Harvard students don't know Canada's capital

[Hum]

Everyone values knowledge of different things.  I am sorry that it baffles you.

 

 

^ Something that baffles me, is why the United States is considered all of America. ;)

[Andre S. Veteran]

Is this the new way for moderators to interact with members of Neowin?  If so then you may be violating community rules by posting such inaccurate and insensitive images.  You don't like that some American students don't know the capital of Canada, well may be some people don't like being treated with such disrespect.

 

Oh, I was just joking.  /s

I'm hoping this is sarcasm indeed.

 

Also see xkcd,

 

[Growled Member]

^ Something that baffles me, is why the United States is considered all of America. ;)

 

There are people that think that?

[Denis W. Veteran]

A bit disturbing how the notion of living inside a bubble is considered acceptable and encouraged. Not referring to the OP, which was made in jest, but the responses in this thread.

[Shiranui]

I knew it was Ottawa, only because I did a school project on Canada in Junior High school.

I guess its Canada's fault for not making its most well-known city it capital, or for not making its capital city more well known.

Australia is the same. How many people would say Sydney, rather than Canberra?

[+Raze Subscriber²]

Living in a bubble, who said anything about it being acceptable and encouraged? Perhaps some people believe in live and let live or to each their own. Are some of you Canadians just butt hurt a few students at Harvard didn't know the capital of Canada?  This has become a bit ridiculous to have such negative and over-the-top reactions to a video that shows a very, very small number of people and may well have left out any of the students who did know the correct answer.

 

I'm find it disturbing that this very minor situation has some respondents making such generalized claims as to the state of US education and that it is not normal to be uninterested in a single fact.  What is not normal is the constant bashing of the US, often by the same people, time and time again on Neowin.  Even though it happens quite often it doesn't make it the normal or right thing to do.

[adrynalyne]

A bit disturbing how the notion of living inside a bubble is considered acceptable and encouraged. Not referring to the OP, which was made in jest, but the responses in this thread.

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.

[compl3x]

I think the argument of "I don't care about anything else other than what is immediately relevant to me" exemplifies bubble living.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

I wonder how many people in Ottawa know the capital of Massachusetts ... :shifty:

 

Boston

 

Firstly,  Massachusetts is a state, Canada is a country. It's like asking what is Siberia town center called. Secondly most people in Ottawa probably don't attend Harvard, an over the world known school where people try to reach for.

 

You are referring to that Ottawas people should remember 50 STATE capitals but some ivy league school students can't even remember one, a country capital.

[Denis W. Veteran]

Living in a bubble, who said anything about it being acceptable and encouraged? Perhaps some people believe in live and let live or to each their own. Are some of you Canadians just butt hurt a few students at Harvard didn't know the capital of Canada?  This has become a bit ridiculous to have such negative and over-the-top reactions to a video that shows a very, very small number of people and may well have left out any of the students who did know the correct answer.

 

My response would've been the same if said students didn't know what the capital of the UK, France, Greece, Portugal, etc. Once again, my beef ISN'T with the video - I found it amusing in the same vein that I found the following video amusing - but the responses I'm seeing in this thread about "I could give a damn about what's outside where I live."

 

 

If that's your thought process, so be it. I will however get concerned if and when a good sizable chunk of the American population holds that exact same view of living in a bubble. Get enough of a population thinking like that, then we can see what kind of people they vote in that hold the same views, and what damage they do with issues regarding foreign policy.

 

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.

 

Americans hold the most influence internationally in our generation. With that power should come some decent level of responsibility and awareness of the world they live in. Other nations of lesser influence, at least judging by the responses from non-Americans in this thread - are more acutely aware of their neighbours and other nations in the world. Is it too much to ask of the same in return?

 

 

I think the argument of "I don't care about anything else other than what is immediately relevant to me" exemplifies bubble living.

 

Exactly.

[zhangm Supervisor]

I think the argument of "I don't care about anything else other than what is immediately relevant to me" exemplifies bubble living.

Learning is acquiring facts and building connections between them. The ability to make these connections is really the key here, not so much memorizing facts. To make an analogy, memorizing facts is like acquiring piles and piles of electronic parts, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, wires, etc. That's what many people see "random knowledge" as, but the whole point of learning, or in this case, acquiring a pile of parts, is to end up being able to build useful things out of them. It's sad to see that folks are blind to this, but a lot of people stare into life and decide that they never want to be more than what they are. It's a killer of nations.

