h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Alfster reads Red's reply to Alfsters post.
Alfster reads Alfster post.
Alfster cannot see any particular link between what he wrote and Red's reply apart from the word Africa.



I can believe that even after you have read what I have put. Most people in that womans situation would have immediately thought about the plight of Africans in poverty, the AIDS crisis, the droughts and suddenly thought while be gazed upon be over 300 people "Hmmm, well, I guess Africa ISN'T a country lets go for Spain.

I'll try again Alfster but if the communication isn't working between us let's just give up eh?

>>I think Derren Brown has also written somewhere that people will say Africa in certain circumstances when asked to name a country. <<

And I'm saying I find that amazing cos although I may use the word "African' or 'Africa' in certain circumstances, I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone would give the answer "Africa' to a question asking for the name of a country. To my mind I would put that down to ignorance!

Even when I was a kid I remember seeing a map with the continent of Africa divided up into countries like say Europe and Asia were. If I am missing something in your point Alfster I apologise.

I missed the programme, did Derren Brown mention that Africa is not a country? He must have thought about it before hand and realise that he was trying to get an answer that didn't fit the question, surely?
On his section on the channel 4 website he asks you to name a jungle animal, and everyone says lion, which he predicts, even though, as he points out afterwards lions aren't jungle animals!

"America" is generally accepted as an abbreviation for "The United States Of America", so no problem there. England has been a country, and I think still is, as a constituent part of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland. As I understand it, there are two countries (England and Scotland), one principality (Wales) and one province (Northern Ireland); as well as a selection of islands, with varying degrees of connexion to the rest of the UK. I'm sure all you constitutional lawyers will correct my misguided opinions .

But Africa? No. Never been a country. It's a sort of reply like they used to have on Family Fortunes, isn't it? Q: "Name a bird with a long neck" A: "Naomi Campbell".

RF

It annoyed me too. I remember some years ago an African guy came into our religion class to talk about the problems facing Africa. One of the first things he did was to draw Africa on the board and to point out that Africa is a continent, not a country, and that it annoys him when westerners call it a country.

But then again, if the United States of America is just called "America", maybe "Africa" refers to the Central African Republic.

Or South Africa.

No, Derren didn't say so afterwards. In fact it was on the piece of paper that I mentioned, something like:

"...I knew you would pick the triangle... but what will shock you most of all is that I knew you would pick the country Africa".

And everyone clapped.

Oh, I can't tell the difference between magicians, they all look the same to me! lol

When playing 'Who Am I' it's normal to go through the continents to find nationality after asking 'Africa' or 'America' and getting an affirmative it's best then to ask whether 'North' or 'South' - after all U.S.A. is very different from Argentina, likewise Egypt and Zimbabwe.

Just probably laziness on Derren Brown's part I suppose.