by OdderMensch
its not like any of those nincompoops will ever become the President or anything ;)

Aaaargh, reaches for the gun to commit suicide.
:D :D

j/k.

Seeya.

Budokan

11-21-2002, 07:50 AM

LOL @ OdderMensch! Yeah, that could never happen...!:D

ewallace

11-21-2002, 08:11 AM

Iraq probably won't need a spot on a map in a few months. :rolleyes:

eulerfan

11-21-2002, 08:46 AM

Okay, I've got a fairly good idea of where most countries are. Give me a labeled map and I could find them for you in seconds. Give me a map that isn't labeled and I'd probably fall on my face with these teens. It would probably come down to saying it is one of two or one of three. This would be true even with European countries, just when they're small and surrounded by a bunch of other small countries.

It seems odd but I could tell you where Kazachstan is in a heartbeat(it's not a famous country but it's nice and big and has a presence on the map) but might have to say, "I am almost postitive Italy is in this general little area right here."

I'm WAAAAY more familiar with Italy than Kazachstan but locating them on an unlabeled map is an entirely different story.

eulerfan

11-21-2002, 08:55 AM

I wasn't thinking. I just looked at a map. I'd have identified that peninsula in a second. Italy was a poor choice. Let me change that to Austria.

Azure

11-21-2002, 09:28 AM

I went through the english Education system, finished up school last year. I never studied Geography after year 9 (high school in the english system is years 7-13, with major exams being worked towards in years 10/11 (GCSE's) and 12/13 (A-levels)). The English system really asks you to specialise quite early, so by the time your doing A-lvls you only study 3 or 4 subjects of your choosing (they broadened this the year after I started my A-lvls to 5 for the first year, down again to 3 or 4 for your last).

When I was learning Geography I never learnt anything about Country location on maps, popuation, etc. The sylabus was all about what a spit is, what is errosion, what is upshore drift, etc. Most of which I can no longer remember. Looking back it would have been much more useful to have spent my time learning the layout of the globe, as opposed to the reletivly useless information I got.

I don't know how true this is of other education systems but I see it as one of the major reasons people are so poor at finding countries on a map- It simply is not taught anymore. This is compounded by the reletivly narrow nature of the education system I went through, That is anuother topic though.

General Kwei

11-21-2002, 09:59 AM

I think the issue isnt inherently in that they cannot identify these countries on a map, but if they cant even do that, how much do they understand this is a multicultural world?

Chang Style Novice

11-21-2002, 10:08 AM

Isn't Khazakstan landlocked? I always have a harder time with landlocked countries than coastal ones. Anyway, I'd guess K-stan is somewhere in the area between where Europe turns to Asia and India. You know, around Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and all that, but maybe as far west as Ukraine. Italy is super easy - it's shaped like a dominatrix boot and dangles into the mediterranean.

But yeah, the more alarming fact is that if you ask these kids about the countries in question, they probably wouldn't be able to come up with a fact like, for instance, the worlds largest muslim nation is an archipelago in the Pacific with a huge population - top five in the world for shizzy.

That's Indonesia, for those of you still wondering.

Cipher

11-21-2002, 10:10 AM

OMG, is this true? How could someone not know were their country is located. Were they asking 4 year olds these questions?

"• On a world map, Americans could find on average only seven of 16 countries in the quiz. Only 89 percent of the Americans surveyed could find their own country on the map. "

I don't mean to put anyone down, but come on people.

Sho

11-21-2002, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by Azure
When I was learning Geography I never learnt anything about Country location on maps, popuation, etc. The sylabus was all about what a spit is, what is errosion, what is upshore drift, etc.That's because you were studying physical geography which deals with landformations et cetera. On the other hand, human geography is based on population, settlements, locations and so on.

eulerfan

11-21-2002, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
Isn't Khazakstan landlocked? I always have a harder time with landlocked countries than coastal ones. Anyway, I'd guess K-stan is somewhere in the area between where Europe turns to Asia and India. You know, around Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and all that, but maybe as far west as Ukraine. Italy is super easy - it's shaped like a dominatrix boot and dangles into the mediterranean.

