Quick! Can you name the first five prime numbers? Or the atomic weight of Xenon? Or the phases of meiosis? Can you do it without consulting the web?
Brian Cathcart is professor of journalism at Kingston University, and recently, he wrote an article called “Is Google Killing General Knowledge?” In it, he wonders how on-demand access to information changes our relationship to facts:
I teach undergraduates, and I am prepared to bet that many other teachers have found themselves wondering whether they are seeing this force at work. The average student [...] seems not to value general knowledge. If asked a factual question, they will usually click on a search engine without a second thought. Actually knowing the fact, committing it to memory, does not seem to be a consideration.
Last week, Nora interviewed Brian Cathcart about this phenomenon. A shorter version of this interview will air on Spark 87, but you can hear the full, uncut interview below, or download the MP3. [runs 13:27]
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The answer is: yes, Google is killing general knowledge. However, I don't believe that's a bad thing.
I loved this interview even though I'm tired of this topic–mostly because unlike this interview, when the subject comes up it tends to turn into Google-bashing (or education-bashing). Here, Cathcart's honest about not being able to draw a firm conclusion either way, and I appreciate that. Certainly there are cases where general knowledge is useful or even necessary.
The story about the taxi driver is entertaining, but I question whether it falls under the category of "missing general knowledge." For a taxi driver, local geography is knowledge specific to his or her job. The fact that the taxi driver relied solely on GPS directions reflects worse on the driver (and his or her employer) than it does on the state of general knowledge.
On a related note, London taxi drivers are required to demonstrate that they have "the Knowledge" of London's geography before they're certified to drive in the London area:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/businessandpartners/taxisan…
Interesting point about the taxi driver, Ben. After we finished that interview, I said to Dan how refreshing I found it to interview someone who is genuinely of two minds about something. It's a reflection of genuine intelligence, I think, to be able to see both sides of an issue.
I think we've got this the wrong way. Google isn't killing general knowledge, its helping it grow. People are teaching themselves things via Google. From learning guitar to learning to program, without Google it would be a lot harder to find this info. Sure the odd little question like "the atomic weight of Xenon" might not be remembered anymore but really, how often do you need to know this. If you NEED to know it, you'll learn it.. and you might just learn from Google searching it.
You've touched on another topic we're going to discuss on the next episode, Liam. We have an essay about learning skills off the internet. I'd be interested to know what you think of it.
Absolutely agree. If anything google if helping increase general knowledge. If I hear or read about something interesting that I dont know much about I google it. Then often end up reading about that and 10 other related things on wikipedia that I would never have come across any other way.
A question to consider is to what degree do we rely on individuals executing specific knowledge to have that general knowledge already in place. For example, an air traffic controller, or any other delicate position, certainly has a wide range of specific knowledge particular to their job in order to be competent, but I would pose that it is also a breadth and depth of general knowledge 'beneath the surface' that gives rise to those individuals who are more than just competent. They would be the individuals who are able to adapt and creatively problem solve when the need exists.
I'd hate to imagine someone in a critical moment snapping their fingers uttering, "I think I've heard of that…" and then looking for a terminal in which to hit Google.
No, Google is changing the way we access knowledge. Go back far enough, and you'll find Plato lamenting that writing would induce forgetfulness, since one wouldn't be required to memorize everything.
Times change, the amount of information in our world is growing, but our minds are constant.
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