15 Facts You Should Probably Know If You’re a Geek

Being a geek isn’t always easy. There are so many different things you have to know in order to earn that title. Understanding a variety of facts that only a geek would know is a big one. Let’s see if you can earn the title of geek. How many facts did you know before reading this?

1. The Origins of Algebra

Some people love algebra, and others hate it. No matter what, you have to admit that it’s an important part of a geek’s life. From movies to computers, algebra has a lot of pull in society. Do you know who invented it? The ancient Egyptians.

2. Your Hogwarts House

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you should know which house you belong to. You can take an official test on Pottermore.com to see which house you’re in. You’ll be surprised how accurate the test is.

3. The Live Long and Prosper Sign

Make sure you know how to do Spock’s classic “live long and prosper” sign. It’s like another language for those in geekdom.

4. The Names of Those Who Played Doctor Who

Doctor Who is one of the most iconic television shows in history. It’s been going for decades, and there have been twelve official doctors played by 12 different actors. Their names, in order, are:

1. William Hartnell
2. Patrick Troughton
3. Jon Pertwee
4. Tom Baker
5. Peter Davison
6. Colin Baker
7. Sylvester McCoy
8. Paul McGann
9. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant
11. Matt Smith
12. Peter Capaldi

Now that you know them all, have you seen all their episodes?

5. How Many Stargates Are On Earth

At one point there were two—one in Egypt and one in Antarctic. But sadly, there’s only one operating one now that the original Egyptian gate was buried in the ocean.

6. Why You Should Turn Electronics Off and On Again

You’ve probably offered this advice dozens of times, but do you know why it often works so well? It’s because most machines are state-based. When turned off and on, the machine is put back into its initial state. This often solves the problem.

7. How to Hide Files in a JPEG Picture

It’s pretty cool to code secret messages to share with your friends. If you don’t already know how to do this, there are dozens of tutorials on YouTube.

8. Where the Largest Comic Com is Held

The largest comic con is held in San Diego. It’s been around for nearly 50 years, and they host almost 170,000 people every year. You could safely say that it’s one comic con to rule them all, one comic con to find them. One ring to bring them all, and at comic con bind them.

9. A Few Klingon Phrases

You don’t have to be fluent in Klingon, but you should at least know a few phrases. TlhIngan maH!

10. What L.A.R.P. Stands For

Live action role play. Have you done any LARPing lately?

11. How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube

They say there’s a trick to solving it every time, but it’s something you have to figure out on your own.

12. Those Were Real Squirrels in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

There were a lot of things to like about Tim Burton’s creation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – but one of the most interesting was the squirrels. There were 40 squirrels cracking nuts in the scene where Veruca Salt falls down the garbage disposal. But those squirrels weren’t CGI. They were real, highly trained squirrels cracking nuts on camera. Who knew?

13. The World’s Largest Comic Book Collection

The world’s largest publicly available comic book collection is in the Library of Congress, but there’s one even larger in a man’s basement. Bret Bretall made it into the Guinness Book of World Records a few years ago with 94,268 books in his personal collection.

14. Our Earth Exists Somewhere in the Marvel Multiverse

It’s called Earth 1218, and it’s the most boring universe in the multiverse. No one has super powers, and we’re barely mentioned in comic books.

15. Stan Lee’s Movie Appearances

Stan Lee has a habit of appearing in the Marvel movies, and he’s chocked up about 30 cameos so far, starting with the 1970’s Incredible Hulk. Sometimes, you have to wait until the end of the credits to see him, but he’s there! Just another party fact you can show off to your friends.