A) I changed that from Italy to Austria. Try to keep up.;)

B) Right between Russia and China. So you have a bunch of Asian looking women with Russian accents. I think that is the sexiest thing on earth. If I were an Asian looking woman with a Russian accent, I think I could take over the world.

ewallace

11-21-2002, 11:09 AM

On a world map, Americans could find on average only seven of 16 countries in the quiz. Only 89 percent of the Americans surveyed could find their own country on the map. "
Okay the 7-16 contries is...well...dissapointing. The 89% however is ludicrous. The US is probably the easiest country to identify.

I don't mean to put anyone down, but come on people.Those 11 percent who don't know where their own country is should be put down, and put down hard. On their heads. Preferably by Monkeyslap Too.

FatherDog

11-21-2002, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by eulerfan
If I were an Asian looking woman with a Russian accent, I think I could take over the world.

I'd move to texas. :D

Despite the fact that the heat and lack of pollution would probably kill me. ;)

Hai_To

11-21-2002, 12:52 PM

So you have a bunch of Asian looking women with Russian accents. I think that is the sexiest thing on earth.

Eulerfan,

I think this aspect of your personality should be explored a bit more. Don't you?

Chang Style Novice

11-21-2002, 01:41 PM

Eulerfan:

Austria's easy, too. It's that giant land mass next door to the south pole.:D

Anyway, those kids' problems with geography are nothin' compared to some peoples'. (http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm?)

Serpent

11-21-2002, 07:33 PM

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
Eulerfan:

Austria's easy, too. It's that giant land mass next door to the south pole.:D

Why I oughtta.......!

As it goes I just took that test on the site (with 20 example questions) and got 20 out of 20! Go me!

Have a go and see what you get.

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 07:51 PM

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
Eulerfan:
Austria's easy, too. It's that giant land mass next door to the south pole.:D

Come over here and I will give you a BIIG wallop over the head.

That big land mass is Wales, you dummy.

Seeya.

Serpent

11-21-2002, 08:36 PM

Come on, y'all. Take the **** test already! ;)

I wanna see how you fare. Or are you Yanks too scared that you'll be shown up as ignerint!?

Here it is! (http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey/templates/question_1.html)

Go on, have a go!

;)

Sharky

11-21-2002, 08:41 PM

oh dear. so, like, let me get this straight. we have George Bush controlling these bright sparks... which makes up the worlds largest and only superpower with the largest nuclear, biological and chemical arsenal known to man?

oh dear.

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 08:53 PM

Hmm, lets see.

20 out of possible 20 right = 100%

Quiz was too easy, they should drop the multiple choice too make it really fun.

Guess all those years at school weren't completely wasted. ;)

Cheers.

eulerfan

11-21-2002, 08:58 PM

20/20

All I needed to know was the general area for that test. And, luckily, I reviewed Italy's coordinates before taking the test.:)

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 09:01 PM

Even if you only know the general area of a place, the multiple choice makes it so easy to zero in on the right one.
:mad: :mad: :mad:

Most of that info can be picked up from simply reading the daily newspaper.

Cheers.

Sharky

11-21-2002, 09:04 PM

what's a newspaper?

Serpent

11-21-2002, 09:05 PM

And therein lies the problem!

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by Sharky
what's a newspaper?

Sorry, forgot.

Alternate version.
Watching the News on the TV, you know that boring program after "Telly-Tubbies" or "Busy Buses". ;P

Seeya.

anton

11-21-2002, 09:14 PM

20/20

Anyone over 16 years of age, should be ashamed of themselves if they don't get 20 in that test.
I can't believe that last question, about Argentina: only one option is even on the right continent, and only 27% of the Americans that took the test got it. That means 73% of the Americans that took the test either couldn't locate South America or did not know that Argentina was in South America...

eulerfan

11-21-2002, 09:23 PM

I thought the number for Brazil was an option as well.

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 09:25 PM

Originally posted by eulerfan
I thought the number for Brazil was an option as well.

It was.

Cheers.

anton

11-21-2002, 09:26 PM

oops, I might have missed that... :o
....even so anyone (especially anyone living in the Americas) should be able to distinguish between Brazil and Argentina.

