1. American President Theodore Roosevelt went on vacation after helping negotiate an end to a strike by mine workers in the spring of 1902. As he loved hunting, a hunt was arranged and renowned guide Holt Collier took him to Mississippi. At one point, everyone except the President had seen a bear so they finally caught one and tied it to a tree and then called him to shoot it. Roosevelt considered this unsportsmanlike and ordered the bear to be put out of its misery. The next day this incident was portrayed in the newspapers with a cartoon that lead to a new type of toy being introduced in the market. What ever-popular child’s play thing resulted from this?
2. Ramesses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful person to have ever occupied his position. He died at the age of 90 because of a suspected heart attack. Around 3187 years later, in 1974 he was taken to France for a check-up. Because of a strict French law regarding visitors he was given a passport that labelled him as “King (deceased)”. When he arrived at Le Bourget airport he was given full military honours befitting of his status. After he was restored, he was sent back to his home country. In what form would you see him today?
3. After the Apollo 1 fire, NASA needed a mascot for safety. They chose this loveable character who is often seen resting on the roof of his home, dreaming of flying. His creator gave NASA the usage permission and the character took on new life among the astronauts. On every single space mission since then, a silver pin bearing his likeness travels with each astronaut and once back on Earth it is given as an honour to the people who are responsible for keeping the astronauts safe in space. Who is this character?
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4. This fruit comes under the genus Malus Pumila. Malus, when they ripen, release ethylene in a gaseous form. This is responsible for the changes in texture, firmness (it becomes softer), colour, and other processes involved in ripening. This also acts as a catalyst for further ripening. If an unripe Malus is in close vicinity it will absorb the ethylene and ripen quickly as well. If a whole lot of Malus are in a confined area they can quickly deteriorate. How better do we know the Malus fruit and what well known proverb comes from this scientific fact?
5. There is a rare genetic disorder called ‘Porphyria’ that makes people extremely sensitive to sunlight leaving abrasions on the skin. It turns their urine a purplish-red colour and also increases hair growth while tightening and shrinking the skin, which makes one look younger. When the skin around the mouth tightens it makes the canine teeth more prominent. Eating garlic makes all this worse! Which mythical character do scientists think could have been suffering from this disease?
6. A compact disc (CD) holds 700 mb of data. This particular storage device is also a disc but holds almost 30 times more data. This is because the data layer is packed in closer. The accuracy of reading is also increased because of the use of a laser that has a wavelength of 405 nm instead of the 780 nm used to read a CD. The change in wavelength also means a change in observable colour and lends the name to the disc. What is the name of the disc?
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7. This person was nominated for a particular prize five times but was never awarded it. The final time he was nominated, people were sure he would win, but, unfortunately, he was killed before the results were announced. The committee, after much debate, decided that “a posthumous award would be contrary to the intentions of the testator,” and for that year, no one was awarded that prize. Which prize was this and who was the nominee?
8. This fruit is the ‘Ananas comosus’. When you eat a fresh specimen, your tongue and lips start becoming raw and start burning slightly. This is because of a digestive enzyme called bromelain that is present in this fruit. Basically as you are eating it, its juices are trying to digest you as well! How do you know this fruit better?
9. Brevard county in Florida has had a particular area code since 1991. It was assigned to recognise the fact that NASA is based there. It refers to the final anxious moments of a sequence. What is the area code and what usually happens at the end of the sequence?
10. These trees live in water up to 100 times saltier than most other plants can tolerate. The species survive by filtering out as much as 90% of the salt found in seawater as it enters their pencil-like roots that stick up out of the dense, wet ground like snorkels. Some species excrete salt through glands in their leaves. These leaves, which are covered with dried salt crystals, taste salty if you lick them. What trees are these?
Answers
1. Teddy Bear
2. The mummy of the Pharoah Ramesses II
3. Snoopy
4. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch
5. Vampires/ Dracula
6. Blu-ray Blue-Ray disc
7. Nobel Peace Prize, Mahatma Gandhi
8. Pineapple
9. 321 — blast off (space shuttle launch)
10. Mangrove
A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley