Science education is going into the crapper, Some of this is just laughable

The Times has an article about a GCSE (the exams we englishfolk take at age 16) Test that is absolutely ludicrous. You can have a look at the test itself Here.

Now, there are several questions that are incredibly stupid:

Question 1:

A is the only right answer, but C is marked as the right answer. C makes a very good false trail if this were a higher level question, but A is clearly the right answer (a moon orbits the sun, not a stationary point near the sun)

If this were a trick question, with A as the answer, it'd be awesome. With C as the answer, it's really just horrifying that our examiners think that makes sense

Question 3:

This question is so overwhelmingly dumb, if you could get the answer to it wrong you belong in a remedial english class, not a foundation science class. But I suppose "free marks" are irrelevant really, so I can't complain too much.

But I have to wonder, do they take people who get this question wrong, and sterilise them when they get an innoculation? Because if they do, it might be worthwhile.

Question 5:

The person who set this question was either on drugs or should have been. It asks how science can falsify an extremely stupid folk-superstition. And it doesn't give the answer "Look at the moon from two different points to see if it's actually close and small enough to be blocked by an old woman's cloak"

And it picks one of the stupider answers as the right one.

Question 7:

Apparently you're meant to know that you get Iris Scanned at airports, but not at hospitals, homes or schools.

I've been through an airport recently. No Iris Scanning occured. This question is insane, and rather worrying to be honest; because it suggests the government is trying to convince children something already occurs so that they won't complain when it starts.

Question 8:

If you put an eyeball in a microwave, it would be damaged. X-rays have been known to cause skin cancer and can damage eyeballs. Gamma rays can cause skin cancer and radiation sickness, which is quite damaging for your eyeballs.

Hence, this question is fucktarded.

Question 11:

Either the Times, or this question, is fucktarded. Stars go through a Red Giant, not a Blue, stage between Yellow and White.

Question 18:

This question is fucktarded. Notice how I like that word, anyway, it's stupid because it assumes that A) You can measure wavelength with a metre rule (really? How? Seriously, how are you going to line the ruler and the wave up?) and B) Wavelength and frequency are unconnected functions (measuring wavelength when you know the speed of sound IS measuring frequency)
However it does have the advantage that the right answer given is the only answer that's true.

Question 23:

The kids are allowed a calculator. Do you really have to give the answers in the form of equations? If they can't do (or at least estimate) simple maths with a calculator, they deserve to get the question wrong.
Even biology requires them to be able to do basic maths.

Question 30:

Umm, both A and B are true. Many scientists and science shows specifically state that space itself is expanding.
Why penalise students for knowing what scientists actually say?

Question 33:

There are theoretical physicists devoting their lives to answering this question, I don't think it's fair to expect a kid to do so. Oh, and the general consensus is C (adding a tiny bit more dark matter than we know of wouldn't make the universe closed, especially if the effects of Dark Energy are important, but adding enough would) not B as the times claims is the official answer. Fucktardation FTW!

Question 35:

Both A and B are true. Ooh, clever examiners, making a trick question that'll TRICK PEOPLE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER!

Question 38:

A, C and D are reasons for B. Hence, given as B is a reason for the inability to predict earthquakes, they are all technically correct. Horray for idiots.

Question 40:

R is hardly placed clearly enough. Also, the Times claims the answer is C, whereas if R is where it appears to be, the answer is D.



Keep in mind, I saw some slightly stupid questions in my GCSE science, including one with two right answers, but mostly they were just too easy (hence why I got 100% several times). These are either easy or fucktarded. I really really hope this paper was never actually used for actual examinations, but was some sample paper. At least that'd mean fucktardedness hadn't ruined some kids grades.

This post (כ) Kingreaper: Using the word fucktarded way too much, because he's so annoyed.

Link found via Sciencepunk

On question one, the answer is C, as the orbit A is a planet, and the orbit C is circling a point around orbit A, which would be the planet. Took me a few times as well.

But as Kingreaper pointed out, C appears to orbit a stationary point, like D (whatever the fuck that is supposed to be) that happens to cross over the orbit of a planet (A). SO there are two answers to the question, depending on how you look at it - and in a science exam, thats a bad thing.

The height of idiocy, I presume. As a physics undergraduate, this exam both horrifies me and makes me wish to stab myself repeatedly with an exhaust pipe.

On question 23 I would like to point out that none of the answers are correct. They are only correct if you assume the orbits are circular and IN THE SAME PLANE. Only a very fucktarded person would assume that pluto and the earth orbit the sun in the same plane. Maybe somebody who had only ever seen a two dimensional diagram of the solar system and assumed this to be literally true. I am hoping all those questions are just an elaborate joke.

True, if it said "What is the shortest POSSIBLE distance" and you assume that pluto's orbit is close enough to circular., then it'd kinda work; Because at some point Earth, the Sun and Pluto could be lined up. It's gotta be VERY rare though.

I'm not entirely sure how much of that was physics, most of it was really vague as well. Back when I did GCSEs we had questions on things like magnetism, equilibriums and calculating orbital speeds as well as annihilation of matter and antimatter particles. WTF are these examiners thinking, no wonder fewer and fewer students are taking on real subjects like physics and are doing media studies at uni!!! Question 33, which retard wrote that!!! If there is more matter in the universe then eventually gravity will win and the universe will contract, if there is below a certain value this won't happen ad it will continue expanding. The expansion is increasing because of dark energy, which is believed to make up about 70% of the mass/energy to make space flat. It's true that a little bit more mass wouldn't lead to a contraction and the universe would keep on expanding but that statement is too vague, how much more mass are we talking???
We are looking a future generations being completely ignorant of everything around them, the government just wants to make it look like its doing a better job by having more people pass pointless exams.

I think one of the worst things is that the GCSE syllabus doesn't teach people what science is, or how to do it, it just teaches them fact after mindless fact, facts which can't be questioned or discussed because that's science. Except, that's not science. That's dogma - the antithesis of science. If we want more scientists in the future, we need to teach kids what science is from day one, no exceptions. The central idea of scientific thought is not a complicated one, or a confusing one. In fact, it's easy as hell to grasp, with the right explanation. But apparently it never occurred to anyone that it's hard to know something like that without being told. The only reason I understand and appreciate science is because from day one, my dad enthused me with its wonders - I know a lot of people who simply don't understand what the scientific method is, who equate scientists with religious leaders - people not to be questioned, not experts but dictators. And that is very, very depressing.

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