# Ignorance of the General Public **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437 "2011-12-16T18:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/81 "2011-12-22T19:40:17Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Atomic bombs are a subset of nuclear weapons (and the weapons Iran is allegedly trying to produce could be properly termed atomic bombs as well.) I know that, you know that, but someone with only a passing interest in the subject (or no interest at all) might not make the connection “atomic bomb=nuclear weapon.” I would guess that if you asked J. Random Stickscrew to describe a nuclear weapon, it would be on the order of a missile, not something dropped out of a plane. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/82 "2011-12-22T19:51:34Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > The exceptions being nuclear and (deep-well) geothermal energy. I thought of geothermal, should have thought of nuclear, too. It just kinda seemed to me that if the subject was electricity generation, your first question wasn’t entirely cut-and-dried. I didn’t realize coal was as high a percentage as you say, but I grew up in the northwest which uses mostly hydroelectric, I think. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/83 "2011-12-23T05:43:50Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > I remember one show where he was at a college graduation, and he asked an astronomy major how many moons the earth had. She wasn’t sure, but she guessed it had two. [Earth Must Have Another Moon, Say Astronomers](http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27425/) ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/84 "2011-12-23T21:34:01Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > [Earth Must Have Another Moon, Say Astronomers](http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27425/) LOL, thanks for the link. The “Jaywalking” I saw was several years ago, so I’m pretty sure she wasn’t thinking of this research. If you saw the clip, you would be pretty sure she hadn’t read _any_ research. I suspect she majored in astronomy because she wanted to learn to cast horoscopes. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/85 "2011-12-23T23:55:31Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Hey! Me too! There. We’re the General Public. The GP ain’t so igoran’ after all. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/86 "2011-12-25T23:23:31Z")
> [@heathen\_earthling](#): > > Doesn’t that make Minnesota the northernmost point in the lower 49? Technically yes, but not thought of that way because of two reasons. First, the “lower 48” refers to the 48 continguous states. Hawaii is way off by itself in the Pacific, not touching the others. Second, Hawaii is the 50th state, so Alaska was the lone gun to the “lower 48”. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437/87 "2011-12-26T02:26:04Z")
When I am feeling like a smartass, when asked where some random city or country is located, I like to reply with “On the planet Earth.” In astronomical terms, that’s pretty damned specific. 😃 I’m reminded of a thread from years back where someone wanted to quiz European Dopers on American geography (“Where is Kansas City located?” “What is the capital of New York?” etc.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-of-the-general-public/606437.md?page=4)