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Original poster

Pangea, Chromosomes...

101 replies

SleepingStandingUp · 10/11/2018 20:11

What common knowledge do you assume most adults would know but apparently not...

What Pangea is. Based on the Apprentice episode, not as widely known as I assumed.

How many chromosomes a standard human has. DH had to Google it when explaining our sons condition to a friend. I am utterly flabagasted.

OP posts:
Weedsnseeds1 · 10/11/2018 22:54

One of Hare's lodgers died of natural causes. They decided to flog the body rather than report it, realised it was lucrative and decided to create a few ( 15 or 16 I think) more corpses for commercial gain.
Knew Pangaea and chromosomes.

LaurieFairyCake · 10/11/2018 22:56

I thought we had 32 pairs of chromosomes

I transposed the numbers

It's not important

MrsSarahSiddons · 10/11/2018 23:31

Spiders have 48 knees.

SidekickSally · 10/11/2018 23:39

I am relearning everything all over again now my DD is at secondary school, it's great. I've forgotten alot of things that were a key part of my degree. If you don't use it you lose it.

Had no idea what Pangaea was.

Frlrlrubert · 10/11/2018 23:41

Elephants are not the only animals with 4 knees. Either you use 'knee' to mean the joint with the patella, and they have two, or you use it as a layman's term to describe a backward bending leg joint, in which case they have four, but the ones on their front legs are analogous to the human wrist, in which case all quadrupeds have four (look at kneeling horses for example).

Frlrlrubert · 10/11/2018 23:43

Bigger, obviously not all quadrupeds, but you know, big ones Blush

PurpleDaisies · 10/11/2018 23:47

I thought we had 32 pairs of chromosomes

Horses have 32 pairs of chromosomes. Fun fact!

YouTheCat · 10/11/2018 23:49

I knew those things, though I did have to google Pangaea to confirm.

I assumed that most adults know their times tables. Seems not. The ex has no clue beyond his 2,3,5,10 times tables.

BitOfFun · 10/11/2018 23:50

I knew Pangaea, chromosomes, and B&H.

I've seen Burke's skeleton at Edinburgh University. It's surprisingly small.

BikeRunSki · 10/11/2018 23:51

Pangea -yes- but I have a Geology degree. I don’t think I would have known otherwise.

Chromosomes - yes. O level biology stuff. (I was the last year of O levels back in 1987, nomidea if/ how syllabus has changed since), but it’s sort of general knowledge isn’t it?

MissSingerbrains · 11/11/2018 00:31

Pangea - ✅
Chromosomes - ✅
Burke & Hare - ✅ (have seen the film)
Knowing how to spell ‘flabbergasted’ - ✅

CookPassBabtridge · 11/11/2018 09:15

You do realise most people in the UK wouldn't know this stuff and you're being a bit snobby to be flabbergasted. I only knew pangea as I like a show called Walking with Dinosaurs but most people I know would look at me blankly. It's quite specific stuff.

RonBurgundyspanpipe · 11/11/2018 09:31

I knew all three GrinBlush

Potatoes have 60 chromosomes

Lockheart · 11/11/2018 09:42

I knew Pangaea, chromosomes, and Burke and Hare (I’ve got Horrible Histories to thank for that last one!).

I’m not quite 30 yet but I’m amazed at the general lack of knowledge about the world that seems to be more and more prevalent, which surprises me as it’s never been easier to look things up - all of us have the entire sum of human knowledge available at our fingertips. When I were a lass you had to go to the library or wait half an hour for the computer to drag up the eyewitness encyclopaedia!

Perhaps the Apprentice isn’t the best example, since they all frankly seem thick as mince, but I was surprised none of them could write even the most basic French in that comic episode - I thought French was still compulsory up to a certain age in schools?

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 11/11/2018 09:43

I'm surprised when adults don't know that the sun is a star and the stars are really far away suns
The sun is indeed a star but not all stars are suns. Stars are only suns if they are the centre of a planetary system.

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 11/11/2018 16:32

You do realise most people in the UK wouldn't know this stuff and you're being a bit snobby to be flabbergasted

Well I didn't know it wasn't common knowledge but then I'm always flabbergasted with two b's if I get a low score on Pointless as I don't consider my general knowledge to be great.

I was actually flabbergasted with two b's at DH not knowing chromosome numbers because DS has 48 in some of his and 46 in others. Context to my flabbergasting is important but I forgot to include it.

Knew about a white elephant, planets (#rehire Pluto)
Burke and Hare no, but DH did.

Sun's and stars I knew

OP posts:
Grrrrrrt · 11/11/2018 17:41

You do realise most people in the UK wouldn't know this stuff and you're being a bit snobby to be flabbergasted. I only knew pangea as I like a show called Walking with Dinosaurs but most people I know would look at me blankly. It's quite specific stuff.
I learned about both Pangea and the number of chromosomes in Geography and Biology class respectively in comprehensive school. I'd be amazed if at least the latter isn't taught as standard.

hazeyjane · 11/11/2018 19:10

I guess you know what you know.

Grrrrrrt · 11/11/2018 22:36

I guess you know what you know.
I did look further and can see that Pangea (and plate tectonics) and chromosomes remain part of the curriculum for Key Stage 3. Most people in the UK will have been taught about both in school but I certainly don't recall everything I learned in school.

I think it's a case of 'you remember what you remember'. I've forgotten a lot about history class.

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 12/11/2018 08:47

Yup agree Grrrr. Biology is far more interesting than history so I've retained more, studied it longer at school and read more as an adult.
However the planets has a nifty mnemonic so it should be retained better in everyone 😁

OP posts:
BlueUggs · 12/11/2018 08:55

I'm utterly amazed by the number of people who don't understand the difference between their, there and they're, he's and his, and where and when to put apostrophes in to words....
Pangea ✅
Chromosomes ✅
B&H - had to google it.

steff13 · 12/11/2018 09:01

I knew all three.

I'm always flabbergasted with two b's

I think you're flabbergasted with two b's and an "er," actually; in your first post you spelled it "flabagasted."

youknowyourself · 12/11/2018 09:04

I only know about Pangea becuase it was in a Simpsons episode.
Mr Burns had to say his country of birth to get into a room and said, "Pangea." I didn't get the joke so looked up Pangea and understood what it meant. It made the joke hilariously funny after that.
I don't know lots of things but always happy to do a bit of research to further my knowledge. Off to google Burke and Hare...

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 12/11/2018 10:44

I think you're flabbergasted with two b's and an "er," actually; in your first post you spelled it "flabagasted."

Yeah erm that's the rule. One B no er... Everyone knows that hahaha

Colour of a Polar bears skin?

OP posts:
blueshoes · 12/11/2018 11:17

OP, do you live a cloistered life to be surprised at people's so-called ignorance? Those facts, unless taught in school (I don't know as I was not educated in the UK), are not the no-shit variety and assume a certain background or interest.

I am not going to ask you about some vaguely technical terms or facts in finance or law and get "flabagasted" that you don't know. Do you have a need to feel superior to others?