# If a man or woman did well on this short general knowledge test what would it tell you about them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618 "2012-04-22T19:41:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/41 "2012-04-23T20:28:49Z")
If someone does well on this test it tells me that they have access to the internet. And I will not brag that I got a perfect score because, I did, and I like Monstro and would like future converesations with her. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/42 "2012-04-23T20:30:06Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > 3 wrong (according to post #23), 1 gap. > > Don’t think it means much. I got the same number wrong (missing the first two philosophy questions and the Oscar question) with a gap in philosophy as a result. I too don’t think this quiz proves much. If it were significantly longer it might indicate serious gaps in knowledge, but I don’t think that just three questions isn’t enough of a sample size to prove anything. Oh and for the record, it did get me right. I have little interest in philosophy and thus haven’t bothered to study it very much. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/43 "2012-04-23T20:32:44Z")
Over 60 yo: subject had a good general education. 40-60 yo: subject had ditto plus a liberal arts degree. Under 40yo: subject is an awkward encyclopedia-brain who probably spits when s/he talks. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/44 "2012-04-23T20:48:17Z")
I have a gap in philosophy, apparently. But I’m not smart enough to figure out how to see what my score was. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/45 "2012-04-23T22:11:48Z")
21 out of 21, I had to guess on one. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/46 "2012-04-23T22:25:15Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Under 40yo: subject is an awkward encyclopedia-brain who probably spits when s/he talks. For your information, I am a gas at parties and I only spit when I’m wearing my retainer. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/47 "2012-04-24T01:09:37Z")
I got 21 but I’m going to be honest; I got lucky twice. That said, this isn’t really a general knowledge test, it’s much more a “did you go to university and not declare a major until second year” test. There’s a huge emphasis on philosophy and social science. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/48 "2012-04-24T01:26:54Z")
Yeah, **RickJay** has it right. Philosophy and social science show up more than you would expect from a general knowledge quiz. The only question that I had to actually think about was the ‘closest planet’ one. I supposed they wanted closest approach which would make it Venus. The question was poorly worded. “Which planet is the closest to earth?” The key here is the word ‘is’. That indicates a present condition. I don’t believe we are currently in opposition with Venus and therefore, we might well have been closer today (23 Apr 2012) to Mars or even Mercury than we are to Venus. Whipping out my handy ephemeris (what you don’t have one in your sock?), I see that Venus is currently 0.496 AU from Earth with Mars at 0.891 AU distance. Mercury is 0.936 AU distant. The question should have read, “Which planet comes closest to the Earth?” That would have allowed for differential opposition periods, and would have resulted in an unambiguous answer. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/49 "2012-04-24T08:51:48Z")
I got them all right with no guessing. What does that tell you about me? That I’ve had a decent education, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/50 "2012-04-24T11:15:26Z")
I have a philosophy gap. _ponders_ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/51 "2012-04-24T11:56:39Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > You are allowed to miss one question in each category for the lowest possible percentage score of 67% while maintaining zero gaps in knowledge. Sorry to rain on the parade of all of you who thought you achieved a perfect score, but it’s likely that you didn’t. I knew it. I was led to believe I got a perfect score, yet I knew I missed at least one. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/52 "2012-04-24T13:06:33Z")
It’s [Woolloomooloo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolloomooloo,_New_South_Wales) guys. I got 22 right. Than God there were no maths questions. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/53 "2012-04-24T13:09:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Doesn’t tell me squat. I didn’t miss a question, and I have _huge_ gaps in my bank of knowledge. Although missing the majority of the questions might indicate a “less-than-inquiring” mind. Not stupid by any means, but unexposed or more particularly focused. Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![abweichende](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@abweichende](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abweichende)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/54 "2012-04-24T16:13:53Z")
I missed 4 and got 1 gap. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/55 "2012-04-25T10:10:51Z")
I don’t know, but question 17 tells me whoever wrote the test doesn’t in any way understand even the very basic fundamentals of astronomy. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618/56 "2012-04-25T12:14:32Z")
Missed two, no gaps. Like I tell my quiz team; I read lots, some of it sticks. ETA: No sports. No Celebrity gossip. No Oldies Music. No Geography. Can these people please set the questions for our next quiz night? We’d do so much better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-man-or-woman-did-well-on-this-short-general-knowledge-test-what-would-it-tell-you-about-them/619618.md?page=2)