Is there any tea on this spaceship? — Answer

Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

Today’s questions are a random mix, which are neither date-related nor themed.

One

Whose house is scheduled for demolition at the beginning of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?

Answer: Arthur Dent.

Arthur wakes to be informed by a council official that his house has to be demolished that morning to make way for a bypass. While he tries to prevent this happening, his friend Ford Prefect arrives and insists on taking him to the pub. As they do this, a Vogon spaceship appears, and an announcement is made that Earth has to be demolished that morning to make way for an interstellar bypass. Ford manages to get both himself and Arthur onto the spaceship before Earth is destroyed.

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Two

Established in the year 324, this city was built on the site of an existing one and initially known as New Rome. Three questions:

1. What was the name of the existing city?
2. What name very quickly superseded New Rome?
3. What name is this city known as today?

Answers

1. Byzantium
2. Constantinople
3. Istanbul
   Istanbul, originally Byzantium, became a pivotal city, serving as the capital of four empires over 16 centuries: Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman. It advanced Christianity before becoming an Islamic stronghold in 1453. Istanbul’s historic centre remains a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Three

Starting in the 1970s, an actor who connected Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago dedicated much of his time to bridge. He published books, videos, video games, and a syndicated column all about the card game. Who is this?

Answer: Omar Sharif.

Omar Sharif, born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub, was an Egyptian actor famed for roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. He starred in over 100 films and won three Golden Globes and a César Award. A multilingual bridge and horse racing enthusiast, he received prestigious honours and passed away in 2015.

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Four

Rhea and Tethys are two major moons of a planet in the solar system. Here are three questions:

1. Which planet are they moons of?
2. Rhea and Tethys are what in Greek mythology?
3. Approximately how many moons does this planet have in total, to the nearest ten?

Answers

1. Saturn
2. Titans
3. 270 (274)

Saturn has 274 confirmed moons in its orbit, far more than any other planet in our solar system. In March 2025, astronomers confirmed the discovery of 128 small moons around Saturn — adding to the already large moon count.

Saturn’s moons range in size, from one that is larger than the planet Mercury — the giant moon Titan — to others as small as a sports arena. The small moon Enceladus has a global ocean under a thick, icy shell. Scientists have identified both moons as high-priority science destinations for future deep-space missions.

— NASA

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Five

The 2008 film and 2019 musical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are both adaptations of a short story. Who wrote it?

Answer: F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a satirical short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in Collier’s Magazine on 27 May 1922. It features reverse ageing and was included in Tales of the Jazz Age. The story inspired a 2008 Oscar-nominated film and an Olivier Award-winning musical.

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Title

The post title ‘Is there any tea on this spaceship?’ is a quote by Arthur Dent in Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

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