Trivia refers to bits of information that are interesting or fun to know but not particularly important or useful in everyday life. When you learn that a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance, or that honey never spoils, or that octopuses have three hearts, you're learning trivia.

Today, trivia means facts that are entertaining to collect and share but won't help you solve serious problems.

People enjoy testing their trivia knowledge in games like Trivial Pursuit or at trivia nights at restaurants and libraries, where teams compete to answer obscure questions about history, science, sports, or pop culture. Some people have remarkable memories for trivia and can recall tiny details about their favorite subjects, whether it's baseball statistics, dinosaur names, or facts about space exploration.

While trivia might seem unimportant (that's partly what makes it trivia!), collecting interesting facts exercises your memory and can make you a better conversationalist. Plus, you never know when a seemingly useless fact might turn out to be exactly what you need to know.