General Discussion

MineralMan

(151,219 posts)

214. Some people have mentioned that some of the

Thu Apr 25, 2013, 03:03 PM

Apr 2013

issues in that quiz weren't known when us geezers went to school.

Mostly, that's not true.

Fracking, for example, under the name of hydraulic fracturing was first used in the late 1940s, and I learned about it by reading a book about the oil business when I was 10 years old.

Plate tectonics was being discussed in the popular science magazines in the 50s, when I first learned about it. It explained nicely why South America and Africa look like they might have been together.

Nanotechnology didn't exist in my childhood, but the prefix "nano-" did, so that would have been obvious if I had seen that question in fifth or sixth grade.

We may not have studied all those things in school, but the information was certainly available for the curious among us.

I'm almost 68. If I hadn't gotten 13 right, I'd have seen my doctor about my mental state, frankly.

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Do you know more about science and technology than the average American? [View all] Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 OP

that was easy (fellow science nerd here) NRaleighLiberal Apr 2013 #1

I don't consider myself a science nerd and it was basic stuff. I have trouble believing anyone alive freshwest Apr 2013 #133

Non-Science Nerd RobinA Apr 2013 #176

If the females asked were in the Full Quiver movement, no. This should be basic school both sexes. freshwest Apr 2013 #212

Ha, funny how many people are taking the quiz mimi85 Apr 2013 #232

I think the more you know, the more humble you are, so I don't know about showing off. I blame the freshwest Apr 2013 #235

I'm sorry mimi85 May 2013 #243

13/13 RainDog Apr 2013 #2

+1 Egalitarian Thug Apr 2013 #127

same here.... awoke_in_2003 Apr 2013 #131

13/13 too, Benton D Struckcheon Apr 2013 #3

ditto here lastlib Apr 2013 #209

I got 12/13 can I be a nerd too? bravenak Apr 2013 #4

Depends on which one you missed.... Wounded Bear Apr 2013 #89

Hydrogen? bravenak Apr 2013 #143

(Me too) Union Scribe Apr 2013 #149

Ouch.... Wounded Bear Apr 2013 #168

It got me too...Otherwise 12/13 4_TN_TITANS Apr 2013 #203

13/13 also. nt aristocles Apr 2013 #5

13/13 burnodo Apr 2013 #6

12 of 13 Jeff In Milwaukee Apr 2013 #7

12/13 MrSlayer Apr 2013 #8

Ditto. demosincebirth Apr 2013 #77

ditto...too Demonaut Apr 2013 #84

Same here. nt Mojorabbit Apr 2013 #120

I didn't even have to think about it.... mimi85 Apr 2013 #241

Got 12 out of 13 rightsideout Apr 2013 #9

13/13 -- God this makes me cry for our educational system. n/t X_Digger Apr 2013 #10

I knew DUers would do well. Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 #17

13/13 and ditto. These have got to be the easiest "skyance" questions ever... lapfog_1 Apr 2013 #38

12 cherokeeprogressive Apr 2013 #11

Ditto. nt laundry_queen Apr 2013 #52

Same here. n/t TDale313 Apr 2013 #60

12 also,i thought Nitrogen was a trace gas. Rain Mcloud Apr 2013 #68

No, Nitrogen isn't an oxidizer. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #74

Just remember the order they describe our atmosphere. AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #70

Yup! Thought it was hydrogen. I went back and forth and couldn't remember. Behind the Aegis Apr 2013 #94

same here. diane in sf Apr 2013 #141

And here. narnian60 Apr 2013 #204

Same score, same missed question. n/t ChazII Apr 2013 #108

No sin there...the quiz didn't ask... DreamGypsy Apr 2013 #111

13/13 with a modest formal education Brother Buzz Apr 2013 #12

13/13 magellan Apr 2013 #13

12/13 nenagh Apr 2013 #14

2 wrong and I knew which ones they were olddots Apr 2013 #15

You scored better than 85% of the public, below 7% and the same as 8%. Wow that is scary because lunasun Apr 2013 #16

Are you smarter than a 5th grader type of quiz Gman Apr 2013 #18

Here's an interesting and related thread. Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 #22

Yeah, saw that earlier Gman Apr 2013 #28

There's an intersting (and free to download) book about the authoritarian mindset. Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 #30

