If you're not smarter than a fifth grader...

[BURNhollywoodBURN]

You may be smarter than a fifth grader.
It's a trick they want you to believe. I've been in K-5 at a private school, and some of those questions were not 5th grade level. I used to believe it, when the show started and the contestants were just stupid. But then, it became obvious to me. They put adults who's job had nothing to do in those areas and kids who were obviously told the answers or at least "already learned" them. I mean, how else would they make money off of viewers if they didn't use that strategy? So of course, it had to be fake. It's still a good show, however.

[Prophaniti]

I dunno, I've seen people miss some really dumb questions (or use cheats on them) many times on the show. Like the guy who didn't know what absolute value means in mathematics. I don't remember for certain if I learned that in 5th grade or not, but higher levels of math are being taught at increasingly younger ages. So if not, it might be taught now.

Some of the history questions sound really tough, but I know I was actually taught most of it. The trouble is remembering the dates and such. Still, all in all, I mostly think the problem is the incredible lack of knowledge on part of the contestants. I would however like to point out the difference between knowledge and intelligence. Intelligence is critical thinking and problem solving ability, best shown through things like lateral thinking puzzles and rubix cubes. All of the questions merely test what you KNOW, reflecting the 'absorb and regurgitate' nature of America's educational system. A better name for the show would be "Do you know more than a 5th grader?" but that doesnt advertise well...

EDIT: Compared to shows like Jeopardy the questions are ludicrously simple. Still, I too enjoy watching it.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

First, I'd agree that a lot of them aren't fifth grade questions, from what I remember. It's not like US education is gettingany better, either, so I very much doubt kids know more by fifth grade than they did when I was in it. Some of them, actually, I'd argue are questions that have been phased out of education in general, and were more like 1940s-'50s-era fifth grade questions.
Secondly, the title is flawed. It doesn't measure intellect, it measures memory of facts that are essentially trivia, for the most part. The reason a fifth grader will be able to remember more of these facts than a contestant is because they have learned them within the last four or five years, while most contestants have at least a decade between them and this knowledge. Thus, they will have a lot more important things to remember than the useless tripe most of the questions on the show are about.

[TheElfLord]

The first contestant on the show's first episode had a Bachelors in American History. He needed help on the first two questions, which were history related, and then finally lost on the third question.

So yes, they do put questions up there that relate to a person's job/studies.

[Irenaeus]

SnipI agree with most said here, except that I do not believe that solving a Rubik's Cube is a very good indicator of intelligence if you have ever done one before. Stubborness and memorizing algorithms is probably far more important. If you do bother to learn it it is quite likely that you consider being intelligent a strong part of your self-image, though.

Also, I think it is a horrible show. They seem single out ignorant people for their contestants, and then pick on them or put them in positions where they will almost certainly humiliate themselves.

[Metal Head]

It's one of many "reality" shows that are rigged. It's no surprise.

[Irenaeus]

It's one of many "reality" shows that are rigged. It's no surprise.Bah. Humbug! You'll be saying that WWF is not real fightin' soon.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

The first contestant on the show's first episode had a Bachelors in American History. He needed help on the first two questions, which were history related, and then finally lost on the third question.

So yes, they do put questions up there that relate to a person's job/studies.

Not if you're a physics majour, they don't.
Secondly, what a fifth grader and college student learn in history class is a lot different. One learns very basic, largely trivial facts. The other focusses on concepts and overarching trends. While he should remember most of the important, basic facts, like the year of the Louisianna Purchase or who Gouvernour Morris was, he may not remember something inane and trivial, like the colour of Thomas Jefferson's hair. For the record, he was strawberry blonde. Anyhow, I am being a tad facetious with my example, but the foci are totally different at those ages, and even so, that's one guy who happened to screw up when it was his field, while the fields of most contestants honestly aren't even touched.
The third thing the show does, now that I consider it, is ask tricky questions; a simply mathematical principle, phrased in a confusing manner, becomes a difficult question. So, the title should be "Do you have a better memory than a fifth grader whose teacher does nto really speak English propery," but that isn't very catchy.

EDIT: I'm leaving that "nto" there for irony.

[Arang]

Not if you're a physics majour, they don't.

You don't think this has anything to do with the fact that physics are not taught to fifth graders? Or are you also disappointed that there are no sociology questions? Psychology? Geomorphology? What about zymology?

[valadil]

I have yet to watch this show and I intend to keep it that way. I got the sense that it wasn't about any reasoning ability, but contestants remembering something that hasn't come up since grade school. 5th graders have probably heard something or other about igneous rocks within the last 6 months, but very few adults have had to pay attention to such things, even if they did pass fifth grade all those years ago.

[EllysW]

I've only watched the show once or twice, but I felt qualified to post because I have a 7th grader whose schoolwork I'm well acquainted with, and I know there were things on the show that she hadn't ever heard of in 5th grade. We have pretty good schools, too, so while there may be some kids who have learned the facts they ask, it's not standard grade-level material. But as others have observed, the point of the show is adults embarrassing themselves, so parsing the actual level of the questions is probably off-point.

[Rare Pink Leech]

Using the word "smarter" is definitely misleading. I'm an intelligent guy, but I wouldn't have done very well on the few episodes I've seen. Compare to when I watch Jeopardy!, and I'm able to answer a lot of the questions. Like others have said, it's more about remembering things or terms that you were taught so long ago.

