The Best Paragraph I've Read...
The Best Paragraph I've Read...
Zac & Don
Jeopardy! Wikipedia! Is it Cool to Know Anything Anymore? Are there Any Facts that Everyone Should Know?
50 minutes Posted Dec 16, 2020 at 11:57 pm.
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The Best Paragraph I've Read:


"Is it still cool to memorize a lot of stuff? Is there even a reason to memorize anything? Having a lot of information in your head was maybe never cool in the sexy-cool sense, more in the geeky-cool or class-brainiac sense. But people respected the ability to rattle off the names of all the state capitals, or to recite the periodic table. It was like the ability to dunk, or to play the piano by ear—something the average person can’t do. It was a harmless show of superiority, and it gave people a kind of species pride."


This paragraph comes from a New Yorker article titled: "Wikipedia, "Jeopardy!," and the Fate Of The Fact."  The article is written by Louis Menand.


https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/23/wikipedia-jeopardy-and-the-fate-of-the-fact


Zac and Don discuss whether it is important to know any facts anymore.  They talk about from the perspectives of Wikipedia, Jeopardy, and their own experiences as educators.  


Zac and Don also reference the following quotes and books during their discussion.


Book: The Dumbest Generation

The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future(Or, Don 't Trust Anyone Under 30): Bauerlein, Mark: 9781585427123: Amazon.com: Books


Book: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Amazon.com: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (Audible Audio Edition): Neil Postman, Jeff Riggenbach, Blackstone Audio, Inc.: Audible Audiobooks


Socrates Quote About Writing

Socrates on the Forgetfulness that Comes with Writing - New Learning Online