Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?


Philip Coates

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This quiz recently appeared in the New York Times. Rules: Just go through it and answer immediately the ones you know. Allow yourself an extra five or ten minutes to try to recall those answers that are 'on the tip of your mind'. No peeking, looking at globes or wikipedia or any other resources. Deduct 1/2 point for any misspellings. (One of the math questions has the wrong official answer..so give yourself credit if you have the right answer.) ===>

1. To become a United States senator, a person must be at least how old?

2. President John Adams was a member of what political party at the time of his election?

3. What was the given name of the Civil War general Stonewall Jackson?

4. What revolutionary leader famously uttered the words “Give me liberty or give me death!” in a speech at the second Virginia Convention?

5. As a result of the Missouri Compromise, what state was allowed to enter the Union on March 15, 1820, to balance the admission of Missouri?

6. What Jamestown colony settler married Pocahontas in 1614?

7. What Puritan was elected governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony 12 times between 1630 and 1649?

8. In the 1850s, the United States bought about 30,000 square miles of land as part of the Gadsden Purchase. The land is now part of two states. Name them.

9. The legendary American Indian leader Geronimo was a member of what tribe?

10. According to Greek myth, what did Prometheus steal from the gods and give to mankind?

11. The Peloponnesian War, which lasted from about 430 to 405 B.C., was primarily a conflict between Athens and what other ancient city-state?

12. Copernicus, the legendary 16th-century astronomer, was born in what country?

13. Timbuktu is a city in what African country?

14. The playwright William Shakespeare was born in what century?

15. “Gulliver’s Travels” is a novel written by what 18th-century author?

16. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —/ I took the one less traveled by” are lines from the poem “The Road Not Taken,” written by what American poet?

17. Who is the author of the poem inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty called “The New Colossus”?

18. The 18th-century classical music composer Wolfgang Mozart was born in what present-day country?

19. What composer wrote the “1812 Overture”?

20. How many demonstrative adjectives are in the following sentence? “That scruffy dog with the short tail chased the multicolored cat through the tree.”

21. What geologic era are we in right now?

22. What Scottish scientist discovered penicillin in 1928?

23. In the human body, the adrenal glands are located directly above what organ?

24. There are three basic types of muscle tissue in the human body. Smooth and skeletal are two of them. What’s the third?

25. There are three elements that are found in all carbohydrates. Carbon and hydrogen are two of them. What’s the third?

26. What is the most abundant element in the universe?

27. Density describes the mass of an object divided by what?

28. If y = 3x, and 3x = 12, then what number does “y” equal?

29. Any number to the power of zero is equal to what value?

30. If a fraction has a denominator of 5, what must the numerator be to make it a unit fraction?

31. How many common factors do the numbers 28 and 32 have?

>>The $1 Million Dollar Questions<<

32. What state is home to Acadia National Park?

33. Who was the longest-reigning British monarch?

---------End of QUIZ------------

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Here's the link to the right answers:

http://www.nytimes.c...8answers-t.html

While it's embarassing what I've forgotten and while this is not about intelligence but knowledge, acting on a hunch I checked the answer to question 9 and I was correct, they got it wrong. "Apache" is not a tribe.

--Brant

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The test also illustrates the primary deficiency of modern education just as true today as when I was in 5th grade 55 years ago: facts, not reason. Citizens aren't supposed to be able to think except down narrow factoidal corridors like global warming will destroy our planet for us and recycling honors the environment and the teacher will guide us, do what she says so we'll keep doing what our rulers say to do later on.

--Brant

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I agree. Did the Times give a source for these questions? Several years ago various versions of a 19th-century high school exam were floating around the web and the print media, and most of them were bogus.

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The thread title was not meant to be taken seriously, it's simply the TV show these questions came from. I agree that few fifth graders would know many of the answers. But what age or level of student would know which answers, and whether the TV program or its title are accurate are a non-essential distraction when one decides, just out of curiosity, whether to attempt a list of questions like this. (And then whether to add up and post one's score.)