Chang Style Novice

11-21-2002, 09:41 PM

I hosed the population over 1 billion (I said China and Russia) and most widespread religion questions (I said Islam.)

****!

Shadow Dragon

11-21-2002, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by anton
Anyone over 16 years of age, should be ashamed of themselves if they don't get 20 in that test.

That is the exact problem the test was designed for age-group 18~24.

Cheers.

anton

11-21-2002, 09:48 PM

I'm pretty sure Russia has a significantly lower population than the US.
I think Islam is the fastest growing religion... not too sure though.

Chang Style Novice

11-21-2002, 10:15 PM

On a related note, I once took a history class where the professor started talking about Ceylon. I was confused and asked him "I don't know where Ceylon is." He gave me a hard time about it and pointed to it on the map. I replied "If you meant Sri Lanka, why didn't you say Sri Lanka?"

I think my problem with Islam is as Anton described. I think my problem with Russia is I forgot about the population they lost when all the Soviet satellite states seceded.

Serpent

11-21-2002, 10:48 PM

Even with all the states included (i.e. the former Soviet Union) the population would still be considerably less than China or India. Russia is a big place, but there's a lot of uninhabited space out there!

Chang Style Novice

11-21-2002, 10:50 PM

Ah well. My bad, then.

joedoe

11-21-2002, 11:14 PM

20/20

Souljah

11-22-2002, 03:47 AM

not really a hard test, they could have perhaps made it harder when naming countries if they put alot of the countries nearby to the actual country up for selection (which could have confused things).

20/20:D :cool: I think ill print out the sheet and show my mum.:rolleyes: hehe

eulerfan

11-22-2002, 10:22 AM

Originally posted by Serpent
Even with all the states included (i.e. the former Soviet Union) the population would still be considerably less than China or India. Russia is a big place, but there's a lot of uninhabited space out there!

Yeah, if you are ever taking a history test and one of the questions is:

"What was [insert name of conqueror here]'s fatal mistake."

And you don't know the answer, go with, "Invading Russia."

You're chances will be pretty good.

guohuen

11-22-2002, 10:59 AM

My problem with tests. Who checks and makes sure they are accurate? This one was poor. A 5% error rate is not acceptable to me. The first question was way off. The most widespread and practiced religion is Islam. Christianity is a distant third behind Buddism. Way behind Buddism. I also disliked the overall flavor of this test. I could see definate political leanings in the choice of questions. Poor work overall.

Souljah

11-22-2002, 11:12 AM

How do you know about islam being the most practiced?
Not criticising or challenging just want to know.....you must have a pretty reliable resource if its right and the national geographic results are wrong.

Yes I agree about the political influences being pretty ****ed obvious.....

eulerfan

11-22-2002, 11:20 AM

Yeah, Islam being the most prevalent doesn't make sense to me. Because Christianity is the main religion in Europe and the Americas. On top of that, it's the only one of those listed that vigorously recruits. So you have substantial Christian communities in all other areas of the world.

I mean, there are people who bring Christianity to the tribes of Irian Jaya.

eulerfan

11-22-2002, 11:22 AM

But, I don't really know. I'm just reasoning.

KC Elbows

11-22-2002, 11:30 AM

Two points-

1) Since the last election, I am doing my best to destroy my ability to tell where the heck I am, and if I have to sacrifice my knowledge of where leichteinstein is, so be it.

2) Religions recruit, and religions in population dense areas have more successful recruiting. So, considering that buddhism is a power in BOTH India and China, where a vast chunk orf humanity is, and christianity has a small presence there, christianity having a vast presence in Europe and the Americas is minor compared to a vast presence in China and India. However, in all religious discussions, I lean toward the frizbeetarian viewpoint, which states that our souls all end up on the roof when we die, and in all questions of science, I am a quantum bolemic, which means I believe the cosmos is a system of binges and purges

3) I said two points. Please pay attention.

