Are you smarter than a 17-year-old?
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Paul Conrad wrote:
Awww man. When are you and the missus expecting the little one?
Its due next saturday :)
Do you guys know what it is going to be or just waiting to see for a surprise?
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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I would agree that the US school system is in a sorry state. Ours is not much better. The biggest issue is not that kids don't know a random assortment of facts about historical dates. Far more concerning in that regard are the outright lies taught as history in the US ( if you go to university and study history, the first step in the US is to unlearn most of what you were told ). However, even that doesn't matter that much, much as I think it's important to know where you came from. As Mike said, it's the attitude of not being able to fail anyone ( we have this here, I have come up against it ), and the unwillingness to teach people to think for themselves, to expect failure as a possible outcome of lack of application, etc. And I got 5 out of 6 right, same as a lot of people here.
Christian Graus No longer a Microsoft MVP, but still happy to answer your questions.
Christian Graus wrote:
And I got 5 out of 6 right, same as a lot of people here.
Did you miss that last one? Seems like most people did. Not sure about the site saying some 88% got it right :suss:
Christian Graus wrote:
if you go to university and study history, the first step in the US is to unlearn most of what you were told
Yep, my wife is a History major and I learned more from her discussions than I did in high school or in one or two history classes in college. Luckily, in college, I somehow got around it :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Do you guys know what it is going to be or just waiting to see for a surprise?
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Paul Conrad wrote:
Do you guys know what it is going to be or just waiting to see for a surprise?
Its going to be a boy.
:cool:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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I can only speak for my local schools but the Columbus / Indian garbage you mention is pretty common in elementary school K-4 but starts to get fleshed out in middle school and debunked completely in high school.
Mike Mullikin wrote:
Columbus / Indian garbage you mention is pretty common in elementary school K-4 but starts to get fleshed out in middle school and debunked completely in high school.
Yes, I second that.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Christian Graus wrote:
a major reason for the successful settlement of the USA, is the number of Indians who had died due to disease brought about by folks who arrived before the Jamestown/Plymouth Rock settlers.
and people think the bio-warfare is some new form of warfare brought about by technology and evil scientists. personally, i am holding out for the zombie invasion
----------------------------------------------------------- "When I first saw it, I just thought that you really, really enjoyed programming in java." - Leslie Sanford
jgasm wrote:
people think the bio-warfare is some new form of warfare brought about by technology and evil scientists.
No. Bio-warfare has been supposedly around since the Black Plague days.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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jgasm wrote:
and people think the bio-warfare is some new form of warfare brought about by technology and evil scientists.
Genghis Khan used to catapult the bodies of his warriors who died from disease over the walls of the towns and cities he was attacking. . . I guess that was as close to a zombie invasion as you are going to get. . .
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Okay, I thought first cases of bio-warefare was during Black Plague times. Guess I learned something new :-\
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Like I said, it depends on the 17 yo. If knowledge is valued in the home, then any kid is going to be knowledgable, despite the failings of the school system.
Christian Graus No longer a Microsoft MVP, but still happy to answer your questions.
Christian Graus wrote:
If knowledge is valued in the home, then any kid is going to be knowledgable, despite the failings of the school system.
Good point. My kids are pretty well rounded in all subjects and to me that is a good start for them.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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So far as I know, I've never read a word of Whitman's poetry. Nevertheless, I know that "Walt Whitman" is the author of "Leaves of Grass," even without the multiple choice, and that the book is considered "significant" by those who care about that sort of thing. Shoot, I even know that "I celebrate myself, and sing myself" is from "Leaves of Grass." But, look at the format of this little quiz: multiple-choice! Public education has been being dumbed-down for a long time.
Ilíon wrote:
Public education has been being dumbed-down for a long time.
A shame that is.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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I believe the meme you're wanting goes by "No Child Left Behind" .edit. 5/6, i thought the walt whitman one was misleading due to capitalization of 'i' :doh:
bulg wrote:
"No Child Left Behind"
...and that's a joke.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Well, I got none of them... :(
There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.
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Mike Mullikin wrote:
I got all 6. Brought it to my 18 y/o son (today is his birthday!) who is interning in the mechanical engineering office across the hall and he too got all 6.
We need more people like you raising kids. Luckily, you seem to be replicating yourself.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
I'm probably more damaged than I had previously thought. I got this image in my head, where Mike is building his son out of small metal pieces. (Think Stargate SG-1). :~
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I'm getting at that US 'history' is an excuse to teach manifest destiny, i.e that the people of the US are on a mission from God. Thus, the truth of the matter is obscured if it's less than glorious.
Dirk Higbee wrote:
but factual archeology has supported what is written in the Bible and anything other than creation falls down on the job.
Interesting.... So you believe that archeology supports a young earth and a 6 day creation ?
Christian Graus No longer a Microsoft MVP, but still happy to answer your questions.
