Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

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The recent episode of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" sparked significant discussion after a contestant incorrectly answered a question about the height of two boys standing on each other's shoulders, mistakenly claiming they were 352 feet tall. This led to broader concerns about the general knowledge of contestants, with many expressing disbelief that someone could not know basic measurements like feet in a yard. The host's comments about the contestant's educational background, including being home-schooled, added to the scrutiny of the show's format and the intelligence of its participants. Viewers criticized the show for potentially selecting less knowledgeable contestants to enhance entertainment value, suggesting that the premise highlights ignorance rather than actual intelligence. The conversation also touched on the implications of such ignorance in a democratic society, where these contestants could be voters. Overall, the episode raised questions about educational standards and the portrayal of intelligence in media.
  • #31
Off topic I know, but I looked up Kilimanjaro on wikipedia:

wikipedia said:
The highest point is Uhuru Peak on the volcano Kibo, 5,895 meters (19,340 ft). Kibo has a 1.5 mile wide crater on the top of it. As the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak is one of the Seven Summits. The summit was first reached by the Marangu army scout, Johannes Kinyala Lauwo [1871-1996 (sic)], who climbed it nine times before realizing it contained an inner crater.

Even a 5th grader could have found a 1.5 mile wide crater.
 
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  • #32
jimmysnyder said:
Even a 5th grader could have found a 1.5 mile wide crater.

Not if it's covered by a glacier, or it's heavily eroded.
 
  • #33
mattmns said:
Question: If y = 3x and 3x = 12, what does y equal?

I cried during that one.
 
  • #34
moose said:
I cried during that one.

Was this a question on the show? (I ask since it is posted here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070322171749AAKnCej) as well, and the solver said to divide the 2nd equation by 3 first... but whhhyyyy. :rolleyes:)

I watched it once, someone said that the word bookkeeper only had 2 instances where a pair of letters appear. (presumably she thought it was spelt bookeeper). But I never saw anyone give an answer that was that embarassing :frown:
 
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  • #35
I found a video of the episode Evo mentioned here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5825625767496547673&q=smarter+than+a+5th+grader&total=181&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=9
 
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  • #36
Evo said:
Without googling, where is Mt Kilimanjaro?

Hey we can do our own version of the show.
Tanzania, which also shares Lake Tanganyika with the Congo. But then everyone knows that, right? :-p
 
  • #37
Name a trichroic gemstone from Africa that is dichroic after heat-treating. I have some of both that I'll facet someday.
 
  • #38
turbo-1 said:
Name a trichroic gemstone from Africa that is dichroic after heat-treating. I have some of both that I'll facet someday.
Wait a minute, would a fifth grader know this?
 
  • #39
Evo said:
Wait a minute, would a fifth grader know this?
No, but the context of the question is a HUGE hint.
 
  • #40
My guess is diamond, and yours is made of blood!

:p
 
  • #41
Naw, it's Tanzanite. That beautiful purple-blue stone has an orange-brown axis, too, so they heat-treat it to drive that out and leave the blue and purple. I'm going to facet some untreated stuff just to see how it looks. The material is very clean and free of inclusions and it polishes well. There is a lovely and very expensive green garnet that is only found in a famous African park - any guesses?
 
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  • #42
Another video to make you guys laugh...or cry...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1660213811667359708&q=millionaire+first+question+wrong&total=43&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
 
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  • #43
G01 said:
Another video to make you guys laugh...or cry...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1660213811667359708&q=millionaire+first+question+wrong&total=43&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Is this also Are you smarter? I want to watch the one circles posted again.
 
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  • #44
Evo said:
Is this also Are you smarter? I want to watch the one circles posted again.

No, it's from Millionaire.
 
  • #45
dontdisturbmycircles said:
I found a video of the episode Evo mentioned here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5825625767496547673&q=smarter+than+a+5th+grader&total=181&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=9
I can't finish watching! The expression on Spencer's face is like "WTF?!", after this woman mentions the length of a football field and then says something like 5289 ft in a yard! And then hazards a guess with "I could be way off". :eek:

This is a second grade measurement question.

I wonder if she voted for Bush.

I wonder if she can name the country in which she lives.
 
