9 ridiculous Wikipedia lists to waste away the work day – Memeburn
By Julia Breakey on 9 March, 2017 Share
For the last six years of my life, I have had teachers, lecturers and tutors drill into my brain: Wikipedia is not an acceptable source.
And for six whole years I have steered clear of the tomes of knowledge Wikipedia offers me.
No longer.
Wikipedia has a knack for distracting me from the anxieties of daily life, and there is no better distraction than its carefully curated lists.
So, for your consideration, here are the nine best lists on Wikipedia right now.
This list mostly looks at albums and songs that critics have declared the worst ever written. On it youll find classics like Justin BiebersBabyand Black Eyed PeasMy Humps.And while critics are definitely wrong about 4 Non BlondesWhats Up, the rest of the list is pretty spot on, and the critiques are hilarious.
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The lyrics, most notably F**king magnets, how do they work? And I dont wanna talk to a scientist / Yall motherf**kers lying, and getting me pissed have been noted as the worst lyrics of all time
Image: brewbooks via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)
Wikipedia is spilling hottea withthis list, outing all popes who havetaken their rogers out for an unholy swim. And if you think its just wives and women the dear popes of yore were into, think again. A few popes have been embroiled in scandals of the homosexual nature, and its all on Wikipedia for you to see.
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thought to have diedof indigestion from eating a melon, though detractors insisted he died while engaging in sodomy with a page
Former US President George W. Bush was notorious for his difficulty withthe English language,but one thing he seemed to be very good at was doling out nicknames. Whether it was nicknamingAssistant Secretary of Commerce for International Trade and Promotion Altoid Boy or the Prime Minister of Italy Shoes, Bush really had a knack for not taking the most important job in the world seriously.
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Pootie-Poot, Ostrich Legs Vladimir Putin, Presidentand Prime Minister of Russia
Yip, thats right. There are people who sat down and recorded absolutely nothing and got noted for it. Follow your dreams, kids!
Pieces listed here include works from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, The All-American Rejects and Korn. Whod have thought those three acts would be listed in one sentence together?
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The band was going through all the motions: the swart, longish-haired leader led away; the brasses, the saxophones, the clarinets made a great show of fingering and blowing, but the only sound from the stage was a rhythmic swish-swish from the trap-drummer, a froggy slap-slap from the bull-fiddler, a soft plunk-plunk from the pianist.
Image: Ergsap via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)
You may think you know stuff I know I did but this list will have you feeling like Jon Snow in no time. How sure are you that Adam and Eves forbidden fruit was an apple? Orthat evolution explains the origin of life? Or that humans only have five senses?If you answered anything stronger than relatively sure, you world is about to change forever.
Favourite quote:
The term Immaculate Conception was not coined to refer to the virgin birth of Jesus,nor does it reference a supposed belief in the virgin birth of Mary, his mother. Instead, it denotes a Roman Catholic belief that Mary was not in a state of original sin from the moment of her own conception.
Talkabout being a good boy! Some of these animals have done tremendous things with their lives, despite being born into a society that told them they couldnt. And, sure, maybe the degrees arelegallyfraudulent, but these badassanimals prefer not to let semantics get them down.
Favourite quote:
Ben Goldacre, a UK-based physician and science journalist, wrote in 2004 that his cat, Henrietta, had obtained a diploma in nutrition from the American Association of Nutritional Consultants; Goldacre had been investigating allegations about the qualifications claimed by Gillian McKeith.Goldacre said, its a particular honour since dear, sweet, little Hettie died about a year ago.
If a dead cat can reach its dreams, so too can the rest of us.
While erroneous reporting of famous deaths are more common in the internet age (how often have Betty White and Rowan Atkinson died?), there are some great stories on this list predating the world wide web of lies.
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On 2 October 1571, a pallbearer dropped his coffin on the way to the funeral, waking him up. His resurrection is still celebrated each year in Braughing, Hertfordshire.
Stiglers Law refers to scientific discoveries named after people who didnt discover them. Alison Bechdel didnt invent the Bechdel test, Indians discovered the Fibonacci sequence before him and not even Sir Isaac Newton discovered his first two laws. Who can we even trust anymore?
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Stiglers Law, attributed by Stephen Stigler himself to Robert K. Merton
Exactly what it says on the tin. All links here take you to another list. Endless procrastination abounds. Youre welcome.
