Quizology.Online

Author: Quizologist

  • The Final Frontier — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught this image of Phoenix hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface in 2008.
    Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona


    Question one is date-related, but the rest are not. There is a space theme in all of the questions.

    One

    A U.S. space probe was launched on this day in 2007 and a year later it landed on Mars. What mythical creature was the probe named after?

    Answer: Phoenix.

    Launched on 4 August 2007, the Mars Phoenix lander touched down on 25 May 2008 in Vastitas Borealis to examine Martian water history and organic molecules. It confirmed subsurface water ice, detected perchlorate, and identified alkaline soil containing salts. With a robotic arm, ovens, and a laboratory, it analysed soil volatiles, mapped geology, and monitored atmospheric conditions. The mission, extended by late August, concluded on 2 November 2008, having announced water on Mars on 31 July.

    Two

    What two words are missing from this 1969 quote: “Houston, … here. The Eagle has landed.” 

    Answer: Tranquility Base.

    Apollo 11 landed humans on the Moon from 16–24 July 1969 using Saturn V. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface while Michael Collins orbited; 21.5 kg of material was collected. The mission fulfilled Kennedy’s goal and broadcast Armstrong’s statement to 600 million viewers.

    Three

    In 2012, travelling a whopping 480 million kilometres to reach our ears, … was the first tune to be broadcast from another planet.
    — BBC Sky at Night magazine

    The above quote is missing the name of the song which was broadcast. What was that song and who had especially written it for this purpose?

    Answer: Reach for the Stars by will.i.am.

    American recording artist will.i.am wrote, produced, and recorded the song “Reach for the Stars” (and their instrumental-driven version subtitled “Mars Edition” and “NASA Edition”) in commemoration of the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars. The song was first released on August 28, 2012, and it became the first song that was successfully broadcast from another planet
    Wikipedia

    Four

    If Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus occurred in January 1986, when was its next encounter, the Neptune Flyby? (Month and Year)

    Answer: August 1989.

    Voyager 2 was launched on 20 August 1977, and these key dates on its journey are from NASA:

    July 9, 1979: Jupiter Flyby
    Aug 25, 1981: Saturn Flyby
    Jan 24, 1986: Uranus Flyby
    Aug 25, 1989: Neptune Flyby
    Aug 30, 2007: Crossed Termination Shock
    Nov 25, 2018: Entered Interstellar Space
    — NASA

    Five

    For what planet in the Solar System is the following true? 

    • The Sun rises twice each year.
    • The Sun rises in the west, and 
    • A day is longer than a year.

    Answer: Venus.

    Venus is the second planet from the Sun and Earth’s closest planetary neighbor. Similar in size to Earth, it is covered by thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Its atmosphere creates an intense greenhouse effect, making Venus the hottest planet in the Solar System, with surface temperatures around 465°C. The planet rotates very slowly and in the opposite direction to most planets. Volcanoes, vast plains, and rugged highlands dominate its hidden surface today.

  • The Final Frontier

    Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter caught this image of … hanging from its parachute as it descended to the Martian surface in 2008.
    Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona


    Question one is date-related, but the rest are not. There is a space theme in all of the questions.

    One

    A U.S. space probe was launched on this day in 2007 and a year later it landed on Mars. What mythical creature was the probe named after?

    Two

    What two words are missing from this 1969 quote: “Houston, … here. The Eagle has landed.” 

    Three

    In 2012, travelling a whopping 480 million kilometres to reach our ears, … was the first tune to be broadcast from another planet.
    — BBC Sky at Night magazine

    The above quote is missing the name of the song which was broadcast. What was that song and who had especially written it for this purpose?

    Four

    If Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus occurred in January 1986, when was its next encounter, the Neptune Flyby? (Month and Year)

    Five

    For what planet in the Solar System is the following true? 

    • The Sun rises twice each year.
    • The Sun rises in the west, and 
    • A day is longer than a year.

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Italian Job

    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? 

    Two

    The word “antidisestablishmentarianism” refers to opposition to what?

    There

    In the book title The Red and the Black what do the colours symbolise?

    Four

    Which Unification Church leader founded The Washington Times in 1982?

    Five

    Since 9/11 a Manhattan church exhibits police and firefighter memorabilia, what church?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • The Great Vowel Shift — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    See question two. Robinson Crusoe.
    Image Goodreads

    Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.

