Comments on: I don’t like Trivia Nights

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:43:26 +0000

If you consider trivia to be useless information, then there is really no such thing as trivia contest, since the massive amounts of otherwise useless information becomes useful for participation in these contests. The net effect if trivia contests for most people is that of polluting their memories with what amounts to mental litter.

There is a theory that long term memories work by recording an association to a similar past experience, along eith the sensory details that differ. This accounts for the Deja Vu experience, that occurs when a situation is so much like apreviously experienced on the the mind is tricked into believing that is has been there before. Two different neurological conditions seem to support this theory. Ideopathic synesthesia, and autism.

In cases of ideopathic synesthesia, sensory signals “cross-over” in ways the are very specific and consistant to each individual person. One synesthete may experience a sensation of the color red when they hear a pipe organ, and blue when they hear a reed organ. Another synesthete may have no sensory pairings with vision and sound, but may experience sensory pairings between touch and taste or about any other combination. The paired sensations effectively add detail that makes every experience more memorable. Synesthetes typically have amazing recall abilities for detail, but often intentially recalling something takes longer than a non-synesthete.

In autism, the part of the brain that determines which senses are important (amygdala), fails to function properly. The onslaught of information overload makes it impossible in some cases to function. Mild or “high functioning” may present winth mental confusion, as the individual becomes overwhelmed by the useless sensory data. In severe cases, the individual may be able to ignore all the informaion.

Normal people can focus their memory to certain tasks. However, when they memorize so much junk information, it can actually intefere with reasoning and any philosophical endeavors. So instead of thinking about which presidential candidate is the best qualified, they are more concerned with which pop star is not wearing underwear.

By: Erika Price

Erika Price — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:10:43 +0000

I have thankfully never faced a “trivia night” of sorts, but I still identify with this post. At parties or small get-togethers I must come across as a huge curmudgeon, because I grumble and complain as soon as someone proposes that we “play a game”. In my social/age bracket, this usually refers to a drinking game- some silly, frustrating little exercise to ensure that everyone present feels a heavy pressure to not only drink, but to drink a lot.

But the drinking I don’t mind. I hate the way the details and process of “the game” prevent discussion. I’ve seen so many social situations deteriorate from engaging conversation with drinking into empty game-playing with drinking. I always moan, “Why can’t we just drink and talk? Aren’t we having fun?” But apparently everyone else loves the diversion of some mindless game, and I always “lose” that argument.

By: Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:27:08 +0000

Interesting comment about the law, Dan. As I see it, I strive for the best possible presentation of the client’s case. When I do that, the wins take care of themselves. I find that thinking about winning and losing is distracting. I would illustrate with the example of a baseball player who is at bat, who is thinking about winning the game instead of focusing on hitting the ball hard. Whenever I think about “winning the case,” I’m not focusing on doing the thing that I’m supposed to be doing.

By: Dan Klarmann

Dan Klarmann — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:59:24 +0000

I mostly agree about trivia contests. I once participated in one, obliquely. My churchy relatives were at one, and consulted me by phone. Although I have a significant store of trivia adjacent to my wide fields of study, I am not as good at trivia games as people would guess. I don’t follow pop culture, and am useless at memorized list points, like names and dates.

I had no answers to your list of questions. The only memory tweak your list gave me was: To which 2 of the dozen TV shows in which Cosby appeared (mostly as a regular, often as a title character) are you referring? “The Bill Cosby Show”, “I Spy” and “Cos” came immediately to my mind.

The time=money equation is moot during the hours where participants might be home in front of “Reality” shows. Trivia torture is arguably better for the brain.

btw: A lawyer who claims not to be interested in who wins might not be my first pick in litigation. All adversarial situations are games; the difference is the stakes.