Things you learned in school that are no longer true.

Started by Razgovory, February 17, 2015, 01:12:49 PM

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Razgovory

February 17, 2015, 01:12:49 PM
Some of us are getting quite advanced in our age,and the march of knowledge has moved on.  Many of the things we learned as youngsters aren't no longer thought to be true.  Let's divide it into two categories, things that were widely accepted as true (for instance a scientific theory), but have been superseded by new knowledge and things that were known not to be true but your teacher taught it to you anyway.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Eddie Teach

#1
February 17, 2015, 01:16:01 PM
The obvious one, the head stargazers changed their mind about Pluto being a "planet".

My history teacher suggested that Nixon was behind the JFK and MLK assassinations. I knew he was full of :tinfoil: though.
To sleep, perchance to dream. But in that sleep of death, what dreams may come?

The Brain

#2
February 17, 2015, 01:16:16 PM
Number and borders of countries in Eastern Europe. Number of Germanies.
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

Jacob

#3
February 17, 2015, 01:18:34 PM
I had one particularly riveting Geography class where we were rigorously tested on the annual production output of various Soviet SSRs in the 70s (we had an older text book).

I'm pretty sure the coal production in Kazakhstan has changed since then.

alfred russel

#4
February 17, 2015, 01:30:15 PM
When I was growing up I was told that men have one less rib than women because of the fact that a rib was taken from Adam to make Eve. So as I got older, I didn't contemplate this so much, but while I didn't believe the religious parts of the story, I figured it was just a religious justification to explain men having one less rib.

Then I got to college, and in a biology class, the professor said, "Can you believe that people were so stupid that the Church taught that men have one less rib than men because of the Adam and Eve story? All you have to do is count ribs and you know men and women have the same number!"

I was instantly really excited--my first assumption was that somehow this bit of knowledge corrected centuries ago kept getting passed down through the generations in my family. But that tempered a bit when on reflection there were doctors and educated people in my family. What probably really happened is my grandfather heard a story like the one of my professor and thought it would be fun to get me to believe something stupid.
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

celedhring

#5
February 17, 2015, 01:31:39 PM
At uni, I had a class on audio-visual technology, where I had to learnt by heart a thick dossier on camera, film, TV, audio... tech of the late 1990s. I got an A+. All of that technology is now completely obsolete.

Valmy

#6
February 17, 2015, 01:32:30 PM
That the Capital of China was 'Peking' and that the Capital of 'Burma' (wherever that is) is 'Rangoon'.  Weird.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Ed Anger

#7
February 17, 2015, 01:51:30 PM
The ever changing amount of moons some planets have. In 7th grade, Jupiter had 9 moons. Now? A kajillion.
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

mongers

#8
February 17, 2015, 01:58:41 PM
Quote from: celedhring on February 17, 2015, 01:31:39 PM
At uni, I had a class on audio-visual technology, where I had to learnt by heart a thick dossier on camera, film, TV, audio... tech of the late 1990s. I got an A+. All of that technology is now completely obsolete.

Yeah I used to be a video technician and all of that knowledge is redundant.  Maybe the telecine work would be somewhat relevant, but since that was all mastered onto u-matic (?) maybe not.

Oh I guess using a follow-spot hasn't changed, but then again a chimp can do that too. 

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

mongers

#9
February 17, 2015, 02:03:27 PM Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 02:07:49 PM by mongers
Maths won't have changed, just the emphasis they place on which parts of the subject to study.

Like Jacob, our geography suffered from somewhat out of date textbooks, though if I was ten years older, we wouldn't have learned about plate-tectonics, as it had only just become an 'established fact' by then.

I guess the two things I learnt that I hope haven't changed, were picking up a lifelong enthusiasm for learning new things and the socialisation, learning to get on with a wide range of other children and people. Both of which, to my mind, are important, but unquantifiable aspects of eduction.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Admiral Yi

#10
February 17, 2015, 02:05:29 PM
That the CIA overthrew Mossadegh and Allende in coups.

Valmy

#11
February 17, 2015, 02:07:36 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 17, 2015, 02:05:29 PM
That the CIA overthrew Mossadegh and Allende in coups.

:lol:

Though seriously the impression I was given was that Allende was overthrown by American spooks wearing sunglasses and tuxedos.  Instead it was Chileans...wearing sunglasses.  And we may or may not have given them the impression we may not be entirely unhappy if they did so.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

mongers

#12
February 17, 2015, 02:09:19 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 17, 2015, 02:05:29 PM
That the CIA overthrew Mossadegh and Allende in coups.

When did you learn about the invisible hand being supreme, was it just after puberty?
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Admiral Yi

#13
February 17, 2015, 02:10:12 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 17, 2015, 02:09:19 PM
When did you learn about the invisible hand being supreme, was it just after puberty?

I never learned that the invisible hand is supreme.

mongers

#14
February 17, 2015, 02:10:54 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on February 17, 2015, 02:10:12 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 17, 2015, 02:09:19 PM
When did you learn about the invisible hand being supreme, was it just after puberty?

I never learned that the invisible hand is supreme.

You posts here suggest otherwise.  :P
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"
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