The Periodic Table and Other Unneeded Knowledge

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I found a website that I visit every day, Sporcle in order to give my brain a workout.

I’ve completed my goal of learning all 118 elements listed on the Periodic Table of Elements. I know that I’ll never need to know them, but I feel great.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t name all the countries in Europe or
Africa before this, but I’m happy to say that I know them all now. I’m almost done with Asia and I’m working on the rest of the globe.

I suppose I wanted to prove to myself that I really can learn and I just may decide to go back to school based on this small achievement. I’m 50 and I feel like a kid right now.

2

what a great excuse to post a link to the famous “song of the elements” by Tom Lehrer

Learning is fun!

3

That The Elements song is pure AWESOME!!
I have book marked it for future use!
Thanks so much!
( I’ve bookmarked sporcle,too, for future timewasting fun.)

4

Oooh, I really like Sporcle.

If there are any other types of quizzes like this out there, please let me know, I love this kinda thing and the best part of it is I can use it with my kids.
Schweeet!

5

I just took the elements quiz and got 82 right in fifteen minutes. I missed several of the common ones, but did remember over half of the lanthanides and even more of the actinides. I’ll have to return periodically (heh!) and see how long it takes me to master the table.

I figured I’d ace the European countries, and indeed got all 47 with 4:15 to spare, even though I spent about a minute trying to figure out the location (and thus identity) of the last one needed. My complaint with the map is below.

That little sliver between Poland and Lithuania should be colored in once you get Russia, as the land in question is the Kaliningrad Oblast, a portion of the Soviet Union which remained under Moscow’s sway following the dissolution of the USSR.

6

It’s good, but everything is about memory on that site. It’s more of a memory workout than a full brain workout.

7

Thank you for introducing me to the brilliance that is Tom Lehrer. I’ve never heard of him before! Funny funny man.

8

From my quote file, for hand made sig lines:

“If a person feels he can’t communicate, the least he can do is shut up about it.” ~ Tom Lehrer ~

Tris

9

My favorite Tom Lehrer song.

10

Place all the U.S. states on the map: http://www.games1.org/games/place_states.swf
My best time is just over 2 minutes to place them all without error, but you have to get lucky and draw border/coastal states early on.

Build your vocabulary and send free rice: http://freerice.com/index.php
My best sustained level is 43. Does anyone even use words at level 41 and over?

Build your typing speed and accuracy: http://cognitivelabs.com/word_shoot.htm

*** Ponder

11

Thank you for the link! I’ve saved it as a favorite too.