Today’s Atlantic Trivia: Cauliflower, Bachelor of Arts
**Exploring the Intriguing World of Atlantic Trivia: A Snapshot of Knowledge and Culture**
In the latest edition of *The Atlantic Daily*, readers are invited to engage with a series of thought-provoking trivia questions that blend historical knowledge with contemporary cultural insights. The article kicks off with a nod to George Miller’s influential mid-century research on human short-term memory, which posits that individuals can typically hold about seven items in short-term memory, with modern psychologists suggesting a more realistic figure of four when it comes to “chunking” information. This serves as a backdrop for the trivia questions, encouraging readers to test their memory and knowledge while enjoying the rich content of *The Atlantic*.
Among the questions posed, one stands out: it inquires about a political-science term that merges the name of an early-19th-century vice president, Elbridge Gerry, with a common amphibian. The answer, “gerrymander,” highlights the ongoing issues of partisan redistricting in the United States, a topic that has significant implications for political representation today. Another question humorously juxtaposes a cauliflower with its more affordable counterpart, cabbage, prompting a discussion on the often-overlooked qualities of this humble vegetable. Gilad Edelman, the author of the piece, advocates for cabbage to reclaim its rightful place in culinary conversations, challenging the stereotype that it is a boring vegetable.
As the trivia unfolds, readers are also treated to insights about contemporary cultural movements, such as the emergence of the Chicago rap subgenre known as “drill,” characterized by its confrontational lyrics and represented by breakout star Ice Spice. This discussion not only reflects the dynamic nature of modern music but also emphasizes the importance of in-person artistic innovation in an increasingly digital world. The article wraps up with a reminder for readers to return for more trivia and to engage with the rich tapestry of knowledge *The Atlantic* offers, encouraging them to contribute their own questions or facts. This blend of historical context, cultural commentary, and interactive engagement makes the trivia section a delightful exploration of both past and present, appealing to a diverse readership eager to learn and reflect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enx5s4N-GBc
Updated with new questions at 2:45 p.m. ET on November 25, 2025.
A seminal mid-century paper by the psychologist George Miller asserted that the human brain can hold seven items in short-term memory, give or take a couple. A person can chunk—that is, group items together in sensible, memorable units—to get a bit more bang, but modern psychologists think the species can handle only about
four
of those.
None of the chunks in the great minestrone that is
The Atlantic
is going anywhere, though, so enjoy leisurely encoding them in your much more capacious long-term memory. Then dip into a little trivia to see what stuck.
Find last week’s questions here
, and to get
Atlantic
Trivia in your inbox every day,
sign up for The
Atlantic
Daily
.
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
What political-science term
is a combo of the last name of an early-19th-century vice president (first name: Elbridge) and the name of a common (and notably shaped) amphibian?
— From Marc Novicoff’s
“Welcome to the [REDACTED] Apocalypse”
Mark Twain once joked that a cauliflower is merely a college-educated version of
what other vegetable
that is among the cheapest vegetables one can buy?
— From Gilad Edelman’s
“Enough With the Brussels Sprouts Already”
What rap subgenre
originating in Chicago (and sharing its name with a power tool) is known by its confrontational lyrics and its biggest breakout star, Ice Spice?
— From W. David Marx’s
“Make Culture Weird Again”
And by the way, did you know that another early-19th-century honcho—Timothy Pickering, secretary of state to George Washington and John Adams—tried to organize the secession of a handful of New England states after Thomas Jefferson became president?
Pickering, a Federalist, saw Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican Party’s dramatic consolidation of power as the ultimate failure of the new Union (
as Henry Cabot Lodge explained
in the June 1878 edition of
The Atlantic
!). Pickering predicted tyranny, unchecked corruption, the air of Robespierre in America. So he determined that a Northern confederacy of Massachusetts and a few pals was the only remedy.
You may note that getting from D.C. to Boston doesn’t require a passport, however much linguistic differences suggest it should; Pickering’s plot—despite two separate tries—failed.
Until tomorrow!
Answers:
Gerrymander.
Thanks to partisan redistricting, America is rapidly becoming a political system bursting with red-state Democrats and blue-state Republicans who effectively lack congressional representation, Marc writes. And mostly, the incentives are to just keep going.
Read more.
Cabbage.
Gilad argues that the cliché of a “humble” vegetable is actually apt for cabbage and that its bad reputation (or at least boring one) is unearned. He would like to see this unassuming crucifer get its moment in the sun.
Read more.
Drill.
The subculture is one of few still operating in the old-school model of in-person artistic innovation, Marx writes, whereas most of the rest of “culture” has migrated online and oriented toward the mass market. A 21st-century cultural renaissance, he contends, requires allowing (and encouraging) artists to disappear into their own worlds for a spell.
Read more.
How did you do? Come back tomorrow for more questions, or
click here for last week’s
. And if you think up a great question after reading an
Atlantic
story—or simply want to share a dazzling fact—send it my way at
trivia@theatlantic.com
.
Monday, November 24, 2025
From the
edition of The
Atlantic
Daily
by David A. Graham:
The venue that hosted a high-profile international conference last week caught fire—a pretty on-the-nose metaphor, considering that the summit was about
what subject
?
— From Peter Brannen’s
“Our Almost-Apocalyptic [REDACTED] Future”
The German theologian Martin Luther is credited with beginning the Reformation in 1517 when he published a collection of his arguments known by
what numerical name
?
— From George Packer’s
“An Anatomy of the MAGA Mind”
The moviemaking industry known as Nollywood is based in
what country
—the most populous of its continent?
— From Toluse Olorunnipa’s
“The Fantastical Storytelling of Nollywood Movies”
And by the way, did you know that in addition to Dollywood (very much
not
a filmmaking industry, unless you count the 2022 TV movie
Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas
), there is a Dhollywood
and
a Dhallywood?
The former is India’s Gujarati-language industry, named for its frequent use of the drum known as a
dhol
. The latter is Bangladesh’s movie industry, named for the country’s capital, Dhaka. And the surrealist cinema of the early 20th century, such as
Un Chien Andalou
? Maybe … Dalíwood!
Answers:
Climate change.
Brannen argues that such a fiery fate might await the whole world if society resigns itself to the “climate realism” argument that says a 3-degree rise should be the new do-not-pass line—because, realistically, do-not-pass lines often get passed.
Read more.
The 95 theses.
George argues that the United States’ conservative political thought not so long ago was full of dramatic, rigorous ideas; he likens one writer’s reasoned argument against Enlightenment liberalism to Luther’s theses. But that writer, like so many others on the right, George says, has fallen into vulgarity.
Read more.
Nigeria.
In the Sunday culture edition of The
Atlantic
Daily (
sign up here
), Toluse reminisces on a childhood spent waiting for cousins in Nigeria to mail him physical media from the industry. Now anyone can catch Nollywood fare on streamers, where movie budgets have grown and the storytelling is as fantastical as ever.
Read more.