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lists about skepticism
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9 ridiculous Wikipedia lists to waste away the work day - Memeburn
- Jessica Wade Wrote Thousands of Wikipedia Biographies for Women in STEM - Adafruit - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Meet the mystery editor behind most of the Wikipedia pages on South Korea - The Straits Times - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Wikipedia must be defended from the onslaught of AI - Diari ARA - October 9th, 2025 [October 9th, 2025]
- Ted Cruz picks a fight with Wikipedia, accusing platform of left-wing bias - Ars Technica - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Cruz presses Wikipedia on bias amid growing conservative criticism - The Hill - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Cruz presses Wikipedia to address concerns systemic bias is promoting left-wing ideology - Washington Examiner - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Meet the mystery editor behind most of the Wikipedia pages on Korea - The Korea Herald - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Meet the Physicist Who Wrote Over 2,000 Wikipedia Biographies for Women in STEM - My Modern Met - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- ConfirmedElon Musk declares war on Wikipedia and creates Grokipedia, an AI-powered alternative developed by xAI - Unin Rayo - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Elon Musk launches Grokipedia: The response to Wikipedia arrives in two weeks - Cointribune - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Grokipedia: The Coming War with Wikipedia for the World's Knowledge - Hackernoon - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Conservatives Slam Wikipedia as 'Woke' And Its Own Co-Founder Agrees: 'It's Been Hijacked by the Left' - International Business Times UK - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Elon Musk Unveils Plans for Grokipedia, an Ai-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia - VINnews - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- The billionaire and the village square: Why both Wikipedia and Grok fall short in an age of epistemic power struggles - The Sunday Guardian - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Elon Musks Wikipedia? Grokipedia Version 0.1 Coming Up In 2 Weeks: How Will It Help You? - NDTV Profit - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Elon Musk xAI Set to Launch Wikipedia Alternative Grokipedia - TVC News - October 7th, 2025 [October 7th, 2025]
- Europe caves to bullies on speech, Yes, Wikipedia can be fixed and other commentary - New York Post - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Wikipedia co-founder says site has liberal bias heres his plan to fix that - Straight Arrow News - SAN - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- Elon Musk decided to create his alternative to Wikipedia: xAI is already developing it - - October 4th, 2025 [October 4th, 2025]
- I Founded Wikipedia. Heres How to Fix It. - The Free Press - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel has nothing on Wikipedia when it comes to misinforming people - New York Post - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- The 3 building blocks of trustworthy information: Lessons from Wikipedia - Wikimedia Foundation - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Tilly Norwood already has a Wikipedia page, and not even the editors are sure what to call it - Fast Company - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- TUCKER CARLSON: WIKIPEDIA'S ANONYMOUS, UNTOUCHABLES ARE SHAPING AMERICANS' UNDERSTANDING Larry Sanger(Co-Founder of Wikipedia): "85% of the most... - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- MAGA Melts Down Over Wikipedia Blacklist - The Daily Beast - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk announces Grokipedia as Wikipedia alternative from xAI - Teslarati - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Grokipedia will be Elon Musks version of Wikipedia - Notebookcheck - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Transcript: Wikipedia Co-Creator Larry Sangers Interview on The Tucker Carlson Show - The Singju Post - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Says xAI Is Building 'Grokipedia' To Replace Wikipedia: 'Will Be A Massive Improvement' - Benzinga - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musks Wikipedia Competitor Is Going to Be a Disaster - Gizmodo - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk slams Wikipedia over bias, vows new alternative| RISING - The Hill - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk unveils Grokipedia, a new alternative to Wikipedia - Berawang News - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Plans to Take on Wikipedia With 'Grokipedia' PCMag - Berawang News - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk announces Grokipedia as Wikipedia alternative from xAI - Berawang News - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- A New Encyclopedia in the Making? Musk Thinks Grok Can Replace Wikipedia Editors - Digital Information World - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Says xAI Is Building 'Grokipedia' To Replace Wikipedia: 'Will Be A Massive Improvement' - Berawang News - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk is creating his own alternative to Wikipedia based on Grok - Mezha.Media - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Move over Wikipedia, Elons coming with Grokipedia - The Economic Times - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk Launches Grokipedia by xAI as Wikipedia Alternative - - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Wikipedia could be included in the teen social media ban. Australian users are worried - Crikey - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- 'Grokipedia': Elon Musk says xAI is working on a Wikipedia rival powered by AI - Mint - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk announced the Grokipedia project as a replacement for Wikipedia - Zamin.uz - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- 2 yrs into failed takeover, Elon Musk announces own Wikipedia - ummid.com - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- What is Grokipedia that Elon Musk is launching to take on rival Wikipedia - Tribune India - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Fears Of Wikipedia's End Overblown, But Challenges Remain Warn Researchers - Mirage News - October 2nd, 2025 [October 2nd, 2025]
