On the Spot

I enjoy a lot of different types of shows and I like trivia so it makes sense I would like this show as well. I caught it channel surfing very recently and before I realized it, I had not only stopped on the show, but had watched the entire episode. The pace is fast (may make it hard for some to retain all the trivia) but it keeps you from being bored and the topics range so there's something for everyone. I fact checked a couple of things I was unsure of and found the show to be correct, though I honestly have no idea if the show is one hundred percent correct on everything. I will fact check something else if I want to know more on a certain topic but I refuse to fact check everything because then there's really no point in watching it. Another user's previous comment stated they made a mistake with the term googol. I double checked. A googol is one x ten to the hundredth power. So if you like trivia I say give the show a shot and be your own judge.

In one of the segments it said West Virginia and 1834 in the same sentence. West Virginia was formed in 1861 as a result of the American Civil War, therefore West Virginia did not exist 1834 when the segment was talking about a hunting prohibition.

Interesting show, but vet if it is you plan to rely on it or you will surely lose bar bets.

I ran across this show recently while channel surfing, and found it entertaining. Yes, the format is a bit hectic, but I got used to that. I watch and read a lot of science and history and technology, so I found the show interesting and informative. It provided the sort of material I like to slip into conversations at parties and bars and such - little tidbits of unusual information to get conversations started.

Then a recent episode claimed that a googol is 1 to the 100th power. No, a googol is TEN to the hundredth power. One to ANY power is still one. So I stopped watching - if they can't get something as basic as that right, they can't be trusted on anything else. If I have to go verify everything they say, it's not worth the trouble to watch. Too bad.

BTW, I'm talking about a newer version than the one described here - it was episode 302, and was not man-on-the-street Q&A (which would not interest me - I know that most people are stupid) - instead it just feeds the factoids rapid-fire with supporting stories.