[For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Trivia and Quizzes Introduced

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

Have you ever found it hard to keep a conversation going with an older adult, or wondered what to talk about?

At times like that, why not incorporate some fun trivia into your communication?

It can liven up the conversation, help you learn things you didn’t know before, and make for an enjoyable time together.

There’s trivia that feels familiar to older adults, as well as tidbits with surprising answers.

Trivia quizzes are also great as ideas for recreational activities.

They can be done while seated and are suitable for all genders, so many people can enjoy them.

Quizzes stimulate the brain and can help prevent dementia or slow its progression.

Try incorporating trivia quizzes while having fun!

[For Seniors] Fun and Informative! Introducing Trivia and Quizzes (131–140)

When your eyes are tired, what color should you look at to relieve eye fatigue?

The answer is “green.” Green is said to have a psychological effect of helping you relax and easing tension in the mind and body.

Perhaps the reason we place houseplants in our rooms is that we modern people are unconsciously seeking healing and relaxation.

Have you also heard that it’s good to look at distant mountains when your eyes are tired? It seems that looking into the distance rather than at something nearby allows the eye muscles to relax.

This, too, is the wisdom of those who came before us.

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There’s something that the autumn delicacy “sanma” (Pacific saury) doesn’t have. What is that something?

Autumn is also the season for Pacific saury, isn’t it? Just thinking about whether to grill it with salt or have it as sushi is exciting.

Here’s a little quiz: “There’s something that saury don’t have—what is it?” The hint is that it’s a body part.

Think it over.

The answer is “a stomach.” Saury don’t have a stomach, which means their waste is expelled quickly.

For that reason, saury can be grilled whole and eaten with the innards.

By the way, fish without a stomach are called agastric fish.

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What kind of sweets did the Jomon people make with pottery?

The Jomon period began roughly 12,000 years ago.

We humans lived far more primitive lives than we do today, with acorns as a staple food.

Did you know there was a kind of confectionery made during the Jomon period? In fact, it’s a sweet that’s still widely known today: cookies.

People back then are said to have kneaded dough made from nuts, eggs, and salt.

Incidentally, although there are various theories, it’s also said they used a similar method to knead hamburger patties.

Makes you wonder what they tasted like, doesn’t it?

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yamamoto

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There’s an easy way to intensify a banana’s sweetness using items you already have at home. What is that method?

Bananas are popular as desserts or for breakfast.

They’re very tasty, but sometimes after buying them you might feel they’re “not very sweet” or “not quite ripe yet.” In such cases, there’s a way to make bananas sweeter.

The method is to soak them in 40–50°C (104–122°F) warm water for a few minutes.

It’s simple, so you can try it today.

The mechanism is a bit complex, but it’s said that warming activates amylase, a component related to sweetness.

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yamamoto

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If you press the vending machine’s left and right buttons at the same time, which product will come out?

On a vending machine, you put in money and press a lit button to buy an item, right? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you pressed the buttons at the same time? Some people might have even tried it, thinking they could get two items for the price of one.

When you press the left and right buttons simultaneously, you won’t get two products—and in fact, which one comes out is predetermined.

The answer is: the left.

If someone says the right-side item came out, it means the buttons weren’t actually pressed at exactly the same time.

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In addition to sourness, sweetness, and saltiness, the tongue can detect one more taste. What is the other one?

When we eat food, we sense various tastes with our tongues.

So, alongside sourness, sweetness, and saltiness, what is the other taste we actually perceive? Here’s a hint: many children tend to dislike it a bit, and many people come to appreciate its deliciousness more as they grow older.

The answer is bitterness.

The tongue has taste buds—organ-like sensors that detect tastes—that perceive each of these flavors.

Eat plenty and enjoy a wide variety of tastes!

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SAKI