    One

    The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?

    Answer: Usain Bolt.

    Usain Bolt, born 21 August 1986, is a retired Jamaican sprinter, considered the greatest ever. An eight-time Olympic gold medallist, he holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Known as ‘Lightning Bolt’, he won multiple World Championships and numerous prestigious awards, retiring in 2017.

    Two

    The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?

    Answer: Oroonoque or Orinoco.

    Either Oroonoque or Orinoco as the spelling varies between editions. Robinson Crusoe, published on 25 April 1719 by Daniel Defoe, is an English adventure novel often credited as the start of realistic fiction. It follows Robinson Kreutznaer’s 28-year survival on a desert island, inspired by real-life castaways. Initially believed non-fiction, it was well-received for its narrative style. By the end of 1719, the book had four editions and became one of history’s most published works. It inspired numerous imitations across literature, film, television, and radio, defining the Robinsonade genre

    Three

    Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?

    Answer: İskenderun; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

    İskenderun, historically known as Alexandretta, is a district in Hatay Province, Turkey, with a population of 251,682 as of 2022. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it experienced significant damage from the earthquakes in February 2023. The city was likely founded during the Hellenistic period by a successor of Alexander the Great and has since been under the control of the Seleucid, Roman, Abbasid, and Mamluk empires. It became part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I, after which it was a French mandate sanjak until gaining independence in 1938 and officially joining Turkey in 1939. İskenderun appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

    Four

    Which song begins:

    Risin’ up, back on the street
    Did my time, took my chances

    Answer: Eye of the Tiger

    “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, written for Rocky III, topped charts worldwide and won a Grammy. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

    Five

    Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?

    Answer: Al Pacino.

    Serpico is a 1973 biographical crime drama film about Frank Serpico, a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the NYPD. The film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, was a critical and commercial success, earning several award nominations.

    The Great Vowel Shift

    Today’s title really in this instance only refers to the answers starting with one of the five vowels which have been ‘shifted’ into reverse order, U – O – I – E – A.
    The Great Vowel Shift, occurring between 1400 and 1700, altered the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels and some consonant sounds. This shift, beginning in southern England, significantly influenced English dialects and contributed to the divergence between English spelling and pronunciation.

  • The Great Vowel Shift

    See question two. Robinson Crusoe.
    Image Goodreads

    Five questions which follow are not date related but do follow a theme.

    One

    The 2010 autobiography of whom is titled 9.58?

    Two

    The location of the uninhabited island where Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked is described as being ‘near the mouth of the great river …’— what river mouth?

    Three

    Historically known as Alexandretta, this city featured in a 1984 film starring Sean Connery. What was the film, and by what name is the city now known?

    Four

    Which song begins:

    Risin’ up, back on the street
    Did my time, took my chances

    Five

    Who played the title role in the 1973 film Serpico?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Leading Lady — Answers

    Here are the answers to today’s questions.

    Vigdís Finnbogadóttir President of Iceland.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions are related to the date, 1 August.

    One

    In 1980, for the first time anywhere in the world, a woman was elected head of state in a national election. This election was the first of four terms in this role. Who is she, and of what country was she president?

    Answer: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir; Iceland.

    Vigdís Finnbogadóttir served as Iceland’s president from 1980 to 1996 and was the first woman globally elected head of state. After retiring from office Finnbogadóttir chaired the UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology from 1997 to 2001 and became UNESCO’s goodwill ambassador for languages in 1998.

    Two

    In 1996, George R.R. Martin published the first volume of a book series. What is the book series called?

    Answer: A Song of Ice and Fire.

    George R.R. Martin, born in 1948, is an American fantasy writer known for his A Song of Ice and Fire series, adapted into Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. He began his career with short fiction and television writing before returning to novels.

    Three

    What Formula 1 driver, who suffered extensive burns in a severe accident in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, returned to racing still heavily bandaged, having only missed two races?

    Answer: Niki Lauda

    Niki Lauda, after a near-fatal crash in 1976, won his second championship with Ferrari in 1977. He took a two-year hiatus before returning with McLaren, winning his third championship in 1984, and retiring in 1985.

    Four

    On this date, the Guam Organic Act was signed, officially establishing Guam as an organised unincorporated territory of the United States. Who was the U.S. president at the time? 

