Websites, Apps and Podcasts For Life-Long Students

Websites, Apps and Podcasts For Life-Long Students Have you ever wondered why you can easily remember seemingly useless facts, but are incapable of recalling important dates? Do you marvel at the ease at which you can sing all the words to a song you havent heard in years, but you cant remember what you ate for lunch yesterday? As it turns out,emotionplays a huge role in memory formation. In short when we attach emotional significance to a piece of information, were much more likely to be able to recall it.But if youre worried that being a random knowledge retainer is fruitless, fear bedrngnisobscure knowledge is actually good for your mental health. Psychologists explain that knowing the answer to a question that others might find arcane causes a rush of dopamine to the brain, similar to the effects of gambling or playing a video game (but with virtually no downside).Check out ansicht four sources to learn new facts on a daily basis. If nothing else, the random knowledge youll acqui re will make you an excellent team member at your next trivia night.1.Now I Knowis a free daily newsletter started in 2010 byDan Lewis, whose day job is senior director of digital marketing at Sesame Street (which means hes the guy responsible for creating characters social media profiles, among other endeavors). The newsletter, which has more than 100,000 subscribers and has been adapted intotwo books, has covered topics ranging fromwhy womens shirts button backward, towhere the fear of poisoned Halloween came from, towhy we wake up with crusty eyes (admit it, youve always wondered)and many, many in between.2.HQ Triviais the latest app to sweep the nation (evenDan Ratherhas played--and won). Available on bothAppleandAndroidplatforms, HQ is played twice daily at 3 pm and 9 pm Eastern time and regularly draws hundreds of thousands of competitors, all vying to win a cash prize. Each game consists of 12 rounds, which progression from easy to hard, and competitors have ten seconds to an swer each question. Many players admit to being ousted well before getting to the final round, meaning that the answer they got wrong is likely emblazoned in their memory. In fact, research shows thatgetting questions wrongactually helps you to learn better--meaning that thousands of people are learning something new twice a day.3.How Stuff Works has become a veritable empire of random facts on subjects ranging from health science to entertainment to home garden. The website, which has extended into podcasts (including the popularStuff You Should Know), apps and video content series, boasts nearly 30 million unique visitors per month, with millions more engaging via other channels. If youve ever wondered aboutsafe ways to remove earwax,how big hail can get, or any other number of facts that are totally applicable to daily life or downright bizarre, sign up for the How Stuff Worksnewsletter.4. Looking for random information delivered in a witty way? Look no further thanMental Floss , which proclaims to answer lifes big questions and uncover stories so interesting our readers absolutely must share them. Mental Floss offersquizzes(sample topicsBig DogsandEarth Versus Soup) andlists(like22 Things You Might Not Know About Dawsons Creekand10 of Benjamin Franklins Lesser-Known Feats of Awesomeness) as well asvideosandlongform content.Whether youre looking to bolster your chances of winning Quizzo or are simply game to add some random knowledge to your memory bank, these four sites, apps and podcasts have you covered.--Kaitlin Bitting is a vice president of public relations atAllen Gerritsenand a certified health wellness coach. Shes passionate about helping people find the motivation to create lasting, positive change in their lives, whether personal or professional. Learn more atkaitlinbitting.com.