An ichthyologist is a scientist who studies fish, while ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. The word ichthyology comes from the Greek ichthys, meaning ‘fish’, and –logia, meaning ‘study of’. An ichthyologist may study the anatomy, behaviour, evolution, classification, ecology, distribution, or conservation of all major groups of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (such as sharks and rays), and jawless fish (such as lampreys and hagfish). Because fish make up more than half of all known vertebrate species, ichthyology is one of the largest and most diverse fields within zoology.
Three
Nosology is the scientific study of which of these?
Diseases
Nasal biology
Negativity
Answer: Diseases.
nosology /nɒˈsɒlədʒi / ▸ noun [mass noun] the branch of medical science dealing with the classification of diseases.
– ORIGIN early 18th century: from Greek nosos ‘disease’ + –logy. – DERIVATIVES nosological /ˌnɒsəˈlɒdʒɪkl / ▸ adjective nosologist /nɒˈsɒlədʒɪst / ▸ noun — Oxford English Dictionary
Four
What is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the ‘science or technique of dating events, environmental change, and archaeological artefacts by using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in timber and tree trunks’?
Answer: Dendrochronology.
Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is the scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they formed. Because trees produce one growth ring per year, the technique can precisely determine the age of wood and the timing of environmental changes, particularly past climate conditions. It is widely used in archaeology, art history, architecture, and to calibrate radiocarbon dating. Continuous tree-ring records in some regions extend back nearly 14,000 years, while newer isotope-based methods can date samples unsuitable for traditional ring analysis.
Five
Selenology is the scientific study of what?
Answer: The moon.
Selenology is derived from the Greek words Selēnē, meaning “Moon”, and –logia, meaning ‘the study of’ or ‘discourse concerning’. Literally, selenology means ‘the study of the Moon’. Selene was the ancient Greek goddess of the Moon, and her name became the root for several lunar-related scientific terms, including selenography (mapping or describing the Moon’s surface) and selenophysics (the physical study of the Moon). The term selenology came into scientific use in the 19th century, when lunar observation and mapping were becoming increasingly systematic. Today it refers to the branch of planetary science that studies the Moon’s geology, surface features, internal structure, origin, and evolution.
Tree Cookie. A cross-section of a Coast Douglas-fir tree. Royal Ontario Museum, Canada. Image Wikimedia Commons
Today’s questions are further study of Ologies.
One
What is defined as ‘the study of the mechanics of body movements’ (Oxford English Dictionary)?
Two
What does an ichthyologist study?
Three
Nosology is the scientific study of which of these?
Diseases
Nasal biology
Negativity
Four
What is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as the ‘science or technique of dating events, environmental change, and archaeological artefacts by using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in timber and tree trunks’?
United Nations Building, New York City. See question five. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five unassociated questions.
One
Travelling west along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) from its western terminus, how many provincial and territorial capitals do you pass through, and what, in geographical order, are their names along with their respective province or territory?
Answers: Six; Victoria, British Columbia; Regina, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Québec City, Quebec; Fredericton, New Brunswick; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Trans-Canada Highway is a transcontinental highway system spanning all ten Canadian provinces, with its main route covering 7,821 kilometres from Victoria, British Columbia, to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Construction began in 1950, the highway officially opened in 1962, and the final section was completed in 1971. The entire system, including routes such as the Yellowhead Highway, totals about 12,800 kilometres. Design standards vary along its length, although most sections remain two-lane, undivided highways. The longest continuous divided section extends for about 1,500 kilometres from the Rocky Mountains to the Manitoba–Ontario border. Although the network does not extend into Canada’s three territories or to the U.S. border, it forms part of the National Highway System. In addition to passing through six provincial capitals, the Trans-Canada Highway also serves Canada’s national capital, Ottawa.
Two
A fictitious error deliberately placed in a reference work is a what?
Ballicatter
Frauendienst
Mountweazel
Answer: Mountweazel.
A fictitious entry is a deliberate error in reference works used as a copyright trap. Types include Mountweazel, trap street, and paper town. Henry Alford coined “Mountweazel” after a fake entry in the 1975 New Columbia Encyclopaedia. These entries are also known as nihilartikel.
Three
The title of a 2017, single by Drake shares its name with a fruit, the flower of which is shown above. What was the title of the single?
Answer: Passionfruit.
Passionfruit by Drake, featuring Zoë Kravitz, is a tropical house, R&B, pop, and dancehall song from his 2017 mixtape More Life. It peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Canadian Hot 100.
Four
Three questions based the standard UK and US editions of monopoly.
What on the UK edition is the equivalent of the American Marvin Gardens?
The British Leicester Square is the equivalent of what on the American edition?
What colour are these properties on both the British and American versions?