    Answer: Harry S. Truman.

    Guam, a territory since 1899, was acquired at the end of the Spanish-American War. It’s home to Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. Organised under the Guam Organic Act of 1950, it granted U.S. citizenship to Guamanians and established a local government. The act was amended in 1968 to allow for the election of a governor.

    Five

    In 1620, Myles Standish, his wife Rose and others sailed from Delfshaven, Netherlands to England where they would join with the Mayflower to sail to America. What is the name of the ship on which Standish and his wife sailed from Delfshaven, and in what modern country is Delfshaven?

    Answer: Speedwell; Netherlands.

    On 1 August 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers left Delfshaven on the Speedwell. After delays due to leaks, they departed Southampton on 5 August with the Mayflower. The Speedwell was abandoned, and its passengers, including the Standishes, joined the Mayflower for the voyage to the New World.

  • Leading Lady

    See question one.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    All of today’s questions are related to the date, 1 August.

    One

    In 1980, for the first time anywhere in the world, a woman was elected head of state in a national election. This election was the first of four terms in this role. Who is she, and of what country was she president?

    Two

    In 1996, George R.R. Martin published the first volume of a book series. What is the book series called?

    Three

    What Formula 1 driver, who suffered extensive burns in a severe accident in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, returned to racing still heavily bandaged, having only missed two races?

    Four

    On this date, the Guam Organic Act was signed, officially establishing Guam as an organised unincorporated territory of the United States. Who was the U.S. president at the time? 

    Five

    In 1620, Myles Standish, his wife Rose and others sailed from Delfshaven, Netherlands to England where they would join with the Mayflower to sail to America. What is the name of the ship on which Standish and his wife sailed from Delfshaven, and in what modern country is Delfshaven?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Over the Moon — Answers

    Here are the answers to my earlier questions.

    James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background.
    Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons

    One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.

    One

    On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?

    Answer: Three.

    The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), built by Boeing Co., enabled extended travel, speed, and greater scientific activity on the Moon during the Apollo era. The first surface mission to use the LRV, Apollo 15 astronauts covered a total 17.5 miles of exploration and discovery.
    The historic Apollo Program sent the first U.S. astronauts into orbit around the Moon in 1968 and landed a dozen astronauts on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. The reach of initial Apollo surface missions was restricted to short walking distances. During each of the last three Apollo missions, between 1971 and 1972, a battery powered LRV provided transportation for two crew members and supplies several miles beyond the landing site.
    — NASA

    Two

    Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:

    • What is the story’s title?
    • Who was its author?
    • What was the title of the 1968 film?

    Answers

    • The Sentinal
    • Arthur C. Clarke
    • 2001: A Space Odyssey

    The Sentinel (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke, set in 1996, follows selenologist Wilson discovering a mysterious alien structure on the Moon. After breaching its shield with atomic energy, the structure is destroyed, revealing advanced technology. Wilson theorises it was a sentinel alerting aliens to the emergence of intelligent life.

    Three

    The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?

    Answer: Titan.

    The Cassini–Huygens mission, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and ASI, aimed to study Saturn and its system. It included NASA’s Cassini probe and ESA’s Huygens lander. Launched in 1997, Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, providing extensive data on the planet and Huygens landed on Titan. The mission included flybys of Venus, Earth, asteroid 2685 Masursky, and Jupiter, ending on September 15, 2017, by burning up in Saturn’s atmosphere to prevent contamination. It was a ‘mission of firsts’, revolutionising understanding of Saturn’s system and potential life-supporting environments in the Solar System and landing on on a world in the outer Solar System the first time.

    Four

    In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?

    Answer: Salene.

    The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.
    — Homeric Hymn to Salene Wikipedia

    Five

    Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:

    • Who composed the song?
    • Who wrote the lyrics?
    • What was the 1961 film?
    • Who sang it in the film?

    Answers

    • Henry Mancini
    • Johnny Mercer
    • Breakfast at Tiffany’s
    • Audrey Hepburn

    Moon River, composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, was performed by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), winning an Academy Award and two Grammys. The song relaunched Mercer’s songwriting career, stalled by rock and roll’s rise. The lyrics reflect Mercer’s Southern youth and wanderlust and an inlet near Savannah, Georgia, was named Moon River in his honour. Andy Williams made it his theme song, recording it in 1962 and in 2022, his version was preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress.

