Category Archives: Uncategorized

AI and Trivia… or Don’t Trust A Chatbot on the Homework Question

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As anyone who has been to iQ Trivia would know, every quiz has a homework question. It’s something easy to find, unambiguous, but something you wouldn’t likely know unless you looked it up.

The idea, naturally, is that you are expected to look it up and given an advantage for being on our mailing list. And for the most part it works just fine.

Once in a while people acting in good faith wind up getting the homework question wrong, and if that happens at a significant scale we will generally change the homework question. Even if the question is right, we don’t want people to have to research it in great depth or fact check or be caught out by the first source that they find.

But now AI is emerging as a tool being used by more and more people, and some people are asking AI chatbots the homework question, and then complaining that they got the homework question wrong.

So now we’ve had to issue this advisory.

DO NOT USE AI ON THE HOMEWORK QUESTION.

Not because it’s cheating. It’s not. And you are supposed to look up the homework question.

But AI frequently gets things wrong.

As an example, last week we tested the homework question at one of our quizzes on an AI chatbot, asking it what four teams won the Stanley Cup in the 1980s. You can look that up yourself and you should find the answer quite easily on Wikipedia or on a number of other sources.

But the chatbot came back with an interesting answer.

And then followed up with a pretty firm statement that was demonstrably false.

(When asked a follow up question about the Calgary Flames who won in 1989 and which one of our hosts is old enough to distinctly remember, it went on to say that the Flames did not win in the 80s, and that their only win was in 1989.  But anyone who didn’t know that may have taken the initial statement at face value and lost out on a point.)

The homework question isn’t meant to be hard to research. If it is, we will generally change it.

Now we don’t know the ins and outs of how AI works or why it makes mistakes. We once tried using AI to write trivia questions and they were a combination of about 1/4th straight up factually inaccurate, and the remainder overwhelmingly questions that are technically correct, but extremely dull. That’s not what we aim to do, so we’re not going to use AI in putting together quizzes.

And you shouldn’t use AI in doing your homework.

Have an interesting week.

Team Name Bonus Point – Week of 20 July 2025

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As we post this, it is the anniversary of the moon landings.

It was a big moment for humanity, in as much as it gave cranky people everywhere an excuse to complain about things.

You probably heard someone say “we can land a man on the moon but we can’t…”

Well this week, your team names are going to finish that sentence.

Get a ziploc on potato chip bags

Make a drive thru speaker that is actually audible

Perform a prostate exam without… fingers

Build an anti-microwave that cools things in seconds

Print a black and white page when we’re low on magenta

Send a man to the moon again 56 years later

Tell us something you’re amazed we can’t do in light of the fact that we can land on the moon for a bonus point.

Have an interesting week.

This Week in iQ Trivia – 19 July 2025

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Here’s what you may have missed this week at iQ Trivia.

WINNERS

JACKPOT

Two teams got a jackpot for knowing about Finnish alcohol.

TEAM NAMES

You got creative with your team names.

Everywhere is a toilet if you’re a toddler

Every criminal is free if they’re President of the US

Any trivia answer is a correct answer if you’re threatening enough

Every day is payday if you’re a bank robber

Every light is a green light if you’re colour blind

Any distance is walking distance if you’ve got the time

Every work day is a last work day if you can’t keep your mouth shut

Every day is a weekend if you’re unemployed

Any joke is funny if you’re drunk enough

Every sink is a bathtub if you’re under 5’2’’

Every tree is a public urinal if you’re drunk enough

Any book is a Bible if you have enough faith in it

Every house is a mansion if you’re a mouse

Every walk is a bushwalk if you’re hairy enough

Any bath is a swimming pool if you’re small enough

Every sleeve is a tissue if you’re snotty enough

Any dog is a horse if you’re small enough

Every meeting is an AA meeting if you’re vulnerable enough

And multiple teams went with… Anything is a dildo if you’re brave enough

TriviArt

Moose Milkman

Hot Air

Boney Apple

Cactus Lozenge

Chocolate Steak

Corporate Coffee

INTERESTING MOMENTS

Biggest religions in India? Cricket and Virat Kohli obviously.

What term beginning with N refers to technology on a scale of billionths of metres? Napoletana.

The blokiest team in the room, statistically speaking, were the first to get a bonus question on tampons.

And our quarterly tournament somehow got closer.

Team Wins Score Average
Wrote a Letter 2 161 80.50
Bagpuss 2 154 77.00
Professional Cuddlers 2 152 76.00
Richard Gere Appreciation Society 2 151 75.50
Leader Housen 2 147 73.50
The Smith Family 2 147 73.50
Tournament Name 2 147 73.50
Diversity Council 2 145 72.50
Trough Lobster 2 139 69.50
That sounds like a you problem 1 83 83.00
Tullynessle 1 76 76.00
Fish and Friends 1 74 74.00
Hotel Rwanda 1 74 74.00
Bandits 1 73 73.00
Foxolotl 1 73 73.00
Leon & Val 1 73 73.00
Whale Emoji 1 73 73.00
Hipster Dog 1 72 72.00
The Happy Meals 1 71 71.00
Tight End Jesus 1 70 70.00

See you next week.