KC Elbows

11-22-2002, 11:34 AM

I said 'orf'.

eulerfan

11-22-2002, 11:37 AM

That was a great post. However, being exceptionally witty and clever will not prevent me from pointing out that I wrote, "VIGOROUSLY recruits.";)

KC Elbows

11-22-2002, 11:49 AM

Originally posted by eulerfan
That was a great post. However, being exceptionally witty and clever will not prevent me from pointing out that I wrote, "VIGOROUSLY recruits.";)

Yelling 'vigorously' at a married man. What sort of forum is this?:D

FatherDog

11-22-2002, 11:53 AM

Ah, Russia. Best military strategy ever: Retreat until winter, then drink vodka over our enemies' frozen corpses.

Pity it didn't work on the Mongols. :D

norther practitioner

11-22-2002, 12:00 PM

70 percent cannot find New Jersey

Nor should they want to.....lol sorry for any Jersey heads.

49 percent cannot find New York

They all probably went through NY public schools (I myself a product).

guohuen

11-22-2002, 01:08 PM

The statistics are available. I've been watching the trends for thirty plus years. The figures were the same thirty years ago before the population of asia doubled. Meanwhile christianity has been on the decline since the sixties with no upturns. Over twenty years ago a poll in the U.S. had 56% of americans professing to be christian with a yearly graph showing a steady decrease. From what I remember the figures were only one or two per cent higher for europe.It's pretty easy to figure out without stats anyway. Look where the majority of people live on earth and think about what religions are practiced there.

Xebsball

11-22-2002, 01:31 PM

Christianity have the most praticioners worldwide.
Islam is currently the fastest growing religion worldwide.

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904108.html

eulerfan

11-22-2002, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by KC Elbows

Yelling 'vigorously' at a married man. What sort of forum is this?:D

Take it to the 'got qi' thread!

:D

anton

11-23-2002, 07:00 AM

Originally posted by FatherDog
Ah, Russia. Best military strategy ever: Retreat until winter, then drink vodka over our enemies' frozen corpses.

Pity it didn't work on the Mongols. :D

Gotta love it! Pity it didn't work on Ronald McDonald either!!

Mr Punch

11-23-2002, 10:55 PM

Not sure bout those stats either Xebby me ol fruit.

The Adherents page lists Christianity as 2 bill, Islam as 1.3. The other page you posted (which conveniently doesn't actually mention the fact that that survey was done by the Christian Science Monitor!) says 1.9 and 1.1 respectively, despite having quoted the Adherents page as being one of its two references!! It also says it's ignoring minor groups like the Chinese folk religionists who according to this site

shurely shome mishtake! (http://www.zpub.com/un/pope/relig.html)

number a mere 225 million.

Shinto is listed as being anywhere between 2-4 thousand. The Japanese Government stats for Y2K were that 80% of the population (of about 126 mill) identified themselves as being Shintoist, and about 90% Buddhist, despite the answer that you get from most people here that they are not at all religious!!! So religious pluralism and religions that do not define themselves are not accurately represented.

As for Islam:

this page from adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_islam.html)

numbers the Moslems in Indonesia as being 170 mill, whereas the Indonesian Government website says that 90% of it's 270 mill population are Moslem (= 243 mill)...

As usual, the plot thinnens!!! :D

Mr Punch

11-23-2002, 10:59 PM

(Population of Moslems)
adherents.com
China 37,108,000

Note: China should clearly be included among the top 10 largest national Muslim communities, although it was not on the list in Russell Ash's book, which is the main source of information for this list. Reliable religious statistics are difficult to obtain from this Communist nation, and the actual number of Muslims in China may be greater than the figure presented above. Mojtaba Shabani wrote to Adherents.com with the following comments:

The Muslim population in China is 11% by Muslim sources. This is based on the fact the ethnic "Hui" group are predominantly Muslim, and 9% of the population belong to this group. And then there are Uigurs and other Turkic people in addition to that, mostly in northwestern China, who constitute the remaining 2%... 11% would be around 120 million.

Adherents.com has no argument with Mr. Shabani's calculations, but as we currently have no published references supporting the higher figure we are using the CIA figure in the list above, with the caveat that it is probably too low and, according to Mr. Shabani, the CIA is biased against Muslims.

etc etc.

But I'm just ****ed cos I got that one wrong!!! :D 19/20! :eek:

I can't believe that one about the westernmost city was actually ever written... or that people from any country can fail to recognise their own country. I would shoot myself if I weren't still LMAO at Hai To!!!