>Do you think the average medieval farmer was questioning how everything around him worked while he worked day and night trying not to starve?

I think the average medieval farmer understood how to harvest food and draw water, yes. This isn't as esoteric as using SSH in 2026. Knowing where your necessary resources come from should be basic knowledge.

For a more modern context of why: I hope people don't simply rant about "why are groceries expensive" and simply believe that a single politician is the reason and that an upcoming politician will magically lower prices. A medieval farmer would not see their crops having low yields and ponder why there's less food.

>This is like saying the internet is when two computer send 1s and 0s over copper wire.

If they aren't specialized in computers, it'd be a start. Things are abstracted, so I'm expecting less knowledge of bits and assembly and more about landlines and isps.

In short, if you use and pay for something everyday, you should understand who to hold accountable when it breaks, or suddenly gets more expensive. Knowing that one breadcrumb can start the trail for further thinking.

> Do you think today the average Japanese person knows more about water supply than the average American?

Probably yes. Our education systems and culture are so very different. Japan is far more structured and standardized. In the US, schools are a complete gamble unless you've got the means and motivation to explicitly move to an area with "good schools". Given the incredible number of adults who read below a sixth grade level, I'd fully expect the average US citizen to be less informed and less capable of informing themselves as the average Japanese citizen. This would translate into more Japanese citizens being familiar with things like water pressure.