Quizology.Online

Tag: education

  • Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds — Answers

    Here are today’s answers.

    Trinity Test, Jack W. Aeby, July 16, 1945.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, 16 July. The subsequent questions follow a theme established by the first.

    One

    The world’s first atomic bomb exploded in a test on 16 July. 

    • What code name was given to the test?
    • In what year was the test?, and
    • In what U.S. state was the test site located?

    Answers

    • Trinity
    • 1945
    • New Mexico

    The Trinity test, the first nuclear detonation, occurred on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project. Directed by Kenneth Bainbridge, it tested an implosion-design plutonium bomb, releasing 25 kilotons of energy and creating trinitite. Observed by 425 people, the site became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The Manhattan Project established Los Alamos for nuclear weapon development, leading to the first atomic bomb, Gadget, tested at the Trinity Site. The Trinity Site is now a national historic landmark with limited public access.

    Two

    When asked why he chose the nuclear test code name referred to in question one above, Robert Oppenheimer alluded to the work of which English poet?

    Answer: John Donne.

    In 1962 Oppenheimer said:

    Why I chose the name is not clear, but I know what thoughts were in my mind. There is a poem of John Donne, written just before his death, which I know and love.” Oppenheimer then quoted the sonnet “Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness” about a man unafraid to die because he believed in resurrection.

    Oppenheimer continued: 

    That still does not make a Trinity, but in another, better-known devotional poem Donne opens, ‘Batter my heart, three person’d God.’ Beyond this, I have no clues whatever.
    — Los Alamos National Laboratory

    Three

    Who is traditionally said to have used a clover-like plant, which is now a national symbol, as a metaphor for a Christian doctrine, and what was the plant?

    Answer: St. Patrick; shamrock.

    In 5th-century Ireland, Saint Patrick reportedly used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to pagans. Today, the shamrock is Ireland’s national symbol and a key emblem of Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrated worldwide with parades and festivities.

    Four

    Which charity is the official authority for lighthouses in England and Wales?

    Answer: Trinity House.

    Trinity House, established in 1514, is the UK’s largest maritime charity and General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar. It ensures maritime safety through navigation aids, pilot licensing, and audits. Annually, it donates £4m to support cadet training, retired mariners’ welfare, and sea safety education.

    Five

    Of the seven surviving British and Irish medieval and early modern universities founded before 1600 AD, one with a name appropriate for this theme was founded in 1592. Under what name was this 1592 establishment founded?

    Answer: Trinity College Dublin (Coláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath).

    (or in full The Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin (Coláiste Thríonóid Naofa Neamhroinnte na Banríona Eilís gar do Bhaile Átha Cliath)).

    Trinity College Dublin, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is Ireland’s oldest university and a member of LERU and the Coimbra Group. It houses the Book of Kells and has notable alumni like Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift. The college, a major tourist destination, has an academic partnership with Oxford and Cambridge.

    Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds

    Robert Oppenheimer later recalled a moment, after the Trinity Test, when the line ‘Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds’ from the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita came to mind.

  • Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds

    Trinity Test, Jack W. Aeby, July 16, ?
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    The first question relates to today’s date, 16 July. The subsequent questions follow a theme established by the first.

    One

    The world’s first atomic bomb exploded in a test on 16 July. 

    • What code name was given to the test?
    • In what year was the test?, and
    • In what U.S. state was the test site located?

    Two

    When asked why he chose the nuclear test code name referred to in question one above, Robert Oppenheimer alluded to the work of which English poet?

    Three

    Who is traditionally said to have used a clover-like plant, which is now a national symbol, as a metaphor for a Christian doctrine, and what was the plant?

    Four

    Which charity is the official authority for lighthouses in England and Wales?

    Five

    Of the seven surviving British and Irish medieval and early modern universities founded before 1600 AD, one with a name appropriate for this theme was founded in 1592. Under what name was this 1592 establishment founded?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • University Blues

    Here are the answers to the questions about universities which were posed earlier.

    Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, Fez, Morocco.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    The world’s oldest continuously operating university is the University of al-Qarawiyyin. In what city and country is it located?

    Answer: Fez, Morocco.

    Founded by Fatima al-Fihri, a woman who used her inheritance to establish a centre for education and religion, Al-Qarawiyyin began as a madrasa. It later became a leading spiritual and educational hub in the Muslim world. UNESCO and the Guinness World Records both recognise it as the oldest continuously operating higher education institution globally.

    Two

    The second-oldest university in the United States is what, and who is it named after?

    Answer: College of William & Mary; (named after England’s) King William III and Queen Mary II

    Founded in 1693 in Williamsburg, Virginia, William & Mary was established by royal charter from King William III and Queen Mary II of England. It educated several key figures in early US history including Thomas Jefferson James Monroe and John Tyler all of whom became presidents. Notably it was also the first US college to implement an honour code and establish a Greek-letter fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1776.

    Three

    What’s the third book (2009) in the series featuring a fictional professor of religious iconology and symbology? Who is this professor? The character first appeared in a book published in 2000.

    Answer: The Lost Symbol; Robert Langdon

    Dan Brown’s book series centres on Robert Langdon, a fictional Harvard professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology. This latter subject is a fictional field studying historic symbols distinct from the real discipline of semiotics.

    Four Weddings and a Funeral
    Image Film Affinity

    Four

    In the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Charles (Hugh Grant), Tom (James Fleet), and Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) have known each other since university. What university?

    Answer: Cambridge University

    Charles, Tom and Scarlett are shown to have attended Cambridge University in Four Weddings and a Funeral and their friendship began there.

    Five

    What are the five ancient universities of Britain and Ireland which were founded in the 15th and 16th centuries and are NOT located in England?

    Answer: University of St Andrews (founded 1413), University of Glasgow (1451), University of Aberdeen (1495), University of Edinburgh (1583) and University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin) (1592)

    Although located in Ireland, Trinity College is historically linked with the British ancient universities. The other two ancient universities of Britain are Oxford (1096) and Cambridge (1209).

  • University Blues

    Today’s questions are all about university.

    Coat of Arms, Unseen University,
    Motto: Nunc id Vides, Nunc ne Vides (“Now you see it, Now you don’t.”).
    Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.
    Image Wikipedia

    One

    The world’s oldest continuously operating university is the University of al-Qarawiyyin. In what city and country is it located?

    Two

    The second-oldest university in the United States is what, and who is it named after?

    Three

    What’s the third book (2009) in the series featuring a fictional professor of religious iconology and symbology? Who is this professor? The character first appeared in a book published in 2000.

    Four

    In the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Charles (Hugh Grant), Tom (James Fleet), and Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) have known each other since university. What university?

    Five

    What are five of the ancient universities of Britain and Ireland which were founded in the 15th and 16th centuries and are NOT located in England?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.