[Veri]

Lauren when asked what is the square root of 49.

So ...

1. Did she really have no clue and it was just a lucky guess?
2. Did she know but (like many girls) not want to show she knew something like that?
3. Did she know but was unsure and exaggerated her uncertainlty in case she was wrong?

And how come some HMs were shown more than others? (Did they show Lydia at all?)

[rubyx93]

haa funny because i was thinking the same that was she faking and just trying to be stupid or if it was a lucky guess

[digichant]

Another classic case of making a discussion over what is actually nothing at all.

[Janet St Walker]

Originally Posted by digichant

Another classic case of making a discussion over what is actually nothing at all.

I think you might be my new favourite poster

[Emmaaaa]

I don't know about Lauren and I admit I haven't seen this part, I'm watching the 2nd half on+1 but missed the rest. But if I was asked that question I would probably answer in the same way as Lauren and for me it would be because of reason #3. I know things like my tables pretty well and if I was writing the answer down I wouldn't have a problem but if someone asks me out loud I totally panic and i'm not sure anymore.

[Veri]

Originally Posted by rubyx93

haa funny because i was thinking the same that was she faking and just trying to be stupid or if it was a lucky guess

I wouldn't see even number 2 quite as faking; it's just something that quite a few girls internalise.

I was impressed that she got it right when others struggled.

Another possibility is that she estimated, thinking 7 was of about the right size.

Originally Posted by Emmaaaa

I don't know about Lauren and I admit I haven't seen this part, I'm watching the 2nd half on+1 but missed the rest. But if I was asked that question I would probably answer in the same way as Lauren and for me it would be because of reason #3. I know things like my tables pretty well and if I was writing the answer down I wouldn't have a problem but if someone asks me out loud I totally panic and i'm not sure anymore.

Yes, it's easy to be unsure and too nervous to carefully check.

[lulu g]

I didn't see this, but my money's on 2.

[Kubrick]

Originally Posted by digichant

Another classic case of making a discussion over what is actually nothing at all.

My thoughts exactly.

[sofialady]

No I would have second guessed myself too and said ''Is it 7?''.

Not everything has to be read into that way.

[lulu g]

If I thought I knew the answer but was not completely confident about it, I might say 'I'm not 100% sure, but I think it's 7.' To say 'I haven't a clue' and then come out with the correct answer is clearly disingenuous. If you didn't know what a square root was, you wouldn't just randomly hit on 7 being the answer to the square root of 49. You would have to know, or at least have a clue, what 'square root' meant.

[Reece_B]

Who really cares?

[patsylimerick]

Good grief.

I'm not even sure what you're all talking about by my ten year old and seven year old both know what seven sevens are. They're called tables, they drill them every single day at school. Effin' hell; if the rudimentary basics of maths aren't being taught anymore, we're all shagged.

[Zutto]

I think something like the square root of 49 is a thing that a lot of people know the answer to, but don't necessarily know why 7 is the answer. In school you get some things drilled into your head without fully understanding or comprehending. Or you just remember the answer but have forgotten why it's the answer. My take on it is that "square root of 49" just made her think 7 because she has learned that, but it's something she's not consciously thought about for years

[Salv*]

I consider myself to be of average intelligence but I would have been the smartest HM according to that, tied with Benedict. I got all but 2 wrong. And a couple I guessed.

Hastings battle is probably the most easy question ever. I think that is taught on the very first day of History in Year 7 and 1066 just sticks in your mind.

[JayDee279]

But everyone does that on quiz-shows, all the time.

It's almost as if the producer told them to pretend they were just guessing because thick is loveable, so they concoct an over-elaborate story.
... "Oooh, the Battle of Hastings .. I've got no idea .. but I got a train to Hastings last week, and the fare was £10.66, so this is just a pure guess ..." etc etc.
Oh, just tell us you learned it at school; we won't throw rocks at your head.
- - -
Edited to add
My post was about the square root of 49. I was not aware at the time that there really was a question about 1066, and my post should not be criticised on the basis that no-one said that on BB tonight. It was the most ridiculous example I could think of.

[Order]

Originally Posted by patsylimerick

Good grief.

I'm not even sure what you're all talking about by my ten year old and seven year old both know what seven sevens are. They're called tables, they drill them every single day at school. Effin' hell; if the rudimentary basics of maths aren't being taught anymore, we're all shagged.