[nub]

Nobody cares about Canada because its not important to know.

When was the last time anybody has talked about Ottawa?

[adrynalyne]

I think the argument of "I don't care about anything else other than what is immediately relevant to me" exemplifies bubble living.

So how does not knowing the capital of Canada ruin my life, or constitute a failure on my part?

 

What does it matter in the bigger picture?

[adrynalyne]

Learning is acquiring facts and building connections between them. The ability to make these connections is really the key here, not so much memorizing facts. To make an analogy, memorizing facts is like acquiring piles and piles of electronic parts, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, wires, etc. That's what many people see "random knowledge" as, but the whole point of learning, or in this case, acquiring a pile of parts, is to end up being able to build useful things out of them. It's sad to see that folks are blind to this, but a lot of people stare into life and decide that they never want to be more than what they are. It's a killer of nations.

Yes.  Not knowing or caring about country capitals outside your own destroys nations.

 

The US will fall because some of us do not care to know about the capital of Canada.

[compl3x]

So how does not knowing the capital of Canada ruin my life, or constitute a failure on my part?

What does it matter in the bigger picture?

When was it suggested your life had been ruined or that you're a failure?

[KingCracker]

When was it suggested your life had been ruined or that you're a failure?

There's a lot of things that you don't know. Does that mean you live in a bubble too?  People don't know EVERYTHING. So people don't know the capital of Canada big whoopty doo. There's google now days if people want to find out things. 

 

Making an issue out of a non issue is just stupid. 

[+Raze Subscriber²]

For any members of Neowin that may be living in a "bubble", here is some information that you may be lacking due to living in said "bubble".

Please feel free to expand you're knowledge so you are not a disappointment to those who believe they are of superior intellect.  Remember you are representing all of America and you must satisfy the demands of the rest of the world.

 

Below is a map of Canada.  Please note the location of Ottawa, which is the capital of Canada.  Yes Ottawa is the capital, not Vancouver, Montr?al or Qu?bec, nor Calgary, Regina, Moosonee, Winnipeg or especially Toronto.

 

I hope this helps clear up any misunderstandings or bad feelings, it  is a small world and we must try to get along, so know your capitals or you'll be sent Ottawa to live the rest of your life as an expatriate American!  (Ottawa is a lovely city.)

 

:)

 

[Black Flash]

With respect to the United States, Canada isn't some obscure nation on the other side of the world. There are few nations states with as much of a shared history as Canada and the United States.

 

A question to those living in the U.K. Would you be considered as 'living in a bubble', if you couldn't name the capital of the Republic of Ireland?

[compl3x]

There's a lot of things that you don't know. Does that mean you live in a bubble too?  People don't know EVERYTHING. So people don't know the capital of Canada big whoopty doo. There's google now days if people want to find out things. 

 

Making an issue out of a non issue is just stupid. 

 

 

If you freely admit you couldn't care less about anything except your own little slice of life then that is living in a bubble. Living in a bubble isn't about knowing everything, it's about sealing yourself off from everything outside the bubble you deem unworthy of your time or attention, or which you don't agree with.

 

 

The only thing stupid about this topic is how defensive some people have become over peoples' opinion about general knowledge.

[adrynalyne]

 

 

 

The only thing stupid about this topic is how defensive some people have become over peoples' opinion about general knowledge.

On this we agree.  I think it is idiotic that people think what they consider general knowledge should apply to everyone else.

[AWilliams87]

I can't disagree with that.  Still, there's some basic trivia people should just know, especially when Canada is the US's biggest trading partner.  It's like knowing your neighbor's name...there won't be any test on it...it's just polite to know.

What's the capital of Wisconsin without googling?

[dead.cell]

Nobody cares about Canada because its not important to know.

When was the last time anybody has talked about Ottawa?

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:

[compl3x]

On this we agree.  I think it is idiotic that people think what they consider general knowledge should apply to everyone else.

 

 

Specifically, this topic isn't about everyone, it is about students at one of the USA's elite schools.

[adrynalyne]

What's the capital of Wisconsin without googling?

It doesn't count because it is a state.

 

/s

[adrynalyne]

Specifically, this topic isn't about everyone, it is about students at one of the USA's elite schools.

Quite a few people in this thread have indeed made it about everyone...or Americans in general anyway.