Are people just getting dumber or what?

[Tilar]

There's some guy on there that graduated UCLA with a 4.0 GPA.  He begins by picking a 1st grade measurement question and can't answer it.  

maybe he was waiting for clarification on the question.

Short ton? Long ton? Metric ton?

There is more than one answer as there is more than one definition of a 'ton'.

I don't think they even teach it in school anymore.

[1969chargerrtse]

Yes.

[1969chargerrtse]

   how many pounds make a ton?       Pounds of what?

Doesn't matter if it feathers or if it's lead. A ton is a ton. Just the volume is different.

I suck at math, and I knew that, lol.

Yeah but what would the ton weigh on the moon?

[BigBlackDodge]

It amazes me how many kids these days can't tell you the time if they have to look at a face type clock



BBD

[Old Moparz]

My wife told me a funny story from a previous job she had at a printing company back in the late 80's. She came home from work one day & said that she is definitely underpaid. There was a guy who ran one of the magazines that her company printed, who's office was in the same building. He had been out in the hall watering plants & came inside their office bitching about how all the water was pouring out the bottoms of the flower pots & that someone needed to call the maintenance staff so they could do something about it. This guy was making over $100,000 a year at the time, & had gone to some expensive college that he loved to mention in conversation whenever he could. When my wife asked why he was watering the plants, he replied that he never sees anyone else take care of them & didn't want them to die. My wife told him nobody waters them because they're fake.

[Ghoste]

Look how many on here think texting is acceptable for all forms written communication.  Grammar, capital letters, punctuation, sentence structure and all of it are being purposely abandoned.  If you think adults now have trouble being smarter than a fifth grader, what makes us think the next generation will be any better?

[bobs66440]

Half of the problem is they try to cram so much useless information into the student's heads that there's no room left for common sense. My 12 year old is studying the Pythagorean theorem in math class now. Really? Why does a 12 year old need to know this? Does ANYONE need to know this??  

They should spend more time and effort teaching useful things like how to budget money, understanding credit, loan & insurance small print, getting and keeping a job, social skills, etc.

[Old Moparz]

Kids also need to be taught to know something about nutrition basics, or maybe even learn what certain foods are. Here's another story that would be funny if it didn't actually happen. My wife overheard a high school student on line in the cafeteria ask what something was while pointing to cauliflower. Another student answered & said he didn't know & thought it was albino broccoli. 

[RECHRGD]

And to think that we are about at the top of the heap worldwide in spending on education, and this is what we get....

[bobs66440]

And to think that we are about at the top of the heap worldwide in spending on education, and this is what we get....

Yep, the trend of "pay more, get less" in New York continues with no end in sight...

[bobs66440]

   how many pounds make a ton?       Pounds of what?

Doesn't matter if it feathers or if it's lead. A ton is a ton. Just the volume is different.

I suck at math, and I knew that, lol.

Yeah but what would the ton weigh on the moon?

About 333 lbs. 

[Steve P.]

   how many pounds make a ton?       Pounds of what?

Jesus Christ SKIPPY,,,,,, you just made me blow coffee all over my keys and screen!!!!

[Steve P.]

I have turned Leno off when he does his JAY WALKING bit due to the incredible morons that this country has produced. If ever anyone thought we DIDN'T NEED to rethink what we are teaching our kids today, I want to add them to the list of MORONS that Leno interviews. 

[TheGhost]

Kids also need to be taught to know something about nutrition basics, or maybe even learn what certain foods are. Here's another story that would be funny if it didn't actually happen. My wife overheard a high school student on line in the cafeteria ask what something was while pointing to cauliflower. Another student answered & said he didn't know & thought it was albino broccoli. 

If people want to forget that cauliflower is a food, let them.  Worst thing I've ever eaten.

[elacruze]

Half of the problem is they try to cram so much useless information into the student's heads that there's no room left for common sense. My 12 year old is studying the Pythagorean theorem in math class now. Really? Why does a 12 year old need to know this? Does ANYONE need to know this??  

They should spend more time and effort teaching useful things like how to budget money, understanding credit, loan & insurance small print, getting and keeping a job, social skills, etc.

The Pythagorean theorem will save his life when he's out sailing the oceans and his electronic navigation systems go out. Or when he wants a raise at the truss manufacturing plant. Just a thought.

Budgeting, credit, insurance; those are all things you should be teaching him at home. School is for education you *can't get* at home.

[Fred]

I have turned Leno off when he does his JAY WALKING bit due to the incredible morons that this country has produced. If ever anyone thought we DIDN'T NEED to rethink what we are teaching our kids today, I want to add them to the list of MORONS that Leno interviews. 