Answers
Piccadilly
Atlantic Avenue
Yellow
Monopoly, derived from Lizzie Magie’s 1903 game, involves moving tokens to buy properties and bankrupt opponents. Parker Brothers published it in 1935; Hasbro acquired it in 1991. It has sold 275 million copies across 113 countries.
Five
In this post, No. 3 was appointed on 30 November 1962. The first, Gladwyn Jebb, serving in an ‘acting’ capacity and therefore unnumbered, held the post for 101 days in 1945/46. Nos. 1 and 2 were Scandinavian, while No. 3 was the first non-European. What is this post, who was No. 3, and what was his nationality?
Answers: Secretary-General of the United Nations; U Thant and Burmese.
The secretary-general of the United Nations oversees the Secretariat under Chapter XV of the Charter, appointed by the General Assembly after a Security Council recommendation, with any permanent member able to veto. Precedent excludes permanent members’ citizens, favours regional rotation and gender equality, and all appointees are career diplomats. Since 1971, five-year terms are standard, with reselection common. The secretary-general’s duties include advocacy, diplomacy, and civil service, with informal powers for dispute prevention.
United Nations Building, New York City. See question five. Image Wikimedia Commons
Five unassociated questions.
One
Travelling west along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) from its western terminus, how many provincial and territorial capitals do you pass through, and what, in geographical order, are their names along with their respective province or territory?
Two
A fictitious error deliberately placed in a reference work is a what?
Ballicatter
Frauendienst
Mountweazel
Three
The title of a 2017, single by Drake shares its name with a fruit, the flower of which is shown above. What was the title of the single?
Four
Three questions based the standard UK and US editions of monopoly.
What on the UK edition is the equivalent of the American Marvin Gardens?
The British Leicester Square is the equivalent of what on the American edition?
What colour are these properties on both the British and American versions?
Five
In this post, No. 3 was appointed on 30 November 1962. The first, Gladwyn Jebb, serving in an ‘acting’ capacity and therefore unnumbered, held the post for 101 days in 1945/46. Nos. 1 and 2 were Scandinavian, while No. 3 was the first non-European. What is this post, who was No. 3, and what was his nationality?
Flag of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast. See question three. Image Wikimedia Commons
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Answer: Ice skating.
Swedish skater Ulrich Salchow, born 7 August 1877. The salchow, named the Salchow, an edge jump, after him. It is the easiest figure skating jump. It involves taking off from the back inside edge of one skate, completing one or more full turns, and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite skate. American skater Theresa Weld was reprimanded at the 1920 Olympics for performing a single Salchow jump because her skirt would fly up to her knees, creating an image deemed too risqué.
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Answer: Solomon Islands.
Guadalcanal Island, the largest island in the Solomon Islands, is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Battle of Guadalcanal, occurring from August 1942 to February 1943, involved a series of World War II land and sea engagements between Allied and Japanese forces on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Alongside the naval Battle of Midway, the combat on Guadalcanal signified a turning point in favour of the Allies in the Pacific War.
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Answer: Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast.
Côte d’Ivoire, located on the western coast of Africa, was previously a French colony. Abidjan functions as the de facto capital, while Yamoussoukro has been the administrative capital since 1983. Known as Ivory Coast, this West African nation is the leading cocoa exporter globally and has seen substantial economic growth since 2011. Nonetheless, 46.1% of its population remains in poverty. The economy is predominantly dependent on agriculture, especially smallholder cash-crop production.
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Answer: Six.
The Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, led by Thor Heyerdahl, was a raft journey from South America to Polynesia. Named after the Inca god Viracocha, it inspired Heyerdahl’s book and a 1950 Oscar-winning documentary. A 2012 dramatised film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Answer: Brooklands.
Built in 1907 near Weybridge, Surrey, Brooklands was the first purpose-built motor racing venue and one of the UK’s first airfields. The British Grand Prix debuted there on 7 August 1926, won by Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner. The second race, on 1 October 1927, was also held there.
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking
It is part of the lyrics from Anything Goes from the Cole Porter musical of the same name. It is used here only as an oblique remark about Ms Weld’s risqué performance; see answer one.
Anything Goes
By Cole Porter
[RENO] Times have changed, And we’ve often rewound the clock, Since the Puritans got a shock, When they landed on Plymouth Rock. If today, Any shock they should try to stem, ‘Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking, But now, God knows, Anything Goes.
Good authors too who once knew better words, Now only use four letter words Writing prose, Anything Goes.
The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
When grandmama whose age is eighty In night clubs is getting matey with gigolo’s, Anything Goes.
When mothers pack and leave poor father Because they decide they’d rather be tennis pros, Anything Goes.
If driving fast cars you like, If low bars you like, If old hymns you like, If bare limbs you like, If Mae West you like Or me undressed you like, Why, nobody will oppose! When every night, The set that’s smart Is intruding in nudist parties in studios, Anything Goes.