  • Over the Moon

    James Irwin with the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon. Mons Hadley is in the background.
    Image NASA/David Scott via Wikimedia Commons

    One to five as usual today, but you need to find ten answers. The first question is related to today’s date, 31 July, while the subsequent ones follow on from the theme created by the first.

    One

    On this day in 1971, Apollo 15’s astronauts first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which is also colloquially known as a Moon Buggy, on the Lunar surface. By the end of the Apollo program how many of these vehicles were left behind on the Moon?

    Two

    Set on the Moon in 1996, a short story first published in 1951 describes the discovery of a mysterious pyramid which had been placed by aliens several billion years previously. This story has an influential role in the development of a 1968 film. Three questions:

    • What is the story’s title?
    • Who was its author?
    • What was the title of the 1968 film?

    Three

    The Huygens lander was the first man made object to land on a world in the outer Solar System. Where did it land?

    Four

    In ancient Greek mythology who was the goddess and personification of the Moon who drives her Moon chariot across the heavens?

    Five

    Moon River featured in a 1961 film and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Four questions:

    • Who composed the song?
    • Who wrote the lyrics?
    • What was the 1961 film?
    • Who sang it in the film?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • 42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13 — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.
    Image Pinterest

    Today’s questions are not related to the date; instead, they share a theme linked to the title in a subtle or hidden manner.

    One

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, an appreciation society and their publication Mostly Harmless is connected to what science fiction franchise?

    Answer: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

    ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha organises gatherings and social events, produces the magazine Mostly Harmless and sells Beeblebears modelled on Zaphod Beeblebrox. It celebrates The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Douglas Adams’s works.

    Two

    What single word can mean nought, a strong-lined fabric, a quick immersion, a bivalve mollusc, a lowering of the head or a bird and in which sport did the meaning ‘nought’ originate?

    Answer: Duck: cricket.

    All of the above are from definitions of duck.

    • Nought: in cricket a batter’s score of zero. Origin mid 19th century: short for duck’s egg, used for the figure 0 because of its similar outline.
    • Fabric: a strong cotton or linen fabric. Origin mid 17th century: from Middle Dutch doek ‘linen, linen cloth’; related to German Tuch ‘cloth’.
    • Immersion: to dip under water. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Mollusc: a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America. Genus Anatina, family Mactridae.
    • Lowering head: lower the head or the body quickly. Origin Middle English: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duiken and German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.
    • Bird: a waterbird with a broad blunt bill. Origin Old English duce, from the Germanic German tauchen ‘dive, dip, plunge’.

    Three

    Where is the mythical Snow Lion a celestial emblem?

    Answer: Tibet.

    The Snow Lion, Tibet’s celestial emblem, symbolises power, strength, fearlessness, joy, east, and earth. Featured on Tibet’s flag from 1916 to 1950, it remains used by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Depicted as white with a turquoise mane, it represents hermits and yogis, and is prominent in Tibetan culture.

    Four

    What character is named when symbols for sulphur, nobelium, oxygen, phosphorus and yttrium are placed together in order?

    Answer: Snoopy

    S-sulphur
    No-nobelium
    O-oxygen
    P-phosphorus
    Y-yttrium

    Five

    What are the three super-states in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, and in which of these is London located?

    Answers: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia; Oceania.

    In April 1984, Winston Smith lives in Airstrip One (previously Great Britain), a province of Oceania, under totalitarian rule by ‘the Party’ and Big Brother. The Party enforces conformity through surveillance and Thought Police, erasing dissenters as “unpersons”. Winston, an Outer Party member at the Ministry of Truth, secretly rebels against the regime.

    42-0-20-(Z 16-102–8-15-39)-13

    The numbers in the title offer clues, perhaps obscure, to each of the questions in the correct order. The information breaks down like this

    1. 42: In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.
    2. 0: A duck is 0 as explained above, see ‘Nought’ under the second answer.
    3. 20: The 20th letter of the alphabet ‘T’ is the initial to this answer.
    4. (Z 16-102–8-15-39): Z is the symbol for atomic numbers and 16 is the atomic number for sulphur, 102 is nobelium 8 is oxygen 15 is phosphorus and 39 is yttrium each of which make Snoopy.
    5. 13: : ‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’ Thirteen concludes the opening line of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.