Christian Graus wrote:
the people of the US are on a mission from God
unfortunately we're not all on the same page over here----there are some misguided martyrs roaming about
Christian Graus wrote:
a 6 day creation
yeah, but remember 1 day to God is 1000 years to Man so it would be the 6000 year creation. Also, the only point of archeology that doesn't wash is the carbon dating. With no original reference point and not knowing if acceleration aging does or doesn't exist, it is not a good schema.
Don't take any wooden nickels.
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Christian Graus wrote:
the people of the US are on a mission from God
unfortunately we're not all on the same page over here----there are some misguided martyrs roaming about
Christian Graus wrote:
a 6 day creation
yeah, but remember 1 day to God is 1000 years to Man so it would be the 6000 year creation. Also, the only point of archeology that doesn't wash is the carbon dating. With no original reference point and not knowing if acceleration aging does or doesn't exist, it is not a good schema.
Don't take any wooden nickels.
Dirk Higbee wrote:
yeah, but remember 1 day to God is 1000 years to Man so it would be the 6000 year creation.
I thought God transcended the Universe, so time wouldn't apply to him. Anyway, a day is an arbitrary measure related to the Earth, so what is 1 day of God's measuring?
Dirk Higbee wrote:
Also, the only point of archeology that doesn't wash is the carbon dating. With no original reference point and not knowing if acceleration aging does or doesn't exist, it is not a good schema.
Do you actually understand carbon dating?
There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.
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Christian Graus wrote:
I'm told the three ways are a hot bath, hot curry or hot sex.
Target have trampolines on sale. That suggestion didnt go down so well.
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I'm getting at that US 'history' is an excuse to teach manifest destiny, i.e that the people of the US are on a mission from God. Thus, the truth of the matter is obscured if it's less than glorious.
Dirk Higbee wrote:
but factual archeology has supported what is written in the Bible and anything other than creation falls down on the job.
Interesting.... So you believe that archeology supports a young earth and a 6 day creation ?
Christian Graus No longer a Microsoft MVP, but still happy to answer your questions.
Christian Graus wrote:
manifest destiny, i.e that the people of the US are on a mission from God.
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the USA was destined to expand from Atlantic to Pacific. It did not necessarily claim that God had determined that it was so, but was a rallying cry of the Jacksonian Democrats to justify the expansion into the western half of North America. It was a particularly American version of "White Man's Burden*," so beloved by Europe and Australia. There was an attempt later to use the same rallying cry to justify America taking over Spanish possessions after the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century, but fell into disuse by the early twentieth. The last important use of the phrase was when Woodrow Wilson declared that it was America's manifest destiny to stand as a beacon of democracy for the dictatorial powers of Europe - a far cry from what it once meant.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
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jgasm wrote:
personally, i am holding out for the zombie invasion
Still looking for love, eh? ;)
Citizen 20.1.01
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master - that's all.'
haha i remember seeing this on digg and thinking, what the hell
----------------------------------------------------------- "When I first saw it, I just thought that you really, really enjoyed programming in java." - Leslie Sanford
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Dirk Higbee wrote:
yeah, but remember 1 day to God is 1000 years to Man so it would be the 6000 year creation.
I thought God transcended the Universe, so time wouldn't apply to him. Anyway, a day is an arbitrary measure related to the Earth, so what is 1 day of God's measuring?
Dirk Higbee wrote:
Also, the only point of archeology that doesn't wash is the carbon dating. With no original reference point and not knowing if acceleration aging does or doesn't exist, it is not a good schema.
Do you actually understand carbon dating?
There used to be a me, but I had it surgically removed.
Ravel H. Joyce wrote:
I thought God transcended the Universe, so time wouldn't apply to him. Anyway, a day is an arbitrary measure related to the Earth, so what is 1 day of God's measuring?
God created time for us when he created the Earth. He then put it in perspective several times in the Bible telling us 1000 of our years is but 1 day to him, giving us a relative timeline.
Ravel H. Joyce wrote:
Do you actually understand carbon dating?
a little: Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays knock neutrons out of atomic nuclei in the upper atmosphere. These displaced neutrons, now moving fast, hit ordinary nitrogen (14N) at lower altitudes, converting it into 14C. Unlike common carbon (12C), 14C is unstable and slowly decays, changing it back to nitrogen and releasing energy. This instability makes it radioactive. The rate of decay of 14C is such that half of an amount will convert back to 14N in 5,730 years (plus or minus 40 years). This is the “half-life.” So, in two half-lives, or 11,460 years, only one-quarter of that in living organisms at present, then it has a theoretical age of 11,460 years. Anything over about 50,000 years old, should theoretically have no detectable 14C left. That is why radiocarbon dating cannot give millions of years. In fact, if a sample contains 14C, it is good evidence that it is not millions of years old.
Don't take any wooden nickels.
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Ilíon wrote:
Public education has been being dumbed-down for a long time.
A shame that is.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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Paul Conrad wrote:
A shame that is.
What we need in this country is Separation of School and State!
Ilíon wrote:
What we need in this country is Separation of School and State!
Other countries seem to manage to provide a decent education for their children in public schools.
John Carson