Things you'd consider "common knowledge"

[Cabra West]

I was watching University Challenge on Monday evening, snuggled up with husband and cats on the sofa.
I really like the show, and I'll always be guessing along, which does annoy the husband somewhat (or so he claims, anyway).

Now, on this particular episode, one question was "Excluding the x and y chromosomes, how many pairs of chromosomes does a human cell have?"
I shouted the answer at the screen and he looks at me in disbelief, asking "How do you know that?"
So I told him, 10th grade biology, and I thought everyone knew that. I would have considered it common knowledge.

So yesterday, hubby comes home and tells me he's asked all his colleagues at work (an IT company), and not one knew the answer. Two or three actually asked him what a chromosome was, exactly.

Would you consider this common knowledge?
Have you ever come across situations where you assumed everybody knew something and found they didn't?

[Meowfoundland]

I'm Australian. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. The amount of people I've encountered who thought it was "A.C.T." is beyond belief.

[Big Jim P]

Good Op.

What is common knowledge? Eliminating my own bias, and basic literacy, math comprehension. I don't think there is much. Knowledge is not that common. Sad considering that we (as a world) are far more educated than at any other time.

[Big Jim P]

I'm Australian. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. The amount of people I've encountered who thought it was "A.C.T." is beyond belief.

It's not Syndey?

/joke

[Cirona]

I'm Australian. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. The amount of people I've encountered who thought it was "A.C.T." is beyond belief.

It's not Syndey?

/joke

Beat me to it.

[Insane Kidney Mentality]

I shit you not, there are some people within my school system who question whether other people are either from China or Asia.

My heart drops a little each time at the stunning ideology that China and Asia are two seperate continents.

[Toronina]

That Bieber sucks?

[Big Jim P]

I shit you not, there are some people within my school system who question whether other people are either from China or Asia.

My heart drops a little each time at the stunning ideology that China and Asia are two seperate continents.

Try cynicism some time.

[Duvniask]

I have encountered people who didn't know what or where the Equator was. That's just sad.

[Ethel mermania]

I shit you not, there are some people within my school system who question whether other people are either from China or Asia.

My heart drops a little each time at the stunning ideology that China and Asia are two seperate continents.

it would make the vietnamese happy.

that human beings are mammals.

[Big Jim P]

I shit you not, there are some people within my school system who question whether other people are either from China or Asia.

My heart drops a little each time at the stunning ideology that China and Asia are two seperate continents.

it would make the vietnamese happy.

that human beings are mammals.

That humans are animals. What else is there? vegetable, mineral, or element.

[Rubiconic Crossings V2 rev 1f]

Pissing in the wind...not a good idea.

[Araraukar]

My expectations of general knowledge are based on the "required" 9 years of comprehensive education that Finnish school system offers. I have found this to be about on the level of first 2 years of college in the USA system or same in British equivalent. Additionally I would expect people to have been aware of major world events since finishing school.

So given all this, my expectations for "common knowledge" are quite high. I've learned, however, not to expect anything (possibly beyond literacy and knowing what Internet is) from anyone online, unless they prove me otherwise.

[Cetacea]

it would make the vietnamese happy.

that human beings are mammals.

That humans are animals. What else is there? vegetable, mineral, or element.

I had a happy little argument with someone (can't recall who) who proclaimed "but fish aren't animals, animals are just birds and mammals" I asked them where they thought reptiles might fit and they replied "oh I hadn't thought of them"


but generally I'd expect common knowledge to consist of" yeah, I'll look it up on google"

[Ethel mermania]

it would make the vietnamese happy.

that human beings are mammals.

That humans are animals. What else is there? vegetable, mineral, or element.

or more commonly, are god, and are somehow exempt from the laws of nature.

[Meowfoundland]

I'm Australian. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. The amount of people I've encountered who thought it was "A.C.T." is beyond belief.

It's not Syndey?

/joke

It may be a joke, but that one comes from foreigners pretty regularly too. It's a lot more forgivable than Australians thinking it's A.C.T. though.

[Cabra West]

I have encountered people who didn't know what or where the Equator was. That's just sad.

Heh, that reminds me, during the last football world cup, we had an office bet that went as follows:

The participating countries were written on little strips of paper (luckily, that near enough matched the number of people in the office).
Every participant paid €5, and was allowed to draw one country from a hat. If that country won, they got the total takings.

My (then) manager pulled her slip of paper from the hat, read it and shouted: "Horrendous? Where in earth is Horrendous?"
Turned out to be Honduras, but she still had never heard of it and had no idea where it was...

[Insane Kidney Mentality]

That humans are animals. What else is there? vegetable, mineral, or element.

or more commonly, are god, and are somehow exempt from the laws of nature.

Some believe they are exempt from the laws of physics. Those are the most entertaining ones.

[Duvniask]

I have encountered people who didn't know what or where the Equator was. That's just sad.

Heh, that reminds me, during the last football world cup, we had an office bet that went as follows:

The participating countries were written on little strips of paper (luckily, that near enough matched the number of people in the office).
Every participant paid €5, and was allowed to draw one country from a hat. If that country won, they got the total takings.

My (then) manager pulled her slip of paper from the hat, read it and shouted: "Horrendous? Where in earth is Horrendous?"
Turned out to be Honduras, but she still had never heard of it and had no idea where it was...

Some people just aren't very good at geography. Apparently.

[Ethel mermania]

or more commonly, are god, and are somehow exempt from the laws of nature.

Some believe they are exempt from the laws of physics. Those are the most entertaining ones.

hey y'all, watch this, are my favorite last words.

[Perlia]

Now, on this particular episode, one question was "Excluding the x and y chromosomes, how many pairs of chromosomes does a human cell have?"
I shouted the answer at the screen and he looks at me in disbelief, asking "How do you know that?"
So I told him, 10th grade biology, and I thought everyone knew that. I would have considered it common knowledge.

I would consider this common knowledge and expect further that people knew it wasn't a well-formulated question.

So yesterday, hubby comes home and tells me he's asked all his colleagues at work (an IT company), and not one knew the answer. Two or three actually asked him what a chromosome was, exactly.

Wait, what?! Seriously?
IT-workers are usually very well educated. I can accept that not all of them knew the exact number (or rather, had forgotten it), but not knowing what a chromosome is? tsktsk.

Have you ever come across situations where you assumed everybody knew something and found they didn't?

Yes, often.
Occasionally even within people's own fields.

[Laerod]

Eh. Hanging out on NSG... Common knowledge is more of a logical fallacy and copout for having to do research than anything meaningful.

[Laerod]

I have encountered people who didn't know what or where the Equator was. That's just sad.

Heh, that reminds me, during the last football world cup, we had an office bet that went as follows:

The participating countries were written on little strips of paper (luckily, that near enough matched the number of people in the office).
Every participant paid €5, and was allowed to draw one country from a hat. If that country won, they got the total takings.

My (then) manager pulled her slip of paper from the hat, read it and shouted: "Horrendous? Where in earth is Horrendous?"
Turned out to be Honduras, but she still had never heard of it and had no idea where it was...

But if you've never heard of Honduras, how would you know the common knowledge that the capital is Tegucigalpa? =S

[Big Jim P]

It's not Syndey?

/joke

It may be a joke, but that one comes from foreigners pretty regularly too. It's a lot more forgivable than Australians thinking it's A.C.T. though.

Most people in America are hard pressed to find there own asses. With a map, flashlight and GPS monitor.

[Blouman Empire]

I'm Australian. The capital city of Australia is Canberra. The amount of people I've encountered who thought it was "A.C.T." is beyond belief.

Really?

THe amount of stupid things people have said to me could fill a large book