Tag: science

Communicator—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

These questions all relate to today’s date, January 9th.

First generation iPhone.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

What year was the first iPhone released?

  1. 2007
  2. 2008
  3. 2009

Answer: 1. 2007

iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, and went on sale later that year. It transformed the phone into a handheld computer, fusing communication, entertainment and internet access. Since its release, it has evolved with improved cameras, faster processors, and new features like face recognition.

Two

In 1982, Catherine, princess of Wales was born. What was her maiden surname?

  1. Middleditch
  2. Middlesmyth
  3. Middleton

Answer: 3. Middleton

Catherine, Princess of Wales, born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, is the consort of Prince William, heir apparent to the British throne. She became Princess of Wales in 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine is known for her warmth and relatability, and is actively involved in various charities, particularly those focused on children and mental health.

Three

Which traditional American folk song, recorded by Joan Baez on her 1960 debut album, became one of her signature performances and helped spark the 1960s folk revival?

  1. This Land Is Your Land
  2. Silver Dagger
  3. John Henry

Answer: 2. Silver Dagger

Joan Baez was born this day in 1941. Her first album, Joan Baez (1960), was recorded in just a few days and featured only her voice and acoustic guitar. Despite its simplicity, it became a landmark folk record and influenced countless artists—including a young Bob Dylan—by bringing traditional ballads like Silver Dagger to a wide, modern audience.

Four

In 1816, Humphrey Davy tested what device at Hebburn Colliery in England?

  1. Safety fuse
  2. Safety helmet
  3. Safety lamp

Answer: 3. Safety lamp

The Davy lamp, invented in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy, is a safety lamp used in flammable atmospheres, particularly coal mines. It consists of a wick lamp enclosed in a mesh screen, acting as a flame arrestor to prevent explosions. Despite its initial promise, the Davy lamp’s unreliability and the false sense of security it provided contributed to an increase in mine accidents, highlighting the need for improved ventilation and safer practises.

Five

Born in 1913, Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. During his presidency Nixon became associated with what group of tradesmen?

  1. Carpenters
  2. Mechanics
  3. Plumbers

Answer: 3. Plumbers

The Watergate Plumbers, a covert group formed during Richard Nixon’s presidency, aimed to suppress leaks of classified information, especially the Pentagon Papers. Their most notorious involvement was the Watergate break-in, which ultimately led to Nixon’s resignation.

Communicator

These questions all relate to today’s date, January 9th.

First generation iPhone.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

What year was the first iPhone released?

  1. 2007
  2. 2008
  3. 2009

Two

In 1982, Catherine, princess of Wales was born. What was her maiden surname?

  1. Middleditch
  2. Middlesmyth
  3. Middleton

Three

Which traditional American folk song, recorded by Joan Baez on her 1960 debut album, became one of her signature performances and helped spark the 1960s folk revival?

  1. This Land Is Your Land
  2. Silver Dagger
  3. John Henry

Four

In 1816, Humphrey Davy tested what device at Hebburn Colliery in England?

  1. Safety fuse
  2. Safety helmet
  3. Safety lamp

Five

Born in 1913, Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. During his presidency Nixon became associated with what group of tradesmen?

  1. Carpenters
  2. Mechanics
  3. Plumbers

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Famous Family—Answers

These questions all relate to today, January 8th.

Flag of Monaco.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

On this day in 1997, what family commemorated 700 years of ruling the place represented by the flag shown above? Who are the family and where do they rule?

  1. Borgia, Republic of San Marino
  2. Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco
  3. Medici family, Vatican City State

Answer: 2. Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco.

Monaco, a sovereign city-state on the French Riviera, is the second smallest sovereign state in the world. It is a semi-constitutional monarchy with Prince Albert II as head of state. Monaco is known for its wealth, casinos, and as a tax haven, attracting a high percentage of millionaires.

Two

What year and state complete the following sentence? In …, Elvis Presley was born in …

  1. 1933; Alabama
  2. 1935; Mississippi
  3. 1937; Tennessee

Answer: 2. 1935; Mississippi.

