# The Periodic Table and Other Unneeded Knowledge **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269 "2008-05-31T14:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/1 "2008-05-31T14:57:29Z")
I found a website that I visit every day, [Sporcle](http://sporcle.com/) 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. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/2 "2008-05-31T15:22:37Z")
[QUOTE=jali] I’ve completed my goal of learning all 118 elements listed on the Periodic Table of Elements. … I feel great. [/QUOTE] what a great excuse to post a link to the famous [“song of the elements”](http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html) by Tom Lehrer Learning is fun! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/3 "2008-05-31T17:25:30Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/4 "2008-05-31T17:35:16Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/5 "2008-05-31T17:44:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/6 "2008-05-31T17:58:30Z")
It’s good, but everything is about memory on that site. It’s more of a memory workout than a full brain workout. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/7 "2008-05-31T20:57:14Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] what a great excuse to post a link to the famous [“song of the elements”](http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html) by Tom Lehrer Learning is fun! [/QUOTE] Thank you for introducing me to the brilliance that is Tom Lehrer. I’ve never heard of him before! Funny funny man. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/8 "2008-05-31T21:19:51Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/9 "2008-05-31T21:40:38Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Thank you for introducing me to the brilliance that is Tom Lehrer. I’ve never heard of him before! Funny funny man. [/QUOTE] [My favorite Tom Lehrer song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVC9TayQIh8). ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/10 "2008-05-31T23:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=Shirley Ujest] 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. [/QUOTE] Place all the U.S. states on the map: [http://www.games1.org/games/place\_states.swf](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](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](http://cognitivelabs.com/word_shoot.htm) \*\*\* Ponder ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-periodic-table-and-other-unneeded-knowledge/451269/11 "2008-06-01T01:20:38Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] what a great excuse to post a link to the famous [“song of the elements”](http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html) by Tom Lehrer Learning is fun! [/QUOTE] Thank you for the link! I’ve saved it as a favorite too.