Knowledge - Interview
Knowledge and the Art of Dealing with Uncertainty
Interview with Eckhard Freise
Prof. Eckhard Freise, 59, is a historian at the University of Wuppertal in Germany. His primary interest is the Middle Ages, especially the transfer of knowledge and education in monasteries. Freise received broad public attention in Germany on December 2, 2000, when he became the first contestant to win a million German Marks on the "Millionaire" gameshow.
Who accompanied Edmund Hillary on Mt. Everest? That was the final question Eckhard Freise answered correctly on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
Can you recall a recent situation where you experienced a knowledge gap?
Freise: Im particularly embarrassed by the temporary blackout I had during the Millionaireshownot only because 13 million viewers were watching; people also continually bring it up. I couldnt remember where UNESCO headquarters was, because the link in my brain that led to Paris temporarily malfunctioned. Later I suspected that I didnt have enough sugar in my system. There are many types of knowledge gap, and one is acute brain and biochemical failure. Everyone has it at times. The UNESCO question was the one before the final question. So I used all three lifelines, because I wanted to answer the last question on my own, no matter what.
Do the questions asked on Millionaire actually require knowledge, or is it more a matter of information fragments?
Freise: The distinction that people so often make today between knowledge and information is exaggerated, in my opinion, as you can see when you watch the show. Many contestants prepare for the program by reading a lot and learning all kinds of things by heartfrom the periodic table of the elements to the names of pop stars. Depending on the individuals level of education, this can be considered either knowledge or simply information. A correct answer on the show can be the result of anything from profound knowledge to an intuitive guess. The nature of the questions varies so greatly that everyone has to employ each tactic at least once.
Are people happier if they know a lot?
Freise: Basically, yes. Knowledge helps you deal with the uncertainties of everyday life. I believe that it offers protection against all types of adversity, and that the blissfully ignorant individual is a fantasy of intellectuals and cultural critics.
Do people today know more than they did 50, 100 or 1,000 years ago?
Freise: This has lately been called into question by scholars who specialize in the history of knowledge. If you define knowledge as collective experience, theres no doubt that many more people can partake of it today than in the past. Back then access to knowledge was limited to high priests, to name one example. In the technologically sophisticated Age of Information, however, some of us tend to feel superior to the people of the Stone Age or late Middle Ages. What these people dont realize is that many things handed down orally, such as the ingredients for making certain paints in the Middle Ages, have been lost. Indeed, 1,000 years ago there was specialized knowledge regarding things like cathedral construction or natural medicines that is only now being rediscovered, if it hasnt been lost completely.
Its said that knowledge is becoming an indispensable precondition for progress and prosperity. Do you agree?
Freise: Yes, with reservations. Knowledge has always been the precondition for dramatic improvements in the quality of life. For example, clever people in the 11th century added a so-called moldboard behind the plow to prevent clumps of earth from falling back into the furrow. Although it was a minor invention, it had a tremendous effect. It dramatically improved crop yields, led to a doubling of the population in Western and Central Europe by the 12th century and greatly improved peoples diets. On the other hand, mechanization in the 19th century, like the invention of the loom, led to impoverishment for a large share of the population.
Are we now living in a knowledge-based society?
Freise: Yes, in the broad sense of the term. No matter how limited each individuals ad hoc collection of knowledge may be, the sum of existing knowledge is tremendous, though its transitory and in constant flux. You can see this every dayfor example in chat forums, although several visits to such forums have led me to believe they are dominated by a self-proclaimed oratorical elite rather than by true thinkers.
What do we need to do to succeed in the knowledge society?
Freise: The Pisa study showed Germany how hard it is to achieve success, particularly for the younger generation. This has to do with growing uncertainty about how to amass knowledge without ending up with dead capital. And this has led to re-emphasizing basic cultural skillslanguage learning, logical thinking and easily understandable forms of expression. I suggest that we introduce more knowledge and thinking games; they help students to deal with an information-flooded world. A quiz, for example, is a ticket to the world of the informed. We must also spark a passion for learning and teach the art of forgetting, because everyone must be constantly deciding which knowledge they need and which they can discard.
What do schools and universities need to do to ensure that we are prepared to face the knowledge society?
Freise: Everyone talks about soft skills, but no one seems to know how to teach them. A look at the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian countries could teach us how to make our specialized fields understandable to non-experts. Courses should be interdisciplinary. For example, a historian and a mathematician could teach the history of the natural sciences, and each instructor would have to ensure that the other understood him or her. The natural sciences are already far ahead of the humanities here, this is clearly indicated by the double-digit growth rates popular science publications are now enjoying.
Interview by Norbert Aschenbrenner