> -----Original Message-----
> From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On
Behalf
> Of Danny Sauer
> Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 1:01 PM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [OT] CNNN Was: CNN street questionary: who to invade next
:)
> 
> Padu wrote regarding 'Re: [OT] CNNN Was: CNN street questionary: who
to
> invade next :)' on Mon, Mar 27 at 11:10:
> > I remember that when I was in middle school, we had to memorize all
the
> > capitals of the main countries in the world, and ALL capitals of
> America. I
> > doubt this is something still done today. (well, there's internet)
> 
> Wow, that'll be really handy next time you're lost in Georgia and come
> across a kindly stanger who can't remember where to renew his license
> plates.  You'll be able to tell him "why, license plate renewals for
> most states are handled in the state capital, which in Georgia means
> Atlanta!"  The stranger will say "thank you" and ride his bike to
> Atlanta, confident that soon, his license plates will no longer be out
> of date.
> 
> Wait, that's a contrived situation that will never happen.  As is
> *every other situation where one would need to know the capital of any
> state in the USA or any other place in the world*.  I hope schools in
> my area aren't still wasting time on that when they're still falling
> behind the rest of the world on things like math, science, reading,
> thinking, living, not being idiots, and just about everything else
> useful that schools *should* be teaching kids...  Once they've solved
> all those problems, then if there's still time to force children to
> memorize useless facts that can be easily looked up, alright then. :)

Geographical ignorance is hardly less significant than these other
things you mention.

I doubt though he meant the capital of Georgia any more than he meant
the capital of Chiapas.

Knowing Buenos Aries and Brasilia and Mexico City is more important than
many citizens of the United States might think.  If we are going to a
global economy than we need global knowledge.  Lest we fail at as you
called it "not being idiots".



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