An App to Find New Topics to Learn About When Bored
A mobile app that surfaces a fresh, curated topic on demand with a short primer and sources, designed to replace a scrolling session with a focused 20-30 minute learning session.
How do you find new interesting topics?
I'm looking for an app to use on my iPhone to give me interesting topics to research when I' bored. I want to stop scrolling so much and I feel like a good way around that would be to spend half an hour researching an new topic that I have no idea about to hopefully find some new interests and spend more time doing actually productive things. I'm looking for an app or a website that I can use to find or even generate these new topics. If there are any that you use, I'd love to know what they are.
The problem, in the searcher’s words
I keep reaching for my phone and scrolling when I'm bored, and I want an app that gives me an interesting new topic to research instead — something I know nothing about, so I can spend half an hour learning instead of doomscrolling. I'm not looking for a specific fact, I want a whole new rabbit hole to fall into.
I've tried thinking of topics myself but I usually just default to scrolling because it's easier than deciding what to look into. I want something — an app or website — that either generates or curates topics for me on demand, ideally on iPhone.
Commenters mostly point to free workarounds rather than a dedicated product: Wikipedia's random article button, hanging out in niche subreddits (personal finance, FIRE, preppers, solar), or just watching YouTube channels in a niche. One person said they don't search for topics at all anymore — they just pay attention to what problems people are repeatedly struggling with.
What the thread shows
One person clearly wants this, but the top response is a free, already-existing feature (Wikipedia's random article) that the OP immediately accepted as a solution, and no one else in the thread echoes the need or discusses paying for anything.
“I'm looking for an app to use on my iPhone to give me interesting topics to research when I' bored.”
“I want to stop scrolling so much and I feel like a good way around that would be to spend half an hour researching an new topic that I have no idea about to hopefully find some new interests and spend more time doing actually productive things.”
“Have you tried just hitting the random article button on Wikipedia? It sounds simple but it is honestly the best rabbit hole you can fall down when you are bored and trying to stop scrolling.”
“I don't really search for topics anymore. I collect problems. Whenever I see multiple people struggling with the same thing, I know I've found something worth learning more about.”
Target customer
Who
People actively trying to cut down phone scrolling and replace idle time with self-directed learning
Context
Hit this problem in bored, idle moments (commute, downtime, before bed) when they default to social media apps and want a low-friction alternative that still feels stimulating
What to build
- On-demand topic generator spanning multiple categories (history, science, business, culture, etc.)
- Short primer/summary plus 2-3 curated source links per topic
- "Skip" button to get a different topic if uninterested
- Save/favorite topics to revisit later
- Optional session timer (e.g., 25-30 min) to structure the research block
Build note — Could seed topics via Wikipedia's API or a curated topic database, or generate primers with an LLM; the core product challenge is differentiating from simply tapping Wikipedia's free 'Random Article' button, which one commenter already offered as a full solution.
Later, if it lands
Who’s already out there
Built-in feature that jumps to a random encyclopedia article, letting users fall down an unplanned research rabbit hole
Gap: Fully random, not curated for interest or 'stickiness'; no session structure, saving, or habit-building around it
App/website delivering bite-sized facts and topic summaries across categories to satisfy curiosity
Gap: Thread's ask is for deeper 20-30 minute research sessions, not short facts; unclear if Curiosity supports that depth or is still actively maintained
Demand read
There are no pricing statements, paid-tool mentions, or 'I'd pay for this' comments anywhere in the thread, and the OP's need was satisfied by a free existing feature (Wikipedia's random article), which weakens the case for durable paid demand.
Worth digging into before you build
5 to considerNo idea is a sure thing at this stage — these are open questions worth checking yourself, not a verdict against building it.
Thin Source
Only 11 short comments, mostly quick suggestions, not enough depth to validate a product concept.
Single Voice
Only the OP articulates the need for a topic-discovery app; commenters merely point to existing free resources.
Already Solved
PepperyNidya suggests Wikipedia's 'Random Article' button and the OP thanks them as a good idea, indicating the core need is met by an existing free feature.
Weak Demand
No pricing, paid-tool, or willingness-to-pay statements appear anywhere in the thread.
Verify Competitors
Curiosity's current feature set and whether it fits the thread's 'deep 30-min research' use case is unverified; check before publishing.