13 of 13 was too easy to get. alittlelark Apr 2013 #19

13/13 LeftInTX Apr 2013 #20

13 immoderate Apr 2013 #21

12/13..... ohheckyeah Apr 2013 #23

13/13 customerserviceguy Apr 2013 #24

Hopefully this is far enough down-thread to post their report. Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 #25

My age demographic sucked (65+) eridani Apr 2013 #140

Some of That Stuff RobinA Apr 2013 #179

There have been plenty of DU articles about fracking TrogL Apr 2013 #227

Yes. ( n/t ) Make7 Apr 2013 #26

yes Bobbyboozhay66 Apr 2013 #27

12/13 lpbk2713 Apr 2013 #29

13/13 - liberal arts grad. The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2013 #31

i'm not really good when it comes to science and tech but i got all of these right JI7 Apr 2013 #32

I thought I MAYBE got one wrong -- I got FOUR wrong! :-( 9/13. gateley Apr 2013 #33

My first thought was, gawd I hope not. (12) LiberalAndProud Apr 2013 #34

7%? Seriously? Bannakaffalatta Apr 2013 #35

+1 Matariki Apr 2013 #191

12/13 I missed "nitrogen". rrneck Apr 2013 #36

Same here. BainsBane Apr 2013 #62

Missed that one, too. The rest were, to me, absurdly easy. TekGryphon Apr 2013 #142

13 easy for a science nut. BlueJazz Apr 2013 #37

13/13... I even got my gender and age group right, so I guess that's really 15/15! opiate69 Apr 2013 #39

I prefer to think of us as getting 15 out of 13 icarusxat Apr 2013 #96

That was the only thing I got wrong. Heywood J Apr 2013 #237

hehe... that's funny...I almost did too though lol opiate69 Apr 2013 #238

13/13. Rest of the population is really stupid. I knew this. El Fuego Apr 2013 #40

I got one wrong. CBHagman Apr 2013 #41

13/13. Take that Mr Brown. I did pay attention NightWatcher Apr 2013 #42

11/13 Marrah_G Apr 2013 #43

I got 13/13 Go Vols Apr 2013 #44

13/13 silverweb Apr 2013 #45

13/13..."You scored better than 93% of the public and the same as 7%." BootinUp Apr 2013 #46

I would expect all sixth graders to know all of the correct answers. NYC_SKP Apr 2013 #47

13/13 exboyfil Apr 2013 #48

12/13 mrs_p Apr 2013 #49

12, and ashamed at the what I missed ecstatic Apr 2013 #50

Duh moment zipplewrath Apr 2013 #158

Was that an extra easy test? Control-Z Apr 2013 #51

Well, we're just in the top 10% caraher Apr 2013 #202

Aced it. Liberal Arts major. 8) DirkGently Apr 2013 #53

100% krispos42 Apr 2013 #54

Thank goodness.... daleanime Apr 2013 #104

w00t! 13/13, another science nerd/introverted reading freak here. nt Nay Apr 2013 #55

I missed one and I'm embarrassed by it, too... cynatnite Apr 2013 #56

Are you in Colorado or Washington state... DreamGypsy Apr 2013 #114

I'm in TN... cynatnite Apr 2013 #147

12/13 Renew Deal Apr 2013 #57

They ask about education; they should have asked if the respondent reads DU. 13/13. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2013 #58

Liberal thing, conservatives wouldn't understand Diremoon Apr 2013 #59

Welcome to DU wryter2000 Apr 2013 #183

12 BainsBane Apr 2013 #61

two out of thirteen correct. octothorpe Apr 2013 #63

13/13 nt PD Turk Apr 2013 #71

Sadly...this is not a joke nadinbrzezinski Apr 2013 #92

You scored better than 93% of the public and the same as 7%. brett_jv Apr 2013 #218

13/13 Poll_Blind Apr 2013 #64

10. I guess I'm the dumb one here. demosincebirth Apr 2013 #65

Or your memory of stuff from middle school just faded... octothorpe Apr 2013 #69

I drove a truck for 40years. I don't remember any of that from school, I just enjoy reading demosincebirth Apr 2013 #75

If your CDL has a HAZMAT endorsement Mopar151 Apr 2013 #91

. Loudestlib Apr 2013 #97

13/13 - This is a joke right? Xyzse Apr 2013 #66

i got 12 I new it was nitrogen but kept hydrogen, I'm such a fool! juxtaposed Apr 2013 #67

