Students Show Shocking Changes In Their General Knowledge

Researchers at Kent State University studied the general knowledge of students throughout the United States in order to compare what facts they knew in 1980 versus 2012.

The studyused college students~ and shows some major differences between what was most often absorbed in 1980 and what's filling the minds of today's students.

The folks at TakePart.comcompiled a fantastic photo gallery listing the most surprising things that students did not know in 2012 but did know 32 years earlier.

10. The capital of France is Paris; this fact was 6th on the list in 1980~ but in 2012 it dropped all the way down to 23.

9. In 1980~ more students knew that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity~ with the question going from the 20th spot down to number 56.

8. As far as American history goes~ Franklin wasn't the only one to get snubbed. Paul Revere~ famous for warning the rebel colonists that "The British are coming!" isn't as well known today. Once 23rd on the list~ the fact is now 53rd.

7. The same is true for global history~ with knowledge of Cleopatra also falling. Once 32nd on the list~ she now sits at 54th.

6. Humphrey who? Humphrey Bogart~ the leading actor from the famous movie Casablanca~ wasn't recognized by many students~ tumbling from the 91st position all the way down to 180th.

5. Have a headache yet? Many of today's students might~ with the knowledge of severe headaches called "migraines" going from the 25th to 6th place.

4. In some cases~ students were more aware of fictitious characters than real figures from history. Take Batman~ for example. He rocketed from 115 to 87; many more of todays students know that his secret identity is Bruce Wayne.

3. Ironically~ despite the known harmful effects of tobacco~ more than twice as many of todays students know that Marlboro invented the flip-top box for cigarettes.

2. In 1980~ not as many students knew what a kilt was. That factoid shot up from79th to 25th.

1. Disney is a firmly planted seed in the minds of most of today's students. Knowledge of Peter Pan's foe~ Captain Hook~ jumped up to 18th place in 2012~ up from 73rd in 1980.

Were you surprised by this list? What are some facts that seem to have been lost by the current generation? What is common knowledge for many or most of your students? Does it drastically differ from your grasp on the world? Do you find that your students carry around less common knowledge in general these days?