[RENO, PASSENGERS & CREW] The world has gone mad today And good’s bad today, And black’s white today, And day’s night today, When most guys today That women prize today Are just silly gigolos And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes
[RENO] If saying your prayers you like, If green pears you like If old chairs you like, If back stairs you like, If love affairs you like With young bears you like, Why nobody will oppose!
[ALL] And though I’m not a great romancer And though I’m not a great romancer I know that you’re bound to answer When I propose, Anything goes… Anything goes! — All Musicals
All of these questions relate to today’s date, 7 August.
One
In what sport could a ‘Salchow’ be performed?
Two
The six-month-long Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on 7 August 1942, unfolded in which country?
Three
In 1960, the country represented by the flag shown above gained independence from France. What country is it?
Four
How many persons were onboard Thor Heyerdahl’s balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki when it reached Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands after sailing 4,300 mile (7,000 km) in 101-days?
Five
In 1926, in motor racing the first British Grand Prix was held. Where was the race held?
Bonus Question
The post title is two lines taken from a popular song, what song?
pomology /pə(ʊ)ˈmɒlədʒi/ ▶ noun [mass noun] the science of fruit-growing. → pomological /pə(ʊ)məˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l/ adjective → pomologist /pə(ʊ)ˈmɒlədʒɪst/ noun early 19th century: from Latin pomum ‘fruit’ + -logy. — Oxford English Dictionary
Two
What word is a noun which means a person who collects postcards?
Answer: Deltiologist.
deltiologist /ˌdɛltiˈɒlədʒɪst/ ♫ ▶ noun a person who collects postcards as a hobby. → deltiology noun 1940s: from Greek deltion (diminutive of deltos ‘writing tablet’) + -logist. — Oxford English Dictionary
Three
Potamology is the scientific study of which geographical features?
Answer: Rivers.
Potamology, a branch of hydrology, studies rivers, including their hydrological processes, morphometry, channel processes, and sediment regime.
Four
What is the scientific study of trees?
Answer: Dendrology.
Dendrology, or xylology, is the study of woody plants, focusing on their taxonomic classifications. It encompasses both economically useful and all woody plants in a region, distinguishing it from the study of sylvics, which focusses on autecology.
Five
In etymology, which botanical term is used to mean the earliest form of a word?
Answer: Root.
A root is the basic part of a word that can’t be broken down into smaller, meaningful pieces. It’s like the core of a word, and you can add prefixes or suffixes to it to change its meaning. Roots are important because they carry the main meaning of a word and are part of a word family. Sometimes, ‘root’ also refers to a word without its endings that show tense or number, but with its main meaning intact. In some languages, roots can stand alone as words, but in others, they need to be combined with other parts to form words. Roots are often marked with a special symbol to distinguish them from other parts of a word.
Ologies
Ology (plural ologies) a subject of study; a branch of knowledge: the word originates in the early 19th century: from –ology, a combining form that typically forms part of the name of sciences and subjects of study (see -logy). — Oxford English Dictionary
Pope Adrian VI. Image Wikimedia Commons/Image copyright Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Five questions today which are not date-related and follow a religious theme.
One
Adrian VI was the last non-Italian to be elected pope until John Paul II in 1978. In what year had Adrian been elected?
Answer: 1522
Adrian VI, born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens, served as pope from 1522 to 1523. The only Dutchman elected, he attempted reform and admitted Curia fault but faced resistance. He was succeeded by Clement VII.
Two
The word “antidisestablishmentarianism” refers to opposition to what?
Answer: The disestablishment of the Church of England.
antidisestablishmentarianism
▸ noun [mass noun] rare opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England: I never realized that you leaned towards antidisestablishmentarianism.
Antidisestablishmentarianism is very occasionally found in genuine use, but it is most often cited as an example of a very long word.
In the book title The Red and the Black what do the colours symbolise?
Answer: The army (red) and the church (black).
The title of Stendhal’s 1830 novel The Red and the Black is ambiguous, but the colours are widely seen as symbolising the two careers available to Julien Sorel in post-Napoleonic France. Red refers to the red uniform of the army, especially the glory and advancement associated with Napoleon’s military career. Black refers to the black cassock of the clergy, representing the Church as an alternative route to power, status, and influence after Napoleon’s fall.
Four
Which Unification Church leader founded The Washington Times in 1982?
Answer: Sun Myung Moon.
Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church, authored Divine Principle and promoted mass weddings. An anti-communist advocate for Korean reunification, he led News World Communications and Tongil Group. Imprisoned in Korea and convicted in United States v. Sun Myung Moon, he engaged with political figures.
Five
Since 9/11 a Manhattan church exhibits police and firefighter memorabilia, what church?
Answer: St Paul’s.
St Paul’s Chapel provided refuge for recovery workers after 11 September 2001, with volunteers working round the clock for nine months. A sycamore tree protected the building; its root is preserved in a bronze memorial. The organ was refurbished.
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