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned the absolute value of a number - it's been about four years since I last took a math class, and I've done nothing more than fairly basic math since then, so I don't remember what the absolute value of a number is. Doesn't mean the fifth grader is smarter than me - it means that they are regularly practicing math skills, whereas I've done very little with math in four years.

Oh, and the shows definitely goes for the lowest common denominators in society. I've seen someone answer that there are 364 days in a leap year, and I've seen a youtube video where this idiot woman thought France was a continent (at least, I think that's what she said; I can't remember it very well).

Edit: Just found the video ... she thought Europe was a country, and wasn't sure if France was a country or not. Among other things. Linky (http://youtube.com/watch?v=juOQhTuzDQ0) if anyone is interested.

[Pandaren]

You may be smarter than a fifth grader.
It's a trick they want you to believe. I've been in K-5 at a private school, and some of those questions were not 5th grade level. I used to believe it, when the show started and the contestants were just stupid. But then, it became obvious to me. They put adults who's job had nothing to do in those areas and kids who were obviously told the answers or at least "already learned" them. I mean, how else would they make money off of viewers if they didn't use that strategy? So of course, it had to be fake. It's still a good show, however.

I agree, most, if not all questions, are just things that you never really learn, mosy people, and kids, just memorize them for brief periods of time or have it hammered into them temporarily by teachers. I also doubt if most of he questions would be anything close to what their occupation requires of them.



Does it really matter if you know what the North Star's name is, even if you have a 4-year college job", I don't think a doctor(or most teachers) would know.

[Prophaniti]

I agree with most said here, except that I do not believe that solving a Rubik's Cube is a very good indicator of intelligence if you have ever done one before. Stubborness and memorizing algorithms is probably far more important. If you do bother to learn it it is quite likely that you consider being intelligent a strong part of your self-image, though.

Yeah, I meant solving it the first time, figuring out the key to it. America's schools don't teach you how to figure things out, or how to think critically. It's all just factoid memorization. They're more concerned with you mantaining self-esteem than your ability to solve problems. BTW, everyone should check out The People's Cube (http://thepeoplescube.com), even if you don't like the satire, the Cube itself I find hilarious (for those who can't or don't want to check the site, it's an all red rubik's cube. "Most politically correct entertainment of all time!"). I can see them doing things like that in our school system. What's that? No Child Left Behind? Oh, I guess they already have...

[Tirian]

Edit: Just found the video ... she thought Europe was a country, and wasn't sure if France was a country or not. Among other things. Linky (http://youtube.com/watch?v=juOQhTuzDQ0) if anyone is interested.

Ugh. I mean, okay, not knowing that France is a country is intellectually indefensible, but I doubt that any third graders in the world outside Hungary itself are expected to know where Budapest is. I don't want to insult any Hungarians out there reading this, but they aren't a significant ally, they aren't a notable travel destination, and they haven't made headlines in the world news in the past eighty years. The only reason that children know that Hungary is a country at all is that it is the punchline of a third-grade joke (which probably explains why Jeff Foxworthy doesn't seem to know how to pronounce it correctly).

And I certainly know of a lot of Europeans who are concerned that Europe has become a nation in the past seven years, so I think that one might be forgiven for hearing news reports of a common currency and unified trade and defense pacts and being confused about whether European nations weren't becoming like American states.

[puppyavenger]

Lets not forget the person who thought Britan was the capital of the U.K, or the person who didn't know waht ocean haiwaie was in.

[Jack Squat]

Lets not forget the person who thought Britain was the capital of the U.K, or the person who didn't know what ocean Hawaii was in.

Considering the thread this is in, and what you're saying, it may not hurt to proofread before posting. But I do agree, those are pretty big mistakes; ones I quite possibly have made due to a brain fart under the hot stage lights, but big mistakes nonetheless.

[StickMan]

Well I don't know what schools you all are going to but I was helping teach a 3rd grade class a few years back and most of the questions on that show were what I was teaching my kids. Its also not surprising that these kids are this smart seeing as the network is pulling kids from across the nation. Now don't get me wrong given a few years and they'll forget a lot.

I've been in K-5 at a private school
Wait why is Private school in Italics.:smallconfused: as well this calls for:smallannoyed:

[Jack Squat]

Wait why is Private school in Italics.:smallconfused: as well this calls for:smallannoyed:

It's an emphasis. The general stereotype is that private schools are better (i.e. cram more info down the kids throats) than public schools. Not an accurate stereotype in plenty of cases, but it does remain prevelant; and true depending on the district.

[Gungnir]

I've only seen one episode, but it seems like the questions could have been taken from a 5th grade textbook. It's just that they were taken from the dark corners that most teachers and all students avoided like the plague. Plus, dates are really hard to remember. (for me at least)

[BizzaroStormy]

Another thing, is the fact that the contestants are adults. Not only have they not needed to refer to any of this knowledge for a decade, some of them are old enough that they were never tought this stuff in the first place. I mean, there are people who were kids when school wasnt mandatory, you think theyre really going to know questions from today's 5th grade?

[Jayngfet]

not all of te show's questions are rigged, one acctualy asked what country was north of the usa, amazingly the contestant needed a cheat to get it right.:smallsigh:

[The Extinguisher]

Hey, to be fair, I have trouble finding Canada on the map. And I live here.
It's a very elusive country.

But I agree, the show is stupid. Most of it's trivial facts, and stuff that you never use outside of elementray school anyway. Then there's the trick questions. Yes, it uses first grade math, but it's worded in such a way that you need to have a Doctorate in sentence structure to figure out.