# Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032 "2007-02-28T15:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/101 "2007-03-02T20:34:03Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] It’s part of it - the most conspicuous part (which we call “The Plough” over here). It’s more or less the hindquarters of the Bear, including an unreasonably long tail for an ursinoid. Similarly the “Summer Triangle” is three bright stars from different constellations - _Alpha Lyrae_, _Alpha Aquilae_ and _Alpha Cygni_. [/QUOTE] In other words, Vega, Altair, and Deneb. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/102 "2007-03-02T20:38:28Z")
[QUOTE=Tahssa] This is how I rationalize to myself that I am not a complete retard by only saying 4. ☹ [/QUOTE] I only thought 4 as well. I really truly thought that Alaska bordered the Arctic ocean or something like that. Shows how much I know :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/103 "2007-03-02T21:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=fusoya] The first night I watched this show, I thought WORST THEME SONG EVER. [/QUOTE] Each time I’ve heard it, the theme to _Meatballs_ immediately became stuck in my head. Anyway…three days, two misses. I brainfarted and answered that REM stood for _Random_ Eye Movement, and if you ever need to stump me, just ask me a periodic table question. The states bordering the Pacific one almost got me. I confidently answered “Easy, just remember the west coast COW: California, Oregon and Washington. Simple…three. … … … Oh, crap! Alaska and Hawaii! Five! Five!” I also thought “Big Dipper” was a nickname for Ursa Major, but I did know at the answer at least. _“ARE YOU READY FOR THE SUMMER?!”_ ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/104 "2007-03-02T21:21:04Z")
[QUOTE=Cowboy8467] I only thought 4 as well. I really truly thought that Alaska bordered the Arctic ocean or something like that. Shows how much I know :smack: [/QUOTE] This is pretty much me as well but the arctic ocean really only borders the West and North coastlines with the Pacific Ocean bordering the south. The little sliver that extends down into the North West of BC is the most obvious part that is bordered by the Pacific. It honestly took me about a minute to work this all out in my head, so on TV, I might have looked pretty stupid myself. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/105 "2007-03-02T21:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Each time I’ve heard it, the theme to _Meatballs_ immediately became stuck in my head. [/QUOTE] So it’s not just me then? I almost wonder if it was adapted. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/106 "2007-03-02T22:26:27Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Can’t they just cut me the check for $1,000,000 now? I could see it - JF: D\_Odds, red and yellow combine to make what color? DO: Orange. Next question. JF: Are you sure? Do you want to ask Junior over here for some help, maybe take a peek at his answer? DO: Just get to the next question. If I want help, I’ll ask. Otherwise, I’m sprinting for the mill. The answer is orange. Proceed. JF: Well, we’ll get to the answer right after this next break. DO: Listen up, you illegitimate illiterate rat bastard. 10 simple questions - I can do that in 60 seconds - used to practice watching _Win Ben Stein’s Money_. You ask, I answer, you write the check. Do it, do it now, or the kids get hurt. JF: Security! [/QUOTE] Tell me if you get on the show, and I’ll watch it again. Not otherwise - too depressing. I kept thinking “this is how low they have to go before they think the contestent is dumber than our target audience”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/107 "2007-03-02T22:36:31Z")
[QUOTE=42fish] According to Wikipedia, the Kodiak bear is a subspecies of brown bear, rather than a separate species. (Although, I suppose that opens up the question of whether the brown bear would be a correct answer.) [/QUOTE] It also means it’s a very, very bad question for a show allegedly about easy questions. I’ve heard both “Polar” and “Kodiak” claimed to be the biggest bear my entire life. It’s very ambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032/108 "2007-03-21T22:27:04Z")
Sorry to bump, but I couldn’t justify starting a new thread on this show. I just wanted to note that I’ve been DVRing this, and I made a discovery this morning: With judicious fast-forwarding, you can cover a full one-hour show’s worth of questions and answers in 12 minutes. That is all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/394032.md?page=5)