To think general knowledge quiz shows do not give a measure of intelligence, just of memorisation skills?

[pennypinchh]

I am totally rubbish at all quiz shows, trying to play along on the couch and never know anything! But I don't understand why my family say I'm not that smart just because I don't know some obscure fact about the TV show Frasier, which I've never even seen! Has anyone else been shamed because of this?

Oh cross posted !

You haven't been to Seville so can't be expected to know what oranges grow there? Really?

I have never been to Australia but I know there are kangaroos and a rather famous opera house in Sydney.

Also if you read or watch factual TV they'd probably be mentioned. And even if not, someone With decent knowledge of the world would work it out, given that there aren't many major Spanish cities starting with a

Sometimes general knowledge quizzes are just a good measure of old you are. (This was pointed out to me by very intelligent son who obviously has no memory of the '80s. Unlike his aged mother)
I love Only Connect. The wall is a high point of my week.

Beginning with S, even.

But if you very little interest and understanding of the world you wouldn't even be able to begin narrowing down your options.

The Frasier question was on the chase tonight, I think it gave 2 locations and then asked you to assign which sitcom they were from?

I love Only Connect. The wall is a high point of my week

I got the 'fibre' connection before they did last week.

Very pleased with myself

No I just buy bog-standard oranges, I've no idea where they come from xD

I think you already need to know a fair bit to even have an inkling of how to swot up for such a show.

General knowledge is a good measure of intelligence, though its an indirect link. General knowledge is usually derived from having varied interests, reading a lot, watching factual tv etc. And then absorbing the info. Memory and retention helps too. But having an interest in those subjects goes hand in hand with some level of intelligence. You don’t have to be Einstein to listen to the infinite monkey cage on Radio 4 but then again you must possess some intelligence to be interested in absorbing that information in the first place.

@pennypinchh You AIBU is another one of those situations that are, like most, not mutually exclusive.

In other words, General Knowledge is both a measure of intelligence skills and memory. The world is complex - like a multi-faceted cut crystal - and intelligence can be proven in infinite ways. A crystal can be cut infinitely.

For example, meeting a hundred people at a wedding and remembering their names and faces are two distinct skills, not one. Some people can combine both and get a 100% success rate. Then again two people of equal intelligence might not perform as well as the other if one met a hundred people at the races and another met a hundred people at church. That's just luck on the day.

There are some people who can not only remember their faces and names, but pretty much tell what they do for a living, what political party they vote for and what their biggest fear is. I have seen it done before in a 'Derren Brown' style, but without the showbiz background, these are just people adapting to their environment. That intelligence is a mix of genes, training and circumstance. When that is all blended with life experiences then you have an intelligence that is extremely honed. There are a couple of famous people I would put in that category, some CEOs of large businesses who I know, and very many people who are successful in discrete ways but whom you would never ever guess were intelligent because it is difficult to measure.

Not knowing is not shameful, but sometimes the answers offered by contestants are hilarious, and a little shameful. A few of my favourites:

Q: Name a two-word space on the standard Monopoly board.
A: Fenchurch Street Station.

Q: On which street did Sherlock Holmes live?
A: Er...
Q: I'll give you a clue - He makes bread.
A: Er...
Q: Another clue - He makes cakes.
A: Kipling Street

Q: What's 11 squared?
A: I don't know.
Q: I'll give you a clue - It's two ones with a two in the middle.
A: Is it five?

Q: How long did the Six Day War between Egypt and Israel last?
A: 14 days

Q: What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963?
A: I don't know, I wasn't watching it then.

Q: In which direction do the hands of a clock travel?
A: Anti-clockwise

Q: In science, what is botany the study of?
A: Bottoms

Q: In sport, the name of which famous racehorse was the word 'murder' spelt backwards?
A: Shergar

I like problem solving TV shows - such as the Crystal Maze. They show a different type of intelligence.

Actually I remember when I did an assessment with an educational psychologist for dyspraxia, there was a section with general knowledge questions - like what is Malcolm X famous for. Needless to say I didn't do very well on that part.

True about success being linked to how old you are - if you ask me about a TV show that was famous in the 80s, I won't know but my mum will

The Kipling street answer made me burst out laughing!

Does anyone remember the Pointless contestant who, upon being asked 'Name a country that ends in a double consonant ...' said 'Paris'?

And the look on her teammates face.

True about success being linked to how old you are - if you ask me about a TV show that was famous in the 80s, I won't know but my mum will

That's why a good Chase team often needs a younger contestant.

Do people think the Chasers are intelligent - or do they just have very good general knowledge?

@jcyclops

Not knowing is not shameful, but sometimes the answers offered by contestants are hilarious, and a little shameful. A few of my favourites:

Q: Name a two-word space on the standard Monopoly board.
A: Fenchurch Street Station.

Q: On which street did Sherlock Holmes live?
A: Er...
Q: I'll give you a clue - He makes bread.
A: Er...
Q: Another clue - He makes cakes.
A: Kipling Street

Q: What's 11 squared?
A: I don't know.
Q: I'll give you a clue - It's two ones with a two in the middle.
A: Is it five?

Q: How long did the Six Day War between Egypt and Israel last?
A: 14 days

Q: What happened in Dallas on November 22, 1963?
A: I don't know, I wasn't watching it then.

Q: In which direction do the hands of a clock travel?
A: Anti-clockwise

Q: In science, what is botany the study of?
A: Bottoms

Q: In sport, the name of which famous racehorse was the word 'murder' spelt backwards?
A: Shergar

Your entire post is gold

I love Crystal maze! I also love escape rooms. Just not games that require me to memorise obscure facts

It's not so much knowing facts, as connecting the facts.

So going by the example above, you might know a few cities in Spain, you might know a few different types of citrus fruit.
But intelligence is linking the bits knowledge you have and disregarding things that don't fit, according to different pieces of knowledge. Eg it probably isnt limes, because traditional Spanish cooking doesnt feature limes and any country's traditional food is about the stuff that is found in abundance and is cheap.
But you might have heard of Seville oranges, seen them sold around Christmas time and Seville is a city in Spain.

I think intelligence is about connecting the dots, but that's not much good unless you have steady points of reference, which is where general knowledge comes in.

@chomalungma

I love Only Connect.

I pride myself when I figure out a connection.

I'm hot on the missing vowels round, even on my own I call the answers out!

I am fairly good at quizzes, I seem to have a dustbin mind and can usually access things quickly but that has to do with amount I read and an ability to retain stuff rather than formal education.

It does amaze me when people don't know basic stuff, I often hear a contestant saying That subject's not my strong point, and the person asking the questions has a look on their face that says I'd like to know what are your strong points!
One of my favourites was Who was shot in Dallas in November 1963 and the reply was JR Ewing.

@pennypinchh

I love Crystal maze! I also love escape rooms. Just not games that require me to memorise obscure facts

You don't have to memorise facts.

But you'll have come across such facts and information through reading, watching certain TV programmes, following the news, magazines, life in general.

I am lucky and have done a lot of travelling. I have been to most of the cities mentioned in Pointless tonight. Except the 'R' in Denmark which really bugged me as we drove past it last year.

That really helps with general knowledge

I think intelligence is about connecting the dots, but that's not much good unless you have steady points of reference, which is where general knowledge comes in

That's why I like it on some shows when they eliminate answers using their knowledge.

Or use their Greek / Latin knowledge to rule words in / out. Or to deduce words.

Pissed off that nigella has ousted only connect from its slot. I have stuff that I need to be doing at 7:30 and can't make my brain shuffle it all around.

And yes, despite my aphasia I rattle out the missing vowels round.

Only Connect scares me - my self esteem will be shattered by the boffins on that show