Do you live on ... DreamGypsy Apr 2013 #117

13/13 Junkpet Apr 2013 #72

13/13 here as well tularetom Apr 2013 #73

13 caseymoz Apr 2013 #76

13/13 Richard D Apr 2013 #78

is this another 'how stupid americans are' thread? HiPointDem Apr 2013 #79

13/13 SCVDem Apr 2013 #80

12/13 Mr. X Apr 2013 #81

I missed that one rightsideout Apr 2013 #137

12/13 but that is because... prairierose Apr 2013 #82

13/13 Zoeisright Apr 2013 #83

13/13, which surprised me, because I am not a science guy. Common Sense Party Apr 2013 #85

Got them all correct (13/13) sakabatou Apr 2013 #86

13/13 here too. blackspade Apr 2013 #87

12/13 Mopar151 Apr 2013 #88

13/13 Gore1FL Apr 2013 #90

13/13! I see we DUers are a smart bunch! UrbScotty Apr 2013 #93

This message was self-deleted by its author LastDemocratInSC Apr 2013 #95

:-( ReRe Apr 2013 #98

Aced.....easy questions.... Wounded Bear Apr 2013 #99

13/13... but what a frigging idiot..... DreamGypsy Apr 2013 #100

Very easy, I think I could have aced that after a pub crawl. Thor_MN Apr 2013 #101

13/13 business major working on a MBA. n/t tammywammy Apr 2013 #102

13 out of 13! freethought Apr 2013 #103

12/13 AsahinaKimi Apr 2013 #105

i guess i do 13/13 nutsnberries Apr 2013 #106

I got 13/13 - too easy dballance Apr 2013 #107

11 of 13 Blue_In_AK Apr 2013 #109

I got 12/13. I am the 15%!!!!!! Currently majoring in computer engineering. n/t alp227 Apr 2013 #110

13/13 ... Very easy test. (n/t) spin Apr 2013 #112

13/13 - English Lit degree here JTG of the PRB Apr 2013 #113

Too easy. 13/13. Who could possibly get any of those wrong? freshwest Apr 2013 #115

12/13...... Tikki Apr 2013 #116

13/13 Apophis Apr 2013 #118

I may have the lowest score published here- No Vested Interest Apr 2013 #119

12/13 -- didn't remember my Chemistry. ancianita Apr 2013 #121

Easy test for most of the crowd here at DU Warpy Apr 2013 #122

13/13 with one arm tied behind my back. ErikJ Apr 2013 #123

12/13 - Admitted Science phobic KauaiK Apr 2013 #124

Scares me that people are that uninformed.... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #125

Is this test even real? Nabbysensei Apr 2013 #126

12/13 nitrogen bit me in the ass I said Hydrogen Vestigial_Sister Apr 2013 #128

So did I. Blue_In_AK Apr 2013 #220

Which gas makes up most of the Earth's atmosphere? MADem Apr 2013 #129

12 for 13 NWLib Apr 2013 #130

12/13 Lil Missy Apr 2013 #132

13/13 DJWBlue Apr 2013 #134

That struck me as an awfully easy test. Bette Noir Apr 2013 #135

agreed, 13/13 makes me wonder about 50% of the population that only gets grantcart Apr 2013 #217

Seriously! mimi85 Apr 2013 #242

13/13. Yay. nt Ilsa Apr 2013 #136

I'm glad they showed the demographic info. Archaic Apr 2013 #138

12/13, missed one. diane in sf Apr 2013 #139

Was that really a science test? defacto7 Apr 2013 #144

perfect score DeadEyeDyck Apr 2013 #145

I took chemistry but not any science other than that, so I did much better than I expected. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #146

13/13 And I don't consider myself a science whiz at all. Live and Learn Apr 2013 #148

13/13 ManiacJoe Apr 2013 #150

13/13, and it was way too easy. DetlefK Apr 2013 #151

That was too easy. hobbit709 Apr 2013 #152

That's depressing Turbineguy Apr 2013 #153

13 for 13, thank-you PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS! HereSince1628 Apr 2013 #162

Did you notice the crafty question about global warming... Bay Boy Apr 2013 #154

I also got 13 for 13. Savannahmann Apr 2013 #155

13 d_r Apr 2013 #156

13. But then, I'm older....and the school system was more thorough on some things! PDJane Apr 2013 #157

I wouldn't call myself a science nerd, kentauros Apr 2013 #159

Apparently more than 93% MindPilot Apr 2013 #160

13/13 and I was LibertyLover Apr 2013 #161

11/13 LWolf Apr 2013 #163

13 out of 13 also warrior1 Apr 2013 #164

13/13 FarCenter Apr 2013 #165

Electrons and atoms whttevrr Apr 2013 #166

You answered 12 of 13 questions correctly. NCTraveler Apr 2013 #167

13/13 WilmywoodNCparalegal Apr 2013 #169

That was too easy spinbaby Apr 2013 #170

What an absurdly simple test. RC Apr 2013 #171

12/13 GED...public schools workinclasszero Apr 2013 #172

I wouldn't have thought I was that much above average Yo_Mama Apr 2013 #173

12/13 missed - Which gas makes up most of the Earth's atmosphere moobu2 Apr 2013 #174

11/13 Hell Hath No Fury Apr 2013 #175

13/13 and good gawd that's better than 93% of respondants.... mike_c Apr 2013 #177

13/13 wryter2000 Apr 2013 #178

Took it - got 13/13 GoneOffShore Apr 2013 #180

13/13. I get the average person missing one or two... gcomeau Apr 2013 #181

Not in any way a science nerd, RebelOne Apr 2013 #182

12/13 nachosgrande Apr 2013 #184

Here's an interesting part: JHB Apr 2013 #185

12 out of 13 here too... madmom Apr 2013 #186

13/13 another science nerd here Dash87 Apr 2013 #187

13/13, progressives are just more aware IMHO...most progressive I talk to are fairly knowledgeable uponit7771 Apr 2013 #188

Pretty easy.. sendero Apr 2013 #189

Hmmm - that was a little too easy. Matariki Apr 2013 #190

12/13 truebrit71 Apr 2013 #192

13/13 now i feel better about myself dembotoz Apr 2013 #193

12/13 Messed up on Nitrogen. Should have known better. bklyncowgirl Apr 2013 #194

12/13. I knew it wasn't oxygen, War Horse Apr 2013 #195

12 out of 13 ananda Apr 2013 #196

13/13 WillyT Apr 2013 #197

13/13 zappaman Apr 2013 #198

I got 12/13 auburngrad82 Apr 2013 #199

12/13 Chisox08 Apr 2013 #200

13 out of 13 ryan_cats Apr 2013 #201

13/13. Had to think whether Nitrogen or Hydrogen was most common, but made the right call. nt geek tragedy Apr 2013 #205

Test SamKnause Apr 2013 #206

13/13 20score Apr 2013 #207

If I only knew the difference between "infrared" and "ultraviolet" I would've aced it. Buns_of_Fire Apr 2013 #208

Effin' dismal, but a few rays of hope. GoCubsGo Apr 2013 #210

number 11 is wrong and/or a gross oversimplification Mosby Apr 2013 #211

No, it isn't. gcomeau Apr 2013 #225

no, one option was not vastly superior Mosby Apr 2013 #229

Yes, one was. You're introducing unlisted conditions. gcomeau Apr 2013 #230

The results of that are very, very disappointing. MineralMan Apr 2013 #213

Some people have mentioned that some of the MineralMan Apr 2013 #214

EZ-PZ Liberal In Texas Apr 2013 #215

If Pew really wants to show the world ... sweetapogee Apr 2013 #216

Everyone try the News Quiz as well!!! brett_jv Apr 2013 #219

I perfecto'd that one, too, but its choice of material is dubious. Jim Lane Apr 2013 #228

11/13 treestar Apr 2013 #221

13/13. PA Democrat Apr 2013 #222

13/13 I know I'm a bit of a nerd. we can do it Apr 2013 #223

12/13 - I missed the one about the earth's atmosphere. d'oh! cyberswede Apr 2013 #224

13/13 Better than 97% of the population???? LongTomH Apr 2013 #226

11/13 and 11/13 on both quizzes mimi85 Apr 2013 #231

I got 12/13 kimbutgar Apr 2013 #233

Yes, but I am a nerd. Rex Apr 2013 #234

13/13, top 7% kestrel91316 Apr 2013 #236

12/13 AnnieBW Apr 2013 #239

Yep, that was a toughie and the front-runner for most difficult question. Snarkoleptic Apr 2013 #240