QUIZ - 55

1. What term originating from London’s Savile Row, usually applied to a suit is used to describe something that is made exactly to a customer’s specification?

2. Name the behavioural economist who suggested ‘The Endowment Effect’, according to which people place a higher value on objects they own than objects that they do not.

3. Robot, introduced and popularized by Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R, is derived from the Czech word robota. What does robota mean in the Czech language?

4. It is referred to as Contraterrene in Science Fiction. By what name do physicists call it?

5. The site of what cataclysmic event that took place on June 30, 1908 is marked by a totem pole dedicated to Agdy, the God of Thunder?

6. A sequel continues a story begun in a previous film. A prequel narrates the story prior to that of a previous film. But what is a requel?

7. What kind of fear is Scolionophobia?

8. In what field do you use the term Jansen’s Alpha?

9. What is the practice of people consuming insects for food known as?

10. Name the pioneering Rock and Roll musician whose trademark instrument was the rectangular guitar?

Answers to Quiz - 54

1. Believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1986, Rhinoptilus bitorquatus is a rare nocturnal bird found in the south-eastern part of India. What is its popular name after its original discoverer in 1868?

Jerdon’s Courser

2. What is name given to the portable wooden or metal board used in monasteries to summon the faithful to prayer?

Talanton

3. What are words derived from names of places called?

Toponym

4. What term coined by Robert Fuller describes the discriminatory and exploitative practice towards people who rank lower in a hierarchy?

Rankism

5. Produced in the gut, which hormone stimulates our appetite?

Ghrelin

6. What is a tuxedo designed for a woman called?

Tuxeda

7. In which sport, would you use the phrase Charity Stripe?

Basketball, The Free-Throw line

8. What language uses the Katakana script?

Japanese

9. Literally meaning white liquor, what popular Chinese spirit distilled from grains is classified according to its fragrance?

Baijiu

10. What is the name of the carpets, often used as prayer rugs, produced in many parts of Central Asia by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave to produce a flat surface?

Kilims

QUIZ - 54

1.Believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1986, Rhinoptilus bitorquatus is a rare nocturnal bird found in the south-eastern part of India. What is its popular name after its original discoverer in 1868?

2. What is name given to the portable wooden or metal board used in monasteries to summon the faithful to prayer?

3. What are words derived from names of places called?

4. What term coined by Robert Fuller describes the discriminatory and exploitative practice towards people who rank lower in a hierarchy?

5. Produced in the gut, which hormone stimulates our appetite?

6. What is a tuxedo designed for a woman called?

7. In which sport, would you use the phrase Charity Stripe?

8. What language uses the Katakana script?

9. Literally meaning white liquor, what popular Chinese spirit distilled from grains is classified according to its fragrance?

10. What is the name of the carpets, often used as prayer rugs, produced in many parts of Central Asia by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave to produce a flat surface?

Answers to Quiz - 53

1. Despite path breaking inventions like printing, compass, gunpowder etc, scientific and industrial revolutions that took place in the western world eluded China. Name the reputed British Sinologist who posed this interesting conundrum, which is since then identified with his name.

Joseph Needham, Needham’s Grand Question

2. Instituted in 2001, the Ashden Awards are given for excellence in the field of sustainable energy. By what popular name are these awards called?

Green Oscars

3. What is the name of the energetic freestyle dance form that originated among the African-American community on the streets of Los Angeles as a creative outlet for youths on the edge of criminal activities?

Krumping

4. This month we are celebrating the centenary of an accidental invention by Thomas Sullivan, a New York merchant. What is this invention used by millions of people today?

Tea Bag

5. Which awards are widely touted as the Oscars of the food world?

James Beard Foundation Awards

6. What solo collection for Dior catapulted Yves Saint Laurent into stardom at the age of 21 in 1958?

Ligne Trapeze

7. What does the Baltic Dry Index measure?

Bulk shipping rates

8. In United States what does a Code Red Day signify?

Unhealthy levels of air pollution

9. Name the economist considered as the first proponent of Value Investing?

Benjamin Graham

10. Name the French town that hosts world’s leading international festival for animated films in every June?

Annecy

QUIZ - 53

1. Despite path breaking inventions like printing, compass, gunpowder etc, scientific and industrial revolutions that took place in the western world eluded China. Name the reputed British Sinologist who posed this interesting conundrum, which is since then identified with his name.

2. Instituted in 2001, the Ashden Awards are given for excellence in the field of sustainable energy. By what popular name are these awards called?

3. What is the name of the energetic freestyle dance form that originated among the African-American community on the streets of Los Angeles as a creative outlet for youths on the edge of criminal activities?

4. This month we are celebrating the centenary of an accidental invention by Thomas Sullivan, a New York merchant. What is this invention used by millions of people today?