Alexandria Trivia – Iron Duke Hotel – Wednesdays at 730pm

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Alexandria trivia is kicking off in a new venue.

Yes, we’re bringing trivia back to a venue that needs it.

alexandria trivia

It’s at the Iron Duke Hotel at 220 Botany Road in Alexandria, and it is kicking off every Wednesday at 730pm.

trivia alexandria

We’ve got interesting trivia, we’ve got great food from the bistro complete with all the pub classics, a fully stocked bar with plenty of rotating taps so you won’t die of thirst or boredom, and we’ve got great prizes courtesy of the Iron Duke.

In short, we have got everything you need for a great Wednesday night out.

Of course, the Iron Duke isn’t your average pub, and iQ Trivia don’t do average trivia. So it’s bound to be a great night out if you are into beer and trivia. (And if you’re not, we have no idea why you are still reading.)

If you’re the kind of person who has memorised every Melbourne Cup winner, congratulations. But to be honest, that probably won’t help you. This isn’t an exam. Rather than just spitting out facts, you’ll probably have have to do some lateral thinking. We will ask questions that you won’t see coming. We will ask questions you probably won’t know off the top of your head, but will enjoy arguing about with your friends. The IQ in iQ Trivia stands for interesting questions, and that is what we will provide.

As always, we’ve got a homework question to give you an advantage. If you want to be on the e-mail list, just send an e-mail to homework@iqtrivia.com.au with Iron Duke in the subject line to be added to our mailing list.

And the Facebook page dedicated to the show will have additional information to help you out.

Book yourselves in for Alexandria trivia on their website or on 8006 3313.

And we will see you at 730pm every Wednesday in Alexandria at the Iron Duke.

Team Name Bonus Point – Week of 13 July 2025

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This week we want you to think about everyday items, and then take them beyond their limitations.

Specifically, you’re working with the formula… “every BLANK is a SUCH AND SUCH BLANK if you…”

Look at these examples to get the idea.

Every bag is a sleeping bag if you’re tired enough

Every car is an electric car if you stick an electric motor in the back seat

Every bike is a folding bike if you’re strong enough

Every chair is a lawn chair if you take it outside

Every zoo is a petting zoo if you have no regard for personal safety

Every restaurant is a drive through restaurant if you drive a tank

Every bank is a sperm bank if you’re willing to get arrested for indecent exposure

Any item taken beyond its usual context will get a bonus point.

Have an interesting week.

This Week in iQ Trivia – 12 July 2025

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Here’s what you may have missed this week at iQ Trivia.

WINNERS

TEAM NAMES

You made a lot of films a little bit happier.

The 39 Year Old Virgin

Chill Bill

Debate Club

Happiest Feet

Slightly Injure Bill

Titanic 2025 (no icebergs)

Dr Probably Not

Mad Max Grumpyosa

Ice Scream

The World is Just Enough

Some Country for Old Men

The Empire Come Back Home for the Holidays

Star Wars: The Second Last Jedi

Inglorious Children Born in Wedlock

The Smiling Game

Singing in the Drizzle

The Boy in the Comfy Pyjamas

Sophie Saves on Childcare

Schindler’s Christmas List

The Slightly Peckish Games

The Hunger Games at the Buffet

Comatose Poet’s Society

Palliative Poet’s Society

Happier Gilmore

Charcoal Swan

TriviArt

Happy Possum

Snail Shank

Rambunctious Jumper

Anime Adele

INTERESTING MOMENTS

A player mistook My Little Pony for Schindler’s List.

Someone’s commitment to their tournament team name led to them getting a “tattoo”.

When we came up with a couple of wrong answers to mix in with the right answer, every single team fell for one of the red herrings.

And there are three teams at the top of the table in our quarterly tournament with 2 wins in 2 weeks.

Team Wins Score
Bagpuss 2 154
Diversity Council 2 145
Trough Lobster 2 139
Wrote a Letter 1 81
Professional Cuddlers 1 78
Fish and Friends 1 74
Hotel Rwanda 1 74
Bandits 1 73
Foxolotl 1 73
Leon & Val 1 73
Tournament Name 1 73
Whale Emoji 1 73
Hipster Dog 1 72
The Smith Family 1 72
Richard Gere Appreciation Society 1 70
Tight End Jesus 1 70
Leader Housen 1 69
There Won’t Be Blood 1 69
Comfortable Mediocre 1 68
We’re just here to have fun 1 65
Team With No Name 1 59
Tourists 1 56
Divided Kingdom 1 55

See you next week.