I posted this "quiz" to two Oist sites as sort of a fun exercise. It's not perfect. But it's useful as a crude way of assessing one's general knowledge (not intelligence, obviously): Even though a few of the questions are bad - for example, there is no reason why anyone should want to learn Stonewall Jackson's proper name or attach much importance to Geronimo's tribe - many of the questions do touch on things that are covered in a good, old-fashioned, 'classical' kind of education. Or that an intellectually curious person will have encountered. If you strike out, say, a half dozen questions, your score on the rest does indicate something.

But I was disturbed that several posters (both on RoR and on Ol) contemptuously and cavalierly dismissed the quiz *in its entirety*. Without qualification. They claimed the questions were "concrete-bound", indicative of an education that emphasizes "isolated facts" over reason, etc.

Several points:

1. A well-read or broadly educated person would not necessarily make an effort to memorize answers to all of these questions, but many would naturally stick in memory as a result of one's reading, as "general knowledge".

2. Some of the questions -are- good ones and reflect things one should know. As two examples: The Peloponnesian war is a major event in history. Understanding the conflict between Athens and Sparta tells you a great deal about philosophy, about intellectual trends, about different political systems, about cultures that have existed since. And the party that George Washington and John Adams both belonged is something you would retain if you retained much at all from your American history courses.

3. An educated person has a large base of -both- concretes and abstract ideas. It's the concrete facts which illuminate the principles, prevent rationalism, allow one to induce and give examples...and to do much more.

Edited by Philip Coates
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A classical education is an education in the Greek and Roman authors in the original languages. It would have helped on only two of these questions (11 and 12).

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> A classical education is an education in the Greek and Roman authors in the original languages

That's not the only meaning.

Also, I put it in quotes.

Besides isn't that a nit-pick with regard to the points I was trying to make?

Edited by Philip Coates
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> A classical education is an education in the Greek and Roman authors in the original languages

That's not the only meaning.

It's the only meaning I've ever encountered.

JR

One would have had a 'classical' education even if all was read in translation... [reading The Great Books collection would have constituted having a classical education, for instance]

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Back to the subject of the thread: My score on the NYT / TV show quiz was 25 out of the 33. It looks like two people, Robert Malcolm [posted his score on OL] and Michael Marotta [posted his score on RoR] did better.

My guess is that a lot more readers or site visitors, out of sheer curiosity, tried the quiz, tried to answer the questions sitting in front of them.

But if they got a low score, out of sheer embarrassment they chose not to post their results. :-)

Only the people with 'good' scores are taking the minute or two it would take to report them to us....Why am I not surprised?

(I'm guessing that most of the ones all of us missed tended heavily to be the 'dumb' or trivial questions such as Stonewall Jackson's first name.)

Edited by Philip Coates
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But if they got a low score, out of sheer embarrassment they chose not to post their results. :-)

Only the people with 'good' scores are taking the minute or two it would take to report them to us....Why am I not surprised?

What’s happened to Adam? Only he could give Phil the mocking he deserves for this latest strutting peacock display. As social metaphysicians go, you’re primo, pal.

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Adam last was here March 19.

I don't understand why he's disappeared from the Members section too.

I don't think Adam Selene is his real name.

I don't know if he's dead or on vacation or what.

--Brant

Edited by Brant Gaede
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> A classical education is an education in the Greek and Roman authors in the original languages. [Reidy]

> That's not the only meaning. Also, I put it in quotes. [Phil C]

> It's the only meaning I've ever encountered. [Jeff R]

I'm sorry that you are only aware of the one meaning.

The term classical has a lot of meanings, as does classical education. The other two adjectives in my post #8 -> "a good, old-fashioned, 'classical' kind of education" - (and my single quote marks) quite clearly suggested I'm not talking just about reading Greek and Latin. Here are some of the -other- meanings, from online dictionaries and encyclopedias:

"Relating to or consisting of studies in the humanities and general sciences: a classical curriculum."

"The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages, with a further glance back to the Ancient Greek concept of Paideia...Western classical education has three phases, each with a different purpose. The phases are roughly coordinated with human development, and would ideally be exactly coordinated with each individual student's development."