- Enver Hasani: Ibrahim Rugova an extraordinary intellectual, Kurti with Wikipedia knowledge to impress others - Gazeta Express - September 28th, 2025 [September 28th, 2025]
- How AI and Wikipedia have sent vulnerable languages into a doom spiral - MIT Technology Review - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- How AI and Wikipedia have sent vulnerable languages into a doom spiral - StartupNews.fyi - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Hone your Wikipedia editing and contributing skills at this monthly Brixton meetup - Brixton Buzz - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- Jimmy Kimmel Live(s On), No Thanks To Brands; The Case For Ad-Supported Wikipedia - AdExchanger - September 25th, 2025 [September 25th, 2025]
- How Wikipedia Can Save the Internet With Advertising - Tech Policy Press - September 23rd, 2025 [September 23rd, 2025]
- The right wing is coming for Wikipedia | On Point - WBUR - September 21st, 2025 [September 21st, 2025]
- Keeping information reliable in the digital age: Lessons from Wikipedia - Wikimedia Foundation - September 19th, 2025 [September 19th, 2025]
- Recent attacks on Wikipedia may have more to do with politics than accuracy - NPR - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- Wikipedia is planning to take down Erika Kirk's page - and the reason why is shockingly brutal - The Tab - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- In Neurocracy, it's up to you to solve a murder mystery through the internet's greatest resource, Wikipedia - Rock Paper Shotgun - September 13th, 2025 [September 13th, 2025]
- Wikipedia Editors Are Trying To Downplay Details Of Iryna Zarutska's Murder - OutKick - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Wikipedia Editors Are Trying To Downplay Details Of Iryna Zarutska's Murder - OutKick - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Recent attacks on Wikipedia may have more to do with politics than accuracy - KUOW - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Wikipedia Vs The Bengal Files: How politically motivated editors are distorting public perception of the movie - OpIndia - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- The 10 Giveaway Signs Of AI Writing, Wikipedia Reveals - Forbes - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- A Woman Was Stabbed to Death on a Train. Wikipedia Might Pretend It Never Happened. - The Free Press - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- The Terrifying Reality of Wikipedia Bias in an AI World - National Review - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- Biased Wikipedia Hurls Brickbats at Fox and Newsmax, Bouquets at CNN and MSNBC - The Daily Signal - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- This self-hosted Wikipedia is wrong about everything, and it's hilarious - xda-developers.com - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- Wikipedia is under attack and how it can survive - The Verge - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- The Silent Architects of Wikipedia: How a Tiny Elite Shapes What We Know - Vocal - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- GOP Investigation Pressures Wikipedia to Reveal Identities of Editors Accused of 'Bias' Against Israel - Common Dreams - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- With just a Raspberry Pi, you can host your own offline Wikipedia: here's how I did it - xda-developers.com - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- African science and tech missing from Wikipedia - SciDev.Net - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- US Lawmakers Launch Investigation Into Wikipedia Over Claims of Systemic Anti-Israel Bias - Algemeiner.com - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- House Republicans investigate Wikipedia over allegations of bias - Straight Arrow News - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- House panel probing organized efforts to distort Wikipedia, including entries on Israel - JNS.org - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- 'We seek your assistance...': US lawmakers wants to investigate Wikipedia over alleged biased entries; se - The Times of India - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- Republican quest to meddle with all informational institutions arrives at Wikipedia - AV Club - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- A mysterious Wikipedia editor is scrubbing Daniel Luries page of controversy - The San Francisco Standard - August 27th, 2025 [August 27th, 2025]
- Congress opens investigation into Wikipedia over foreign efforts to manipulate information - Washington Examiner - August 27th, 2025 [August 27th, 2025]
- Re: Response To Inaccuracies In The Wikipedia Article On Naa Gbewaa And The Origins Of The Mole-Dagbamba Kingdoms - Modern Ghana - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]
- The subtle signs that give away chatbot writing, according to Wikipedia - TechSpot - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]
- The most Wikipedia-searched people from Haverfordwest and Pembrokeshire towns - Yahoo News UK - August 26th, 2025 [August 26th, 2025]