Oh my God! I've watched that over here too and can't believe that these morons would actually want to show the world just how stupid they are. AND WORST OF ALL..........THEY SEEM PROUD OF THE FACT!!  At first I thought this can't be for real but sadly it is. And when, as an American you don't even know where Mexico is or that it is actually a Country and not an American state ...........well then, that's just plain sad. I'd hide my head in shame!
And yes, these morons are everywhere around the world. There's plenty of them here in Australia too.  Boohoo!!

[Steve P.]

I think I saw the same show. The question was to name 2 countries that border the USA... 5 or more people could NOT answer that.... One of them was from TEXAS and another ARIZONA. How badly I wanted to reach out and slap the taste out of their mouths!!!!! A few years back Leno was at a school in California. He showed a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger. One guy guessed about 4 or 5 times before he came up with (THE TERMINATOR) .. Leno says: Do you know what his job is today? Answer: I don't know,,, does he work for you?? Leno asks: Who is the Governor of California? Answer: That guy that use to (BLLEEEEEP) Cher.... Leno says: Who is the GOVERN-A-TER? (in Arnolds tongue). Answer: the guy-that-ate-Cher...

I believe there should be people stopping other people in shopping malls and sports arenas and such, that much like Leno, stop and ask people simple questions that (by their age) should know the answers to. If they answer more than 2 questions wrong, BANG.... Throw him on the wagon... 

[Fred]

Yes, and when you (the general public/morons I mean) select your President (or Governor) for no other reason than you liked him in the movies, well...........there's nothing more to be said except...........blow that wagon up!!

[Ghoste]

There is a Canadian comedian named Rick Mercer that did an entire special like that called "Talking To Americans".  He basically travelled the US talking to the average citizen.

[miller]

Half of the problem is they try to cram so much useless information into the student's heads that there's no room left for common sense. My 12 year old is studying the Pythagorean theorem in math class now. Really? Why does a 12 year old need to know this? Does ANYONE need to know this??  

They should spend more time and effort teaching useful things like how to budget money, understanding credit, loan & insurance small print, getting and keeping a job, social skills, etc.

The Pythagorean theorem will save his life when he's out sailing the oceans and his electronic navigation systems go out. Or when he wants a raise at the truss manufacturing plant. Just a thought.

Budgeting, credit, insurance; those are all things you should be teaching him at home. School is for education you *can't get* at home.

I agree,

Pythagorean theorem is a very important little tool, i used it just yesterday to figure out the dimensions of a sectional for my new apartment.

But i think this interesting is, while we all agree that tons to pounds should be known... but how far should common knowledge go? Celsius to Kelvin? Celsius to Fahrenheit? Inches to centimeters? Vector analysis? Bernoulli's equation? At what point is it okay for the general public to say... I don't know?

[Steve P.]

My additional .02 is that I want to know how some of these idiots find their way home?? Is the learning curve so bent that we are pushing out complete idiots in this country??

In boot camp a guy was tossed out because he couldn't spell INDIANA correctly. Guess what state he was from..... I mean, like, I could understand it if LIKE, auh, like he was from a tough place like auh, OHIO or sompin!! 

[Fred]

I think the world is reverting back to the planet of the apes!!! 

[RallyeMike]

I believe the answer is no. There is about the same percentage of dumb people in the world.

My point in the crack comment that "my butchery and cotton weaving skills suck" was meant to imply that as society progresses, technology advances, and world knowledge base continue to increase, ......... thinking patterns and skills in the new generation change and adapt. Old timers think kids are dumb because they don't have a basis in the old skills, young folks think old timers are feeble because they can't operate a remote control or turn on their computer or text 100 words per minute.

If you think people are getting dumber, think back to what your grandparents thought of your actions as a young adult. Yep..... conclusion: If you think people are getting dumber, you are probably just getting old.

[Old Moparz]

I believe the answer is no. There is about the same percentage of dumb people in the world.

My point in the crack comment that "my butchery and cotton weaving skills suck" was meant to imply that as society progresses, technology advances, and world knowledge base continue to increase, ......... thinking patterns and skills in the new generation change and adapt. Old timers think kids are dumb because they don't have a basis in the old skills, young folks think old timers are feeble because they can't operate a remote control or turn on their computer or text 100 words per minute.

If you think people are getting dumber, think back to what your grandparents thought of your actions as a young adult. Yep..... conclusion: If you think people are getting dumber, you are probably just getting old.

What you said may very well be true, but dumb is still dumb no matter what age or whichever skill you've mastered for the modern technology of your generation. It could be sending Morse Code on a telegraph, or a text message on a Droidian Ipod tablet.  

This is one dumb bimbo who can probably out text anyone over 50.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII

[RallyeMike]

Hot-ness offsets dumbness. I think she's brilliants.