There are 365 days in a year.
There are 195 countries in the world.
The largest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean.
Neil Armstrong is the first man to walk on the moon.
The Nile River is the longest river in the world.
Photo via Interesting Trivia Questions
These facts are all general knowledge because it is publicly known by everyone or nearly everyone, usually with reference to the community in which the knowledge is referenced.
General knowledge can be just about anything - science, literature, history or entertainment!
What is General Knowledge?
Maybe you’ve heard people say that you do not have to cite your source when the information you include is general knowledge. But what is general knowledge?
Well, according to Academy Integrity at MIT, general knowledge is refers to information that the average, educated reader would accept as reliable without having to look it up, which includes:
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Information that most people know, such as water freezes at 0°C or that Barack Obama was the first American of mixed race to be elected president.
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Information shared by a cultural or national group, such as the names of famous heroes or events in the nation’s history that are remembered and celebrated - Tunku Abdul Rahman is Malaysia’s first prime minister and often referred to as the Father of Independence or Bapa Kemerdekaan.
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Knowledge shared by members of a certain field, such as the fact that the necessary condition for diffraction or radiation of wavelength from a crystalline solid is given by Bragg’s law.
These are all examples of general knowledge, however, what may be general knowledge in one culture, nation, academic discipline or peer group may not be common knowledge in another.
How to Improve your General Knowledge?
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Read a book!
Reading is the foundation for gaining any type of general knowledge. There are no specific requirements on what books to read or on what subjects since the acquisition of general knowledge incorporates a wide-range of topics.
The most important quality of reading is to make it a daily and routine part of your day.
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Socialize with friends, colleagues and professionals
The more people you come into contact with, the higher possibility to engage in intelligent and informative conversations where you can gain additional knowledge. Since people enjoy informative yet casual conversations on interesting topics, we tend to retain this knowledge better.
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Utilize search engines
Search engines like Google, Yahoo, Safari and Bing enable you to find any answer to any question within seconds! Routinely use these internet sites to discover current news, trends and topics of interest.
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Play online games or programs that challenge your knowledge
Choose a game or program that involves learning new information, rules or strategies. There are many online sites that offer crossword puzzles, trivia and other games that will test your general knowledge.
All in all, it truly depends on what sort of learner you are and whatever it is, it’s great that you’re thinking about improving your general knowledge.
Also, these facts are fun and interesting to get to know as well!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