Well, clearly they are if your two children "drill them every single day at school"

Or are you lying?

[threecheeses]

Originally Posted by patsylimerick

Good grief.

I'm not even sure what you're all talking about by my ten year old and seven year old both know what seven sevens are. They're called tables, they drill them every single day at school. Effin' hell; if the rudimentary basics of maths aren't being taught anymore, we're all shagged.

Actually I taught my daughter what a square root was, not her school, she had not heard of them and she was probably about 10 as well !!.
They do (or rather did as I now home-ed her as the school was shit) the times tables most days.

[patsylimerick]

Originally Posted by Order

Well, clearly they are if your two children "drill them every single day at school"

Or are you lying?

They drill tables. Yes, every day. That's how you establish the building blocks that allow you to do Mathematics and basic computing. Do children in England not drill tables?

I'm totally confused now. You HAVE to drill tables to acquire the building blocks for maths, do you not?

[patsylimerick]

Originally Posted by threecheeses

Actually I taught my daughter what a square root was, not her school, she had not heard of them and she was probably about 10 as well !!.
They do (or rather did as I now home-ed her as the school was shit) the times tables most days.

Oh, I know that; my point was that most children should automatically know that seven sevens is 49. As they got older, they know what a square root is (and all of the housemates have surely reached that point in their education). So putting the two together, anyone over the age of 14 who wouldn't automatically know the answer to that question is a worry, academically speaking.

Glad to hear that they are doing their times tables, though

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by digichant

Another classic case of making a discussion over what is actually nothing at all.

But this is what BB is all about and always has been.

Nothing on it is important really.

But if we are investing time in it it's usually the tiny details which can be the most revealing but can also be often overlooked.

Not everything has to be about the big dumb obvious highlights that are provided for us to talk about.
We can talk about anything we choose to.

[digichant]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

But this is what BB is all about and always has been.

Nothing on it is important really.

But if we are investing time in it it's usually the tiny details which can be the most revealing but can also be often overlooked.

Not everything has to be about the big dumb obvious highlights that are provided for us to talk about.
We can talk about anything we choose to.

If somebody questioning their answer to a maths question warrants a huge discussion then my God you can't be enjoying everything else going on in Big Brother much.

[jamcake]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

But this is what BB is all about and always has been.

Nothing on it is important really.

But if we are investing time in it it's usually the tiny details which can be the most revealing but can also be often overlooked.

Not everything has to be about the big dumb obvious highlights that are provided for us to talk about.
We can talk about anything we choose to.

*looks at post count*. god knows you would want to discuss this

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by digichant

If somebody questioning their answer to a maths question warrants a huge discussion then my God you can't be enjoying everything else going on in Big Brother much.

Anything can warrant a huge discussion.

People can enjoy anything they want from it.

If everyone only talked about 'big moments' on the HL show this forum would get very boring very fast. It would be like being spoonfed a very narrow definition of what should be worthy of discussion.

Some of us actually like to be surprised by discussions about things we never even thought about ourselves.
Isn't variety and the spice of life what makes discussion worthwhile?

What's interesting about starting discussion threads about cyclical topics of which everyone already has an opinion on anyway?
The HL show provides a framework which tends to guide and steer discussion. Once a conversation about a highlight has been saturated it's quite refreshing to see a discussion started on something I didn't even consider.

It's just that I find more discussion which includes diverse unexpected things more interesting than just limited discussion which sticks to the guidelines of a provided framework.

[patsylimerick]

Originally Posted by jamcake

*looks at post count*. god knows you would want to discuss this

Wow. That's a bit unnecessary.

I will never understand why posters can't just not post in threads that don't interest them. It bugs the hell out of me. Just ignore it - how hard can that be?

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by digichant

If somebody questioning their answer to a maths question warrants a huge discussion then my God you can't be enjoying everything else going on in Big Brother much.

Originally Posted by jamcake

*looks at post count*. god knows you would want to discuss this

The more pressing question is why are you taking part in a discussion that you appear to not want to take part in?

Why would you want to prevent somebody else starting a discussion just because it doesn't interest you? Why is that of any concern to you?
If the thread isn't to your taste then there's plenty of other threads on the forum.

If I ever find myself in a thread that does nothing for me I simply leave it instantly without giving it further thought. I don't stick around in that thread telling the OP what warrants a good discussion or not.
You have a lot of choices here. You can even create a new thread to talk about something from your own imagination.