Some validity to your point. Other than some aspects of driving, dishwasher use, and grocery expiration dates, we haven’t touched on a lot of just basic living knowledge people lack.
Maybe this fits your ivory tower, but I’ve been surprised when I’ve asked folk where their community’s water comes from. I admit my question reflects my personal interest, but living right near Lake Michigan, and hearing of folk living in the SW, I think that’s a pretty basic concern. But a lot of people seem content to know it comes out of the tap when they turn the handle.
Knowing the specific names for all the different kinds of rocks is absolutely a niche hobby and not general knowledge.
Many of the posts in this thread are just people trying to prove how much knowledge they have. “Well I can’t believe the general public doesn’t know all these esoteric facts about this one thing that I am interested in!” :rolleyes:
That’s because, to 99% of people, the rocks in the place they live have absolutely no relevance to their actual lives. What shocks me is that anyone other than a geologist would have more than the most casual interest in this.
Well, that’s utter bullshit. Most of the world lives in places where the rocks in the place they live have a very real, immediate and sometimes lethal impact on their lives.
I’m talking about a casual interest. I’m not talking about people knowing kyanite from sillimanite, I’m talking about knowing “Yeah, I live on a goddamn active fault line”
I’ve had born-and-bred Angelinos tell me they had no clue why earthquakes happen.
I had a girlfriend who did not know what the Chernobyl disaster was, despite having been of voting age when it occurred. No outlier reason, either: she wasn’t shipwrecked on a deserted island or in a coma for a few years or anything.
I was shocked.
Then she was shocked when I showed her a documentary about it.
I’m reminded of a thread several years back (I imagine there have been more than one) where people were discussing “what everyone should know”. Or even whether that was a legitimate question that could be answered.
Obviously, you have to identify your population. Obviously, everyone needs to know such things as which end to insert food into, or they won’t be around for very long. But beyond that, “basic knowledge” would differ somewhat for hunter-gatherers compared to college-educated westerners.
I’m sure a huge number of people would be astounded at my ignorance regarding - say - popular music, or popular celebrity culture, or sports personalities/trivia. And those same people would have no idea why I take pleasure in trying to being able to distinguish birds by their song.
(Women) How ridiculous they look wearing heels if they can’t walk in heels.
After one of my many speeding tickets, I had to go to a defensive driving course. At one point the instructor made some sort of joke about rolling stops at stop signs. It was funny. I don’t remember the specifics. What I do remember, is one dude piping up (and completely serious) with “That’s actually true. If the stop sign says ALL WAY, then you have to stop all-the-way. Otherwise you don’t.” The whole room went silent and stared at him.
Yeah, I’m not really thinking of the backwoods of Ohio when I think “most people”
I’d happily guess upwards of 50% lives near enough to be at risk of some seismicity. You tell me, what percentage of the global population lives under these black dots?
My original post said squat about anyone’s feet, neither. Major faults/seismic risks are a big part of “thing one about” the rocks around us. That you didn’t understand what I was saying kind of proves my point.
When you talk about things like - what everyone should have learned in grade school, I bet igneous and sedimentary would make a bunch of peoples’ short lists. (I’m imagining a bunch of folk would forget or be confused about metamorphic.)
Gee - who might wonder about the substrate? Anyone who has ever done any gardening, had or seen a home or building built? Anyone who has seen a local quarry, or travelled to some local park that has exposed rock features? Anyone who has noted the predominant stone used in local buildings? Anyone who has read/heard anything about underground water tables/resource extraction?
This thread is highlighting the extent to which a great many people simply are not observant or curious about the world around them.
To be fair, though, the title of the thread is “Things you are shocked people don’t know,” not “Things you should be shocked people don’t know” or “Things it’s reasonable to be shocked people don’t know.” If someone genuinely is shocked that most people don’t know about enantiomers or the names of different types of rock, who are we to judge; those things are on-topic!
Is the sound of vacuum escaping similar to the sound of one hand clapping? I’m positive you know that the sound you mention is NOT the sound of vacuum escaping—I think you are very sly.