"The word classical has several meanings. In general, these meanings refer to some past time, works of that time or later works influenced by that time."

"authoritative: of recognized authority or excellence"

"relating to or teaching academic branches of knowledge, as the humanities, general sciences, etc., as distinguished from technical subjects."

"concerned with or giving instruction in the humanities, the fine arts, and the broad aspects of science <a classical curriculum".

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> A classical education is an education in the Greek and Roman authors in the original languages. [Reidy]

> That's not the only meaning. Also, I put it in quotes. [Phil C]

> It's the only meaning I've ever encountered. [Jeff R]

I'm sorry that you are only aware of the one meaning.

The term classical has a lot of meanings, as does classical education. The other two adjectives in my post #8 -> "a good, old-fashioned, 'classical' kind of education" - (and my single quote marks) quite clearly suggested I'm not talking just about reading Greek and Latin. Here are some of the -other- meanings, from online dictionaries and encyclopedias:

"Relating to or consisting of studies in the humanities and general sciences: a classical curriculum."

"The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages, with a further glance back to the Ancient Greek concept of Paideia...Western classical education has three phases, each with a different purpose. The phases are roughly coordinated with human development, and would ideally be exactly coordinated with each individual student's development."

"The word classical has several meanings. In general, these meanings refer to some past time, works of that time or later works influenced by that time."

"authoritative: of recognized authority or excellence"

"relating to or teaching academic branches of knowledge, as the humanities, general sciences, etc., as distinguished from technical subjects."

"concerned with or giving instruction in the humanities, the fine arts, and the broad aspects of science <a classical curriculum".

Thank you ever so much for giving me the benefit of your superior education, Phil. I am so grateful. Without you, I would be an utter ignoramus - like, say, Peter Taylor.

Fawning and cringing appropriately,

JR

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> Thank you ever so much for giving me the benefit of your superior education, Phil.

Doesn't require that. Just the ability to look things up.

Or when someone else posts hard evidence - like what's in the dictionary or encyclopedia, to admit you were wrong.

Instead of trying for a sarcastic or belittling reply.

Edited by Philip Coates
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> Thank you ever so much for giving me the benefit of your superior education, Phil.

Doesn't require that. Just the ability to look things up.

Or when someone else posts hard evidence - like what's in the dictionary or encyclopedia, to admit you were wrong.

Instead of trying for a sarcastic or belittling reply.

Sorry, Phil, but sarcasm and belittling replies are all a poor ignoramus like me can muster in the face of your almost preternatural erudition, eloquence, and civility.

Cringingly,

JR

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Adam last was here March 19.

I don't understand why he's disappeared from the Members section too.

I don't think Adam Selene is his real name.

I don't know if he's dead or on vacation or what.

--Brant

Isn't "Adam Selene" a name from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? Specifically, isn't that name one the rebels in the novel make up for their revolutionary hero? (Which has some humor value: fictional characters making up another fictional character. Of course, Heinlein was not the first to ever do this.)

Edited by Dan Ust
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Adam is a real person. A prof of math at Los Angeles City College. Met him at two TAS summer seminars and Linz's Solo mini-conference in southern calif. a few years back. He's now broken with TAS and can be found posting in the comments at Noodlefood.

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Adam is a real person. A prof of math at Los Angeles City College. Met him at two TAS summer seminars and Linz's Solo mini-conference in southern calif. a few years back. He's now broken with TAS and can be found posting in the comments at Noodlefood.

Phil,

I think you're talking about Adam Reed, not Adam Selene, and Adam Selene is indeed a fictional character in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Jim

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Adam is a real person. A prof of math at Los Angeles City College. Met him at two TAS summer seminars and Linz's Solo mini-conference in southern calif. a few years back. He's now broken with TAS and can be found posting in the comments at Noodlefood.

Phil,

I think you're talking about Adam Reed, not Adam Selene, and Adam Selene is indeed a fictional character in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Jim

Also, Adam Reed doesn't teach math. And he doesn't teach anything at LA City College. He teaches at LA State (Cal State LA).

JR

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