Monday, February 25, 2008

Our Brothers In Dumb Across The Pond

Back in 2006, a study was done that showed many Americans couldn't find simple places such as Iraq, India and Japan on a map. But it seems we're not the only dumb ones. UKTV Gold recently did a survey that showed many Britons are somewhat confused when it comes to history and fiction. Out of 3,000 people surveyed, 65% thought that King Arthur was real, 58% thought that Sherlock Holmes was real and 23% thought that Winston Churchill was made up.
The research showed that the nation's under 20s are lacking the most when it comes to basic historical knowledge.

The study notes a marked change in how people acquire their historical knowledge. Over three quarters of the nation (77%) admitted to no longer reading history books, or watching historical programmes on television (61%). One in eight (15%) admitted they rely solely on the history that they learnt at school.
I'd like to see a survey like this done here. I wonder how many young Americans would think FDR was fake but dragons were real?

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