Odd Famous People
What writer kept a rotting apple in his desk drawer to stimulate creativity?
A) Franz Kafka
B) Edgar Allan Poe
C) Friedrich Schiller
C) Friedrich Schiller
Who famously gave a four-hour speech while suffering from a severe case of pneumonia?
A) Winston Churchill
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Theodore Roosevelt
Humans are the only animals known to produce tears caused by emotions.
A) True
B) False — some primates do
C) False — dolphins also cry
A) True
Psychopathy is most closely linked to abnormalities in which part of the brain?
A) Cerebellum
B) Amygdala
C) Hypothalamus
B) Amygdala (the part associated with emotions like fear and empathy)
How many adult teeth does a typical human have?
A) 28
B) 30
C) 32
C) 32
What tech genius was known for soaking his feet in toilets to relax?
A) Steve Jobs
B) Nikola Tesla
C) Howard Hughes
A) Steve Jobs
Who chopped down a cherry tree (at least according to a famous legend)?
A) Benjamin Franklin
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) George Washington
C) George Washington
What chemical is released in emotional tears that helps reduce stress?
A) Dopamine
B) Cortisol
C) Endorphins
C) Endorphins
Which profession is statistically more likely to have a higher percentage of people with psychopathic traits?
A) Teacher
B) CEO
C) Scientist
B) CEO
How long can teeth survive after death if preserved naturally?
A) A few decades
B) Hundreds of years
C) Thousands of years
C) Thousands of years (teeth are among the longest-lasting parts of the body)
What eccentric millionaire famously stored jars of his own urine in hotel rooms?
A) Howard Hughes
B) Pablo Picasso
C) Andy Warhol
A) Howard Hughes
Who accidentally set their laboratory on fire multiple times during experiments?
A) Thomas Edison
B) Albert Einstein
C) Isaac Newton
A) Thomas Edison
How many types of tears does the human body produce?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
C) Three (Basal, Reflex, and Emotional)
What is a major difference between a psychopath and a sociopath, according to many psychologists?
A) Sociopaths are born with their condition; psychopaths are made by trauma
B) Psychopaths are more cold and calculated; sociopaths are more impulsive
C) Sociopaths have no emotions whatsoever
B) Psychopaths are more cold and calculated; sociopaths are more impulsive
Which creature has teeth not just in its mouth — but on its tongue?
A) Snake
B) Snail
C) Parrot
B) Snail (their radula is like a tongue covered in tiny teeth)
What author once tried to write a novel without using the letter “e”?
A) George Orwell
B) Ernest Hemingway
C) Georges Perec
C) Georges Perec
Who refused to accept their Nobel Prize in Literature and didn't show up for the ceremony?
A) Ernest Hemingway
B) Bob Dylan
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
Babies cry without producing actual tears until about what age?
A) 2 weeks old
B) 2 months old
C) 6 months old
B) 2 months old
Studies suggest that psychopathy may have a strong connection to what factor?
A) Early childhood nutrition
B) Genetic predisposition
C) Peer pressure in adolescence
B) Genetic predisposition
Which ancient civilization is believed to have invented the first toothbrushes?
A) Romans
B) Egyptians
C) Chinese
C) Chinese (using bristles from hogs)
What rock musician reportedly demanded a bowl of only brown M&Ms in their backstage rider — just to see if the venue read the contract?
A) Ozzy Osbourne
B) David Lee Roth
C) Mick Jagger
B) David Lee Roth (of Van Halen)
Who painted an entire series of water lilies late in life despite nearly going blind?
A) Claude Monet
B) Pierre-Auguste Renoir
C) Edgar Degas
A) Claude Monet
In the 1800s, it was considered a sign of good character for men to cry in public — especially in which country?
A) France
B) Japan
C) England
C) England
What emotion do psychopaths typically fake very convincingly?
A) Sadness
B) Anger
C) Joy
A) Sadness (especially for manipulation)
Which animal grows and sheds thousands of teeth during its lifetime?
A) Crocodile
B) Shark
C) Komodo dragon
B) Shark