Are they for real?
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRtycwyE1kU

And I watched a programme the other day where an interviewer asked members of the public some questions about basic science with the most dismal answers.

Example - if a cannon ball and a football are simultaneously dropped from the same height in a vacuum, which will hit the ground first? Not a single person knew the answer- not one. And almost to a wo/man they refused to accept the correct answer.

And we are taxed billions to educate the young? Gimme a break :eek:

Re: Are they for real?
 

If they had asked any one the price of an iceburg lettuce in coles and they didnt know the answer I'd be more worried....

In "real life" how useful would that knowledge be exactly? To your average Joe and Shiela Public?

Re: Are they for real?
 

About time we had people standing up against math.

I think they blundered in not getting girls who are more plasticky looking, that would have been more convincing.

Re: Are they for real?
 

I think the lack of understanding is extraordinarily important.

What is demonstrated is a complete lack of knowledge of how the world works, and this leads to the widespread belief in all sorts of whacky notions - homeopathy, UFOs, dowsing, tarot readings, astrology, crystals, telepathy, pyramids, hands-on healing, religions - you name it. Not one of them has ever been demonstrated to be "real" under properly controlled experimental conditions - only shown to be mistaken, random or more often fraudulent.

You only have to look at the yards and yards of books dealing with the whacky in the booksellers to see how the irrational has taken hold.

These floozies almost certainly have and use smartphones: their iphones didn't appear magically because some longhaired guru stuffed together a few bits of wire and a crystal and declared it would enable you to talk to someone the other side of the planet. They were the result of years of finding out how nature works, developing electronics, metallurgy, plastics and all the rest.

If we've sunk so low in the intelligence stakes that maths is seen to be all relative, that two plus two makes five if you really believe it does, then pretty soon the price of lettuce in Coles won't matter - because no-one will know how to make the equipment and infrastructure that gets it there.

:confused:

Re: Are they for real?
 

yeh but if everyone was clever how can you detect the stupid people:blink:

Re: Are they for real?
 

The feather?

I can still remember one of the Apollo astronauts performing that on the moon.

Re: Are they for real?
 

cannon ball:confused: no bloody idea..just going to look for a cannon ball and a vacuum room to find out:blink::blink:

Whilst I know what you mean mate, some of the math(s) at school is bloody hopeless and never to be used again, so who cares? As for it bringing common sense into the world, there are some people natrally maths orientated and others more practical hands on. I found at school you were either a great spellar/reader or great maths person. Rarely did anyone fit into both camps. The world would be boring if we were all the same so it's good to have the mixture of the two and neither one is better than the other, just different:thumbup:

So which one is it? the cannon ball or football:confused::unsure::o

Re: Are they for real?
 

Presumably neither would hit the ground? No gravity. Outside a vacuum I would say canonball.

Re: Are they for real?
 

Wol is going to be so mad with you.

Re: Are they for real?
 

They will both hit the floor at the same time. A vacuum doesn't necessarily mean a lack of gravity - indeed gravity will act at tremendous distances through space where there is a vacuum.

The vacuum thing in the question means that there is no air resistance to the falling objects, hence there will be no terminal velocity caused by air resistance. Thus, both objects will accelerate at the same rate under gravity towards the ground, and will both land at the same time!

When there is air resistance, an object with a large surface area - like a feather - is more adversely affected by air resistance than say a hammer. You can see this with a piece of paper. When dropped as a sheet it is affected by air resistance, and it will flop about and eventually reach the floor. If you screw it up into a tight ball, and drop it, it will fall much faster than the sheet, yet the mass of the paper is still the same.


S

Re: Are they for real?
 

I find I have to educate my son in science due to the lack of school science. These days those that do graduate in science and engineering get pulled into finance due to the salaries.

Re: Are they for real?
 

I've never met the debate between lack of scientific understanding and dependence on ouija boards and tarot before... Religion has lived alongside science since the beginning of...

What matters to you doesnt necessarily matter to me, its not the end of the world....

The only maths i need is to balance my bank account, calculate drugs at work, work out how many kms i get to the tank of petrol and work out yardage for quilts... And widths of borders.... And seamsizes for piecing blocks... And angles that are required for those pieced blocks.... The only science i use outside of work relates to cooking... Eggs needed to incorporate enough air to make my cakes rise....

I dont have a cannon ball to hand nor a vucuum, in fact the only vacuum i have is a cleaner, which i am as usual trying to avoid....

My bigger worry is peoples lack of understanding of history and policitcs... If we dont learn how people behave under certain circumstances we cant predict or recognise the rise of dictatorships.... The persecution of populations and The causes of world wars......

Now, I have lasagne to make for 12 and need to get on with it so HE can clear the mess I make in the kitchen up BEFORE our visitors arrive..... So I hope you'll excuse me....

Re: Are they for real?
 

Oh dear. :D I didn't study physics after third year, this isn't considered general knowledge is it Wol?

Re: Are they for real?
 

The problem isn't the lack of knowledge, it's the lack of shame at the lack of knowledge.

Not being able to read or write is considered shameful. Not being able to do basic maths or understand basic science is considered a laugh. As a consequence many people believe what they are told - whichever line sounds best to them.

Then they vote.

The minimum level of intelligence and knowledge to successfully take part in the world we live in is continually rising as that world gets more complex - and whilst the average intelligence level slowly creeps higher, the average knowledge level is falling back. It's about time we recognised that reality - particularly given the very significantly sized problems that confront us over the coming decade that need intelligent and rational answers.

Re: Are they for real?
 

does it count if youre slightly unhinged:unsure: