Harvard students don't know Canada's capital

[adrynalyne]

Pretty much this. I don't mean this in an arrogant way at all either, as I truly love Canada as an American. Still, the relevance Canada, or more so Ottawa, has to me whenever I'm watching or reading the news, between technological breakthroughs, war, politics, and everything else, Ottawa just isn't something I hear often enough. (one could see that as a good thing though)

 

Same could be said about states like Nebraska here in the US, which is even an ongoing joke on Big Bang Theory even.

 

Anyway, I can't expect someone to know everything, and I especially do not look at someone from Harvard with the mindset that they're smarter anyhow. Can't tell you how many people I've met that, given their position or title, should be more than the blubbering ignorant fool you see before you. Money talks sometimes though, I suppose. :ermm:

I don't know if you realize this, but you might be living in a bubble!

[dead.cell]

I don't know if you realize this, but you might be living in a bubble!

No, I'm very open to the world, and plan on traveling to Canada in my lifetime. If I don't hear about something often enough though, I'm not about to go digging into it unless something strikes my interest. (like hopping article to article on Wikipedia)

 

I could tell you all I know about El Salvador if you'd like though! Of course, I didn't realize that this was a challenge all of a sudden... :laugh:

[compl3x]

or Americans in general anyway. 

 

Perhaps because Canada is one of the US' bordering countries? I imagine people would be surprised if Americans didn't know the capital of Mexico, either.

[AWilliams87]

This has nothing to do with values. And like I said before, I don't care what people know or don't know.

I just find it very surprising to find out how many people find it normal to have no interest/knowledge about their neighboring countries

Who said they had no interest in Canada?

[Praetor]

Well i didn't know it, but at least I'm not a Havard student... pffffew.

[adrynalyne]

Perhaps because Canada is one of the US' bordering countries? I imagine people would be surprised if Americans didn't know the capital of Mexico, either.

I do.

 

I also live less than 100 miles from the border as well, so maybe that is why?

 

However, I still don't see the problem in not worrying about knowing the names of capitals in bordering countries unless it affects you in some way.

 

I am a developer, not a cartographer.

[dead.cell]

I do.

 

I also live less than 100 miles from the border as well, so maybe that is why?

 

However, I still don't see the problem in not worrying about knowing the names of capitals in bordering countries unless it affects you in some way.

 

I am a developer, not a cartographer.

100 miles from Canada? And yeah, I could understand why too. I've had more friends that come from Vancouver anyway, which is why I'm more familiar with that side of Canada.

 

I'm here in Houston, TX though so my knowledge of Mexico and the southern regions is a lot stronger. Also, I uhh... have a thing for latinas. :shifty:

[adrynalyne]

100 miles from Canada? And yeah, I could understand why too. I've had more friends that come from Vancouver anyway, which is why I'm more familiar with that side of Canada.

 

I'm here in Houston, TX though so my knowledge of Mexico and the southern regions is a lot stronger. Also, I uhh... have a thing for latinas. :shifty:

No, from Mexico.

 

Sorry, should have been more specific.

[compl3x]

I do.

 

I also live less than 100 miles from the border as well, so maybe that is why?

 

However, I still don't see the problem in not worrying about knowing the names of capitals in bordering countries unless it affects you in some way.

 

I am a developer, not a cartographer.

 

 

I live 8,422 miles from Mexico City &10,290 mi from Ottawa according to Google.  :rofl:

 

 

I wouldn't argue people have to know the capitals all over the world to survive. I suppose I am surprised people don't know common ones of large countries. Especially if they neighbour them.  :jump:

[+Raze Subscriber²]

Yes there are people in the US that are clueless about the capital of Canada (Ottawa) and not surprisingly the capital of Mexico (Mexico City).  And there are students at colleges and universities all across America that do not know also.  Are they ignorant or are they stupid or is it a lack of educational resources?  None of the aforementioned are the reason, they simply do not know.  Is it wrong, nope, are they living in a bubble, of course not.  A person's learning about and understanding of the world around them is their own unique experience and to say you should know such and such about this and that is arrogant.  And if you find yourself surprised by someone's lack of information, perhaps it's you that is living in a bubble and really may not know much about human nature.  ;)

 

Know your capitals!  :yes:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_capitals_in_alphabetical_order

[_dandy_]

What's the capital of Wisconsin without googling?

 

I'll be honest and readily admit I don't know.  But you're missing the point.  Wisconsin's just one of fifty states.  Canada's at the very top of the US's trade partner list.  You'd think it deserves a slightly more prominent place in everyday mundane trivia.  If you can't see the distinction, there's not much else I can say to help you.

 

[edit]

Oh, God, this thread's grown to 10 freakin' pages?

[thomastmc]

The fallacy here is expecting that smart people know everything...

 

Knowing how to learn and understand complex concepts is much more important than knowing any single fact of geography.

 

Why does the Moon only show one side to the Earth? Why is the sky blue? Just because you don't know the answer doesn't mean you're any less intelligent.

[AWilliams87]

I'll be honest and readily admit I don't know.  But you're missing the point.  Wisconsin's just one of fifty states.  Canada's at the very top of the US's trade partner list.  You'd think it deserves a slightly more prominent place in everyday mundane trivia.  If you can't see the distinction, there's not much else I can say to help you.

 

[edit]

Oh, God, this thread's grown to 10 freakin' pages?

No, what you need to do is get off your high horse. It's really you and your assumptions that failed here, not the college students. There's no way you could say someone should know what the capital of Canada is without making up arbitrary reasons as to why; your trading partner excuse being most noticeable here. If you were to examine yourself deeper here, you'd realize that you're just subtly narcissist: I.E. I know this fact, while these so-call smart College students does not. You: " If you can't see the distinction, there's not much else I can say to help you." Get real bro.

[Growled Member]

Yes there are people in the US that are clueless about the capital of Canada (Ottawa) and not surprisingly the capital of Mexico (Mexico City).  And there are students at colleges and universities all across America that do not know also.  Are they ignorant or are they stupid or is it a lack of educational resources?  None of the aforementioned are the reason, they simply do not know.  Is it wrong, nope, are they living in a bubble, of course not.  A person's learning about and understanding of the world around them is their own unique experience and to say you should know such and such about this and that is arrogant.  And if you find yourself surprised by someone's lack of information, perhaps it's you that is living in a bubble and really may not know much about human nature.  ;)

 

 

I wonder how many people in these other countries know their capitals? 

[compl3x]

If you were to examine yourself deeper here, you'd realize that you're just subtly narcissist: I.E. I know this fact, while these so-call smart College students does not. 

 

And some people might be justifying their ignorance by thinking "Well, if students at Harvard don't know the answer, then it is OK that I don't either."

[+Raze Subscriber²]

And some people might be justifying their ignorance by thinking "Well, if students at Harvard don't know the answer, then it is OK that I don't either."

 

 

Come on now, you're really stretching it, "might be" and "if"?  If everyone on Neowin were exactly alike we might be the most boring place on the internet.

 

What a person knows does not make them superior to what another person may or even may not know.  You may know more about knitting, I may know more about weaving, we can both make clothing, we just do it differently.  ;)

[compl3x]

I think people are getting way off track.

 

The argument from me isn't that knowledge makes you superior. It isn't people should know everything. It isn't that you need to know a county's capital to survive. And it isn't that by not knowing the answer to this questions these people are stupid and don't deserve to be at Harvard.

 

It's fair to say if you get to Harvard it is probably because you've enjoyed a pretty good level of education up to that point, including basic geography. Not knowing the capital of a neighbouring country is unexpected. 

[_dandy_]

No, what you need to do is get off your high horse. It's really you and your assumptions that failed here, not the college students. There's no way you could say someone should know what the capital of Canada is without making up arbitrary reasons as to why; your trading partner excuse being most noticeable here. If you were to examine yourself deeper here, you'd realize that you're just subtly narcissist: I.E. I know this fact, while these so-call smart College students does not. You: " If you can't see the distinction, there's not much else I can say to help you." Get real bro.

 

If you want to go in that direction, "bro", narcissism here would be me knowing Canada's capital but not knowing the US's.  Who's the narcissist in that video?

[trieste]

The world thinks that Americans need to mind their own business, yet when some of us do, we are considered living in a bubble and chastised for it.

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

Personally, I couldn't care less about the capital of Canada, seeing how it doesn't put food on the table for my family.  When it does, I will be more than happy to pay attention to things I consider mundane.

 

-or-

 

If I decide to move to Canada, I will be happy to learn everything I can about the country.  Until then...meh.

Mind your own business - don't invade others.

 

Don't mind your own business - learn more about other countries' culture instead of viewing everything through the lens of "I hail from a superpower country so service me, non-Americans".

 

Did you realise you equivocated 2 completely different ideas?

 

 

Oh, and surfing Neowin forum surely doesn't put food on your table, you shouldn't be here.

[riahc3]

Hello,

typical Americans, doesn't surprise me one bit :|

Did you know the answer to the question?

[adrynalyne]

Hello,

Did you know the answer to the question?

Of course not.  The high and mighty in this thread googled it and then came here and decided to bash Americans.

 

Par for the course.

[adrynalyne]

Mind your own business - don't invade others.

 

Don't mind your own business - learn more about other countries' culture instead of viewing everything through the lens of "I hail from a superpower country so service me, non-Americans".

 

Did you realise you equivocated 2 completely different ideas?

 

 

Oh, and surfing Neowin forum surely doesn't put food on your table, you shouldn't be here.

I made it clear that geography isn't my interest.  Browsing the Internet when bored is.

 

How about you practice what you preach and mind your own business?

[Julius Caro]

My guess is that people don't know what the capital of canada is (or any country for that matter) because they don't need to. maybe they were taught capitals at school, who knows. But if you don't need it for your work or whatever, then the knowledge becomes some useless trivia rather than useful information. 

 

Im pretty sure any american that does business with canada or any politician will know damn well what the capital is. 

[cacoe]

I'll be honest, I saw the question in the thread title, thought 'Montreal' and came here to see if I was right. 

[cacoe]

My guess is that people don't know what the capital of canada is (or any country for that matter) because they don't need to. maybe they were taught capitals at school, who knows. But if you don't need it for your work or whatever, then the knowledge becomes some useless trivia rather than useful information. 

 

Im pretty sure any american that does business with canada or any politician will know damn well what the capital is. 

 

I agree with this statement overall but I would have expected the person who was actually from Canada to know the answer.