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  • #46
G01 said:
Another video to make you guys laugh...or cry...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1660213811667359708&q=millionaire+first+question+wrong&total=43&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Sleep deprivation and od'd on caffeine. That'll do it every time. :rolleyes:
 
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  • #47
dontdisturbmycircles said:
I found a video of the episode Evo mentioned here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5825625767496547673&q=smarter+than+a+5th+grader&total=181&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=9

Now that I've watched this it makes a little sense, she says "5289 feet in a yard or something like that". She's obviously remembering "5280 feet in a mile" and now due to nervousness is getting confused between what makes sense and what she remembers.

She obviously isn't the brightest, but I could see somebody getting two wrote memorizations things like that confused and then messing everything else up under the pressure.

~Lyuokdea
 
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  • #48
What a stupid show. Arg...at least deal or no deal is somewhat entertaining and its full of hot models.
 
  • #49
cyrusabdollahi said:
What a stupid show.
:smile: That's the point. :-p
 
  • #50
Astronuc said:
I wonder if she can name the country in which she lives.
Of course: Texas.
 
  • #51
dontdisturbmycircles said:
I found a video of the episode Evo mentioned here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5825625767496547673&q=smarter+than+a+5th+grader&total=181&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=9
Yes! That's it!
 
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  • #52
Holy Cow! The producers must have to scour the countryside to find people that are actually that stupid. I can see the banter, now "Well, she presents herself well and she'll clean up nice, but she is dumb as a post - perfect!"
 
  • #53
:smile: The expression on Jacob and Spencer's faces should have given away how wrong she was if nothing else did! :smile:

But, hey, maybe she has a really big house and her yard really is 352 feet long. :biggrin:

Oh, wait, I can top that...
They do say everything's bigger in Texas! :-p

(I can't let Ivan claim all the groaners. :rolleyes:)
 
  • #54
Old Mainer/Texan Joke:

A Texan stops at a potato farm in Aroostook county to buy some spuds at the farm stand and asks the farmer how big his "spread" is. The farmer says "Well I own the land between here and that ridge yonder, and all the way back to the river." The Texan says "I could get in my pickup and drive all day and never get to the far side of my ranch." and the potato farmer replies "Had a truck like that myself, once."
 
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  • #55
Moonbear said:
They do say everything's bigger in Texas!
They say eggs are so big in Texas that seven of them make a dozen so perhaps there are 352 feet in a yard there after all.
 
  • #56
me said:
This begs the question -
jimmysnyder kindly corrected me on my misuse of this phrase. Thanks jimmy.

BEGS THE QUESTION
An argument that improperly assumes as true the very point the speaker is trying to argue for is said in formal logic to “beg the question.” Here is an example of a question-begging argument: “This painting is trash because it is obviously worthless.” The speaker is simply asserting the worthlessness of the work, not presenting any evidence to demonstrate that this is in fact the case. Since we never use “begs” with this odd meaning (“to improperly take for granted”) in any other phrase, many people mistakenly suppose the phrase implies something quite different: that the argument demands that a question about it be asked—raises the question. If you’re not comfortable with formal terms of logic, it’s best to stay away from this phrase, or risk embarrassing yourself.

I suppose I should have said - "this provokes the question".

For a useful resource on the misuse or perhaps proper use of English words and phrases - http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

My wife bought me this book. I guess I need to read it.


I just realized that I edited this post (and unintentionally replaced the previous text) rather than quoting it and replying with the above text. :rolleyes: It appears that I was not fully awake.
 
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  • #57
Oh my God... I can only hope that they searched high and low before finding her.
 
  • #58
Ivan Seeking said:
Oh my God... I can only hope that they searched high and low before finding her.
I'm afraid that they could have found her mental equivalent in any shopping mall or public gathering. It's scary, especially since we are living in a representative form of government that allows people like this to vote.
 
  • #59
Ivan Seeking said:
Oh my God... I can only hope that they searched high and low before finding her.
Low is more like it.

Do they intentionally try to find people without education?

And isn't there a more entertaining program like College Bowl? http://www.collegebowl.com/index/campusprog.asp
Does anyone watch this anymore? I had some friends participate in it, but that was 30 years ago.

Even Jeopardy would be better.
 
  • #60
The one time I watched that show (on Tivo or I never would have made it through the whole thing) the guy that was on there supposedly got a perfect on his SAT in the math section. If that is true, then the producers are definitely making the contestants dumb down for the show. This guy was taking 10 minutes to talk through the most basic questions. I guess that's what they need to do to eat up an entire hour.

It is, indeed, the closing of the American mind.
 

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