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University Challenge |
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Loris (18:19 11/3/2009)
Loris (18:04 17/3/2009)
krisa (08:26 18/3/2009)
arawnsley (11:54 18/3/2009)
Mark76 (13:56 18/3/2009)
monkeyson2 (19:04 18/3/2009)
filecore (19:29 18/3/2009)
monkeyson2 (21:22 18/3/2009)
SimonC (17:47 25/3/2009)
VincceH (21:35 25/3/2009)
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Tony Haines |
Message #109529, posted by Loris at 18:19, 11/3/2009 |
 Ha ha, me mine, mwahahahaha
Posts: 1025
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The recent fracas with University Challenge reminded me quite how much I dislike the program. After some reflection, I've worked out why.
Basically, it's seriously biased towards the humanities (and the softer of the 'social sciences', which for the sake of this topic I'll lump together). It's not just that most of the questions are about dead poets and the like. There's a smattering of 'science' questions - but they're often either things everybody should know or 'history of science' which would be best fielded by a historian. (I include maths with science, even though it does fare slightly better.)
It's not even just that. In many disciplines of the humanities, 'reading around' is a student's primary job, whereas science students need to learn stuff which might be actually useful to function in their chosen discipline. Even undergraduates have practical projects, while for postgraduates, the bulk of their time is spent in research.
Is this sour grapes? These questions are of the sort which I'm really bad at. But I don't think it's just me - from what I remember successful teams have basically 100% humanities-based contestants. If the show were called 'Students in Humanities Challenge', then' I'd have no bone with it. I don't hate "A question of Sport", even though I know 0% of the answers, because it does what it says on the tin. (I don't, however, watch it.)
If you think my memory of this is faulty... well you might be right. I didn't watch it much because of aforesaid crappness. However, I googled this list of sample questions which suggests otherwise.
Also Paxman speeds up towards the end, until I can't actually parse what he's saying. Twat.
[Edited by Loris at 18:25, 11/3/2009] |
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Tony Haines |
Message #109568, posted by Loris at 18:04, 17/3/2009, in reply to message #109529 |
Ha ha, me mine, mwahahahaha
Posts: 1025
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Incidentally I'm thinking of starting a blog so my boring rants which nobody reads can be kept all in one place out of the way. |
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Kris Adcock |
Message #109570, posted by krisa at 08:26, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109568 |
Member
Posts: 62
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Incidentally I'm thinking of starting a blog so my boring rants which nobody reads can be kept all in one place out of the way. Heh. Yep, I'm doing the same thing. I don't get invited to parties anymore, so I rant in a blog instead.  |
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Andrew Rawnsley |
Message #109571, posted by arawnsley at 11:54, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109570 |
R-Comp chap
Posts: 600
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Have to agree with you on University Challenge, Toby!
Also, Paxo as a question master is horrible - his monotonic dictation of the questions, with no clear punctuation, makes it difficult to even understand what's being asked initially. (ie. you have to assemble the question in your head first).
Compare this with other game shows - QoS, or Weakest Link, or Millionaire etc. etc. and the questions are presented clearly and susinctly.
Of course, some would argue that this is all part of the "Challenge". |
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Mark |
Message #109572, posted by Mark76 at 13:56, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109571 |
Posts: 122
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Bring back Bambi! |
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Phil Mellor |
Message #109575, posted by monkeyson2 at 19:04, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109571 |
 Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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Compare this with other game shows - QoS, or Weakest Link, or Millionaire etc. etc. and the questions are presented clearly and susinctly. In television, it's really annoying how they prefix each question in The Weakest Link. I understand it's a useful hook to specify the subject; what I object to is the "in". In Geography, what is the capital of France? In Maths, what do you get if you multiply six by nine? It doesn't matter what subject it's in, the answer is still the same! |
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Jason Togneri |
Message #109576, posted by filecore at 19:29, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109575 |
Posts: 3868
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In television, it's really annoying how they prefix each question in The Weakest Link. I understand it's a useful hook to specify the subject; what I object to is the "in". In Geography, what is the capital of France? In Maths, what do you get if you multiply six by nine? It doesn't matter what subject it's in, the answer is still the same! I suspect the whole point is to clarify the subject area so the contestants (and viewers) can focus their minds more quickly. What would you prefer they used? Geographically, what is the capital of France? Mathematically, what do you get if you multiply six by nine? Or just Geography: what is the capital of France? Maths: what do you get if you multiply six by nine? |
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Phil Mellor |
Message #109578, posted by monkeyson2 at 21:22, 18/3/2009, in reply to message #109576 |
Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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What would you prefer they used? Geography: what is the capital of France? Maths: what do you get if you multiply six by nine? This. |
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Simon Challands |
Message #109609, posted by SimonC at 17:47, 25/3/2009, in reply to message #109578 |
 Right on, Commander!
Posts: 398
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Or how about simply "What is the capital of France?" and "What do you get if you multiply six by nine?" It's not as if there's any ambiguity in those questions that requires the subject to be given.
If there must be a subject then leaving the "In" off makes far more sense. "In geography, what is the capital of France?" That's saying that the answer is something else in other subjects! |
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VinceH |
Message #109610, posted by VincceH at 21:35, 25/3/2009, in reply to message #109609 |
 Lowering the tone since the dawn of time
Posts: 1600
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If there must be a subject then leaving the "In" off makes far more sense. "In geography, what is the capital of France?" That's saying that the answer is something else in other subjects! And it is something else in at least one other subject.  |
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