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, was a highly influential American singer and actor. Born on 8 January 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, he rose to fame in the 1950s with his unique blend of country and rhythm and blues, becoming a cultural icon despite initial controversy. Presley’s successful music career spanned multiple genres, and he remains one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Three

On this day, Charles de Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France’s …

  1. First Republic
  2. Fourth Republic
  3. Fifth Republic

Answer: 3. Fifth Republic.

Charles de Gaulle, a pivotal figure in French history, led the Free French forces during WWII, became the provisional president, and was instrumental in establishing the Fifth Republic. As President from 1959 to 1969, he navigated challenges like the Algerian War, strengthened France’s economy and international position, and aimed to increase France’s global influence.

__

Four

Born on this day, Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who suffered from motor neurone disease did NOT take part in which one of these?

  1. Have I Got News for You
  2. Monty Python
  3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series

Answer: 1. Have I Got News for You.

Stephen Hawking was an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, known for his work on black holes and cosmology. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at age 21, but continued his work and achieved commercial success with his book A Brief History of Time. He featured at the Monty Python Live (Mostly) show in 2014. He was shown to sing an extended version of the Galaxy Song, after running down Brian Cox with his wheelchair, in a pre-recorded video. In 2018, Hawking was the voice of The Book Mark II on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series

Five

Queen Mary
Image Wikimedia Commons
Queen Mary 2
Image Wikimedia Commons

The ocean liners RMS Queen Mary 2 and her namesake Queen Mary are both named after the same person. Who?

  1. Mary I
  2. Mary, Queen of Scots
  3. Mary of Teck

Answer: 3. Mary of Teck.

Queen Mary, now berthed permanently at Long Beach, California, United States, was launched in 1934 when she was named after, and by, Queen Mary, the consort of Britain’s King George V. On 8 January 2004, Queen Mary’s granddaughter, Elizabeth II, named Queen Mary 2 after her grandmother, the same Queen Mary who was born Mary of Teck. Cunard legend has it that the 1934 ship was to be named after Queen Victoria, and following protocol, they advised the king, ‘We have decided to name our new ship after England’s greatest queen.’ George V allegedly responded, ‘My wife [Queen Mary] will be delighted that you are naming the ship after her.’

Famous Family

These questions all relate to today, January 8th.

Flag details with answers.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

On this day in 1997, what family commemorated 700 years of ruling the place represented by the flag shown above? Who are the family and where do they rule?

  1. Borgia, Republic of San Marino
  2. Grimaldi family, Principality of Monaco
  3. Medici family, Vatican City State

Two

What year and state complete the following sentence? In …, Elvis Presley was born in …

  1. 1933; Alabama
  2. 1935; Mississippi
  3. 1937; Tennessee

Three

On this day, Charles de Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France’s …

  1. First Republic
  2. Fourth Republic
  3. Fifth Republic

__

Four

Born on this day, Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who suffered from motor neurone disease did NOT take part in which one of these?

  1. Have I Got News for You
  2. Monty Python
  3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series

Five

The ocean liners RMS Queen Mary 2 and her namesake Queen Mary are both named after the same person. Who?

  1. Mary I
  2. Mary, Queen of Scots
  3. Mary of Teck

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

How’s the Weather—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

W.S. Gifford.
Library of Congress

One

The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

Answer: 1920s; New York City, United States and London, United Kingdom

On January 6 and 7, 1927, the first transatlantic telephone conversations took place between the United States and London. The initial test call, a casual conversation about the weather and travel distances, was followed by a formal ‘official’ inauguration call between AT&T President W.S. Gifford and Sir Evelyn P. Murray, head of the British General Post Office. This historic achievement marked the beginning of a new era of global communication. The previous day, the across-the-ocean ‘test’ conversation was also recorded for the purposes of history — ‘How’s the weather over in London?’. These calls travelled over 3,000 miles, via wire from New York City to a radio transmitter at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York, and then via radio waves—to a radio receiving station at Rugby, England, and finally via wire from there to London. The return conversation went from London via wire to Cupar, Scotland, from there via radio