University Challenge ?

[anonymous-user]

Scabutz said:

But mostly you need to be a mega geek with a broad range of knowledge. A good team with a range of subjects is good also. Plus you often seen mature students have a very broad range of knowledge.

Exactly. They consume information and knowledge at an incredible rate and, as is often the case, from a very young age.

[AstonZagato]

Both teams in the final had an average age of 23. So older than undergraduates on average.

[Triumph Man]

Harry H said:

I always understood that the brain never forgets anything it's all about the recall.

Friends of ours don't have a telly, do social media etc. The kids all read in the evening, family meals are all about in depth discussions on some from of art or historical facts. Their 18 year old is like an encyclopedia and the type of youngster that would end up on uni challenge.

Me, if I get more than 5 answers during the program I've had a good day. My wife blurts out many a right answer and regular says "don't know how I knew that".

Sounds like the 18 year old will probably rebel and go on a coke and hookers bender.

[Nom de ploom]

intelligence and memory (factual recall) are often confused with each other....

that said in some circumstances you would have had to learn it in the first place to be able to recall it, however programmes like "britains' brightest kids" etc are not about intelligence (application of knowledge) they are about memory...

[mattyn1]

OpulentBob said:

There was a programme on a year or so ago about the selection of UC teams. It seemed to be purely down to heats/tests to see who knew most. Very little about the student's social background.

This seems pertinent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36082065

I want to enter Only Connect but I'm currently a team of one.

With Only Connect I can do just OK with the wall, and do well on the missing letters. The rest I am completely arse!

Last night's UC I got nil points!

Both are quite fascinating though. A celebration in our house when one of us gets a question right.

[Kermit power]

I'm surprised that nobody has yet pointed out that for starter questions, there are eight people able to press the button! It's hardly surprising that the combined memories and brain power of eight people come up with the answer more often than any one individual watching the show, is it?

[98elise]

Nom de ploom said:

intelligence and memory (factual recall) are often confused with each other....

that said in some circumstances you would have had to learn it in the first place to be able to recall it, however programmes like "britains' brightest kids" etc are not about intelligence (application of knowledge) they are about memory...

Agreed. I'm reasonably intelligent but a terrible memory.

I work in IT and often have to code stuff. I can easily come up with solutions to problems, but the proper syntax or function to do it will escape me. Luckily Google acts as my memory.

It can be frustrating in interviews though, someone might ask me how I would approach a problem, and I sound like someone who's only on nodding terms with the code.

[mattyn1]

Kermit power said:

I'm surprised that nobody has yet pointed out that for starter questions, there are eight people able to press the button! It's hardly surprising that the combined memories and brain power of eight people come up with the answer more often than any one individual watching the show, is it?

But if one of us gets it right there is much cheering and joviality - whereas when they get the starter question right they sit back and exude copious amounts of utter smugness looking directly into my lounge insinuating I am a thick tt! fking Students!

[J4CKO]

I get a few questions right but largely due to either guessing or knowing it not from a classical education, but as it was referenced in a 1980s computer game or something.

[Halmyre]

I noticed last night that Paxman announced bonus questions about an author who the team had obviously never heard of. But the questions were posed in such a way that they got two out of the three correct, and were close with the third, just because of the clues in the question.

[Gretchen]

I love watching this. Tend to be able to answer a fair few questions much to my surprise, particularly classical music and arts. However ocassionally I’ll watch with my kids who must get around 90% correct! Specialising in sport, literature and history. I then send them to bed and sulk.

[Pothole]

OpulentBob said:

There was a programme on a year or so ago about the selection of UC teams. It seemed to be purely down to heats/tests to see who knew most. Very little about the student's social background.

I'm not sure why you'd want it to be any other way, or why you'd want to watch fluff pieces about them growing up.

(or have I misunderstood you?)

[Ayahuasca]

rek said:

Ayahuasca said:

Try the HQ Trivia app on iphone. Two live general knowledge quizzes a day. Free to enter and you win money.

I downloaded that recently but have not got further than q6 of 12. I get too distracted by Sharon though

I managed to get 12/12 the other day. Won $13 !! Yay!!

I think you need a modicum of luck. Who knows who invented the D cell battery? Not me, but I guessed the right answer.

[Kermit power]

Halmyre said:

I noticed last night that Paxman announced bonus questions about an author who the team had obviously never heard of. But the questions were posed in such a way that they got two out of the three correct, and were close with the third, just because of the clues in the question.

I usually find it to be the other way around.

If the bonus questions are on an area I know even the slightest bit about, I'll find that even if I haven't a clue for the first two questions, I'll quite frequently be able to call the answer for the third question before it has even been asked, as they tend to go for the really obvious answer for question three.

[motco]

Wiccan of Darkness said:

Ooh I know the answer for 10...

I was asked to be on the UC team when I was an undergrad - my course leader said that as well as my academic knowledge I had 'an inordinate and encyclopedic level of knowledge of the most mundane crap imaginable'. I didn't much fancy it so declined.

Anyhoo. Never underestimate the power of editing. Whole strings of a dozen 'starter for 10' questions go unanswered and an hour long show with half of it showing blank faces doesn't make for good TV. I think Paxman confirmed this a few years ago.

If he's not careful, Paxman lets his sleeve ride up a bit and his watch face is easily visible. Might be amusing to log the times.

[Antony Moxey]

I find that although I know a few of the answers, I can never get them out quickly enough. As my son's girlfriend said, if she was asked her own name they'd be able to answer quicker than she could.

[anonymous-user]

Pothole said:

OpulentBob said:

There was a programme on a year or so ago about the selection of UC teams. It seemed to be purely down to heats/tests to see who knew most. Very little about the student's social background.

I'm not sure why you'd want it to be any other way, or why you'd want to watch fluff pieces about them growing up.

(or have I misunderstood you?)

No interest in seeing any of that. My comment was more in response to AstonZagato's point about them needing an "alternative" specialism to qualify for entry, the programme suggested it was purely down to who did best in the internal heats held by each relevant uni. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if it was a programme specifically about UC or more about TV quizzing in general.

[anonymous-user]

Wiccan of Darkness said:

Anyhoo. Never underestimate the power of editing. Whole strings of a dozen 'starter for 10' questions go unanswered and an hour long show with half of it showing blank faces doesn't make for good TV. I think Paxman confirmed this a few years ago.

Interesting. It never crossed my mind that this happened, but it makes sense. Also makes me feel a little smarter