Trivia is a highly valued commodity in our culture. Just think of all the pastimes that revolve around it: “Jeopardy,” trivia nights at bars, Trivial Pursuit, um…yeah. Regardless, I firmly believe that we prize random facts if for no other reason than to satisfy the basic desire within us to impress the people we want to impress with the unexpected party trick that we know. For example, who Mary Queen of Scots was sleeping with in 1565 (Lord Darnley). Further evidence of this cultural pastime is the proliferation of quiz sites on the Interwebs.
The very best of which is perhaps Sporcle, a site that hosts (and posts) what it calls “mentally stimulating diversions.” Sporcle has got some nerd stuff, some pop culture stuff, some history stuff, some basic knowledge stuff. It’s a site that can quiz you on whether you are average, below average, or above average, when it comes to the facts your brain contains. Of course, the possible number of facts for your brain to contain is infinite, so Sporcle posts new quizzes every day, just to keep you on your toes. For example, in the more esoteric department, you can quiz yourself on people who have won the Grammy for Best New Artist, on Famous Fivesomes, on the States of Germany, Famous Sidekicks, or French Open Tennis Champs. In the basic knowledge department, you can quiz yourself on state capitals, countries of the world, the Periodic Table, and “The Simpsons.”
Never fear, however, if you are stupider according to Sporcle than you think you are (as I have found that I am): You can always practice. If you get stuck, Sporcle will give you the answers and you can take the test again another day. Then, before you know it, you will be the proud knower of all the Cereal Mascots you could ever want to know.