5. Which awards are widely touted as the Oscars of the food world?

6. What solo collection for Dior catapulted Yves Saint Laurent into stardom at the age of 21 in 1958?

7. What does the Baltic Dry Index measure?

8. In the United States what does a Code Red Day signify?

9. Name the economist considered as the first proponent of Value Investing.

10. Name the French town that hosts world’s leading international festival for animated films in every June.

Answers to Quiz - 52

1. Coined by the American writer Sylvia Wright in 1954, what term describes the misinterpretation of a line or lyric due to hearing it wrongly and mistaking it for similar sounding words or phrases?

Mondegreen

2. What measures the effect of food on our blood glucose levels?

Glycemic Index

3. Which American Civil War General dubbed as ‘Young Napoleon’ by the press was sacked by Abraham Lincoln and went on to challenge him unsuccessfully in the presidential election of 1864?

George B McClellan

4. Name the popular Italian bread which in Italian means slipper, because of its resemblance to slipper?

Ciabatta

5. What ancient port city is the precursor to modern city state of Singapore?

Temasek

6. What did the American circus acrobat George Nissen invent in his garage in 1936?

Trampoline

7. George W Ferris built the first Ferris Wheel in 1893 for the World Fair at Chicago to commemorate a very famous event. What event?

400^th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in America

8. The House of Habsburg has ruled many countries in Europe, among them Austria, Hungary and Spain. But in which country is the seat of origin of the Habsburg Dynasty located?

Switzerland

9. Glioblastoma is an aggressive and near incurable form of tumour. Which part of the body does it affect?

Brain

10. What is the name given to the uprising led by the Russian army in December 1825 to protest against Nicholas I’s ascension to the throne?

The Decembrist Revolt

QUIZ - 52

1. Coined by the American writer Sylvia Wright in 1954, what term describes the misinterpretation of a line or lyric due to hearing it wrongly and mistaking it for similar sounding words or phrases?

2. What measures the effect of food on our blood glucose levels?

3. Which American Civil War General dubbed as ‘Young Napoleon’ by the press was sacked by Abraham Lincoln and went on to challenge him unsuccessfully in the presidential election of 1864?

4. Name the popular Italian bread which in Italian means slipper, because of its resemblance to slipper?

5. What ancient port city is the precursor to modern city state of Singapore?

6. What did the American circus acrobat George Nissen invent in his garage in 1936?

7. George W Ferris built the first Ferris Wheel in 1893 for the World Fair at Chicago to commemorate a very famous event. What event?

8. The House of Habsburg has ruled many countries in Europe, among them Austria, Hungary and Spain. But in which country is the seat of origin of the Habsburg Dynasty located?

9. Glioblastoma is an aggressive and near incurable form of tumour. Which part of the body does it affect?

10. What is the name given to the uprising led by the Russian army in December 1825 to protest against Nicholas I’s ascension to the throne?

Answers to Quiz - 51

1. What is the name of the membranous sac that surrounds and protects the embryo in mammals?

Amnion

2. In which city would you find the hotel Mr. President, with each room designed and named after a current or past world leader?

Belgrade

3. Who is believed to be the originator of the term ‘Epiphenomenalism’, which holds the view that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain.

T.H.Huxley

4. In what field are the Whitley Awards given out?

Conservation of Nature

5. What device invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet and patented in 1801 is used in expensive mechanical watches to maintain accurate time?

Tourbillon

6. What famous incident took place in the British House of Commons on May 7 and 8 of 1940, which ultimately led to the resignation of the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain?

Norway Debate

7. What term coined by C.H.Waddington in 1942 describes the idea that environmental factors can cause an organism’s genes to behave differently?

Epigenetics

8. He died in a plane crash in 1998 and in 1999 an annual award for Global Health and Human Rights was instituted in his name. Name this former director of World Health Organisation’s special programme on AIDS.

Jonathan Mann

9. What are microbes that thrive in extreme physical conditions called?

Extremophiles

10. What diagram was popularized by the American Libertarian party to illustrate their view that libertarianism stands for both economic freedom and personal freedom?

The Nolan Chart

QUIZ - 51

1. What is the name of the membranous sac that surrounds and protects the embryo in mammals?

2. In which city would you find the hotel Mr. President, with each room designed and named after a current or past world leader?

3. Who is believed to be the originator of the term ‘Epiphenomenalism’, which holds the view that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain.

4. In what field are the Whitley Awards given out?

5. What device invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet and patented in 1801 is used in expensive mechanical watches to maintain accurate time?

6. What famous incident took place in the British House of Commons on May 7 and 8 of 1940, which ultimately led to the resignation of the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain?

7. What term coined by C.H.Waddington in 1942 describes the idea that environmental factors can cause an organism’s genes to behave differently?

8. He died in a plane crash in 1998 and in 1999 an annual award for Global Health and Human Rights was instituted in his name. Name this former director of World Health Organisation’s special programme on AIDS.

9. What are microbes that thrive in extreme physical conditions called?

10. What diagram was popularized by the American Libertarian party to illustrate their view that libertarianism stands for both economic freedom and personal freedom?