Question 1

In Norse mythology, the mighty god Thor wields his hammer Mjölnir — but according to the original myths, what is a little-known quirk of Mjölnir's design that made Thor's weapon imperfect?

Accepted Answer

Its handle was too short because a fly interrupted the dwarves who forged it. According to the Prose Edda, the hammer's handle was forged too short because Loki, disguised as a fly, bit the dwarf Brokkr on the eye during the forging process — the handle's shortness is the hammer's only flaw, which is why Thor must wear a special gauntlet to wield it.

Question 2

William Shakespeare wrote roughly 37 plays. Which of his plays is the longest, clocking in at over four hours if performed in full without cuts?

Accepted Answer

Hamlet. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play at around 4,000 lines — a full uncut performance can run over four hours, which is why directors almost always make significant cuts, and why different productions can feel like very different plays.

Question 3

The word 'Google' is now synonymous with internet searching — but where did the founders get the name, and what is it a misspelling of?

Accepted Answer

'Googol' — the mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. Larry Page and Sergey Brin intended to name their search engine 'Googol' — the number 10^100 — to reflect the massive scale of data they were indexing. When a domain name was registered, 'Google' was accidentally typed instead, and the misspelling stuck.

Question 4

The tradition of counting down to midnight on New Year's Eve is beloved worldwide. The famous Times Square ball drop in New York City started in which year?

Accepted Answer

1907. The first Times Square ball drop happened on December 31, 1907, welcoming 1908. It was conceived by newspaper publisher Adolph Ochs to celebrate the New York Times' new headquarters, replacing an earlier fireworks display.

Question 5

The famous 'Earthrise' photograph — showing Earth hovering above the Moon's horizon — is one of the most reproduced photos in history. Who took it, and during which mission?

Accepted Answer

William Anders, during Apollo 8 in 1968. Astronaut William Anders snapped 'Earthrise' on Christmas Eve 1968 during Apollo 8 — the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon. The photograph is widely credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement by showing Earth as a fragile, isolated marble in the void.

August 27, 2026 Trivia

1. In Norse mythology, the mighty god Thor wields his hammer Mjölnir — but according to the original myths, what is a little-known quirk of Mjölnir's design that made Thor's weapon imperfect?

2. William Shakespeare wrote roughly 37 plays. Which of his plays is the longest, clocking in at over four hours if performed in full without cuts?

3. The word 'Google' is now synonymous with internet searching — but where did the founders get the name, and what is it a misspelling of?

4. The tradition of counting down to midnight on New Year's Eve is beloved worldwide. The famous Times Square ball drop in New York City started in which year?

5. The famous 'Earthrise' photograph — showing Earth hovering above the Moon's horizon — is one of the most reproduced photos in history. Who took it, and during which mission?