Re: Smarter Scots


"Mad Prof" <mad@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:e39cv8$j2h$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Are Scots any smarter than other nations? We often laugh at the Yanks
who's
knowledge of geography is sadly lacking but if you went on the streets of
a
major Scottish town and asked a person at random to point to say 'South
Dakota' or Luxemberg on a map would they be able to do it? I doubt it. Ask
them to solve a simple algebra problem

sin(x)+x^2=0

As this equation ha a trigonometric function (sin(x)) it has to be a
trigonometric problem and not algebraic. At first glance it is obvious to
those with even a smattering of high school maths that the answer can not be
zero unless x=0


I doubt they would have a clue.
Ask them the date of the battle of Waterloo?

Ask them who is bonking who in Eastenders or Corronation street and you
may
get an answer. Are the majority of people in the world thick as *** or is
the way of measuring intelligence wrong? IQ tests are often criticised
(esp
by those who cannot do them). Now it's easy for people connected to the
net
to be 'knowledgeable', but are they?
Have you also noticed that it is socially acceptable to be ignorant of
Science but not of English literature (esp Shakespear) or films or even
football. I suggest that the world is becomming denser by the day and that
the young have a 'get something for nothing' attitude whilst the elders
are
too hooked on T.V and the internet.


M.P




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