Chris Carline wrote: > > On Mon, Feb 18, 2002 at 04:14:20PM +0000, Sue Spence wrote: > > Hmmm, so intelligence equates to memorization of > > meaningless facts?
Not being able to name the monarch equates to appalling ignorance. Whether ignorance equates to intelligence is another matter, but they are probably (at least tenuously) linked. > > Color me unconvinced > > I was reading something earlier today about some child prodigy who's now > an MIT assistant professor at 20. Here's a quote: > > "Memorization is not such a big deal. You remember what you need to remember > and look the rest up". > This is what my dad always used to say, that an expert is someone who knows where to look up the answer. I'm sure he didn't make up that saying, either. I'm not convinced that a kid who didn't know the name of the Queen would be able to use an encyclopaedia/dictionary/whatever in order to look anything up. I used to demonstrate practical classes to second year undergrads, and by God, some of them were stupid. At least they were so ignorant of the basics (maths, physics, chemistry you name it) that it amounted to the same thing. Jasper -- I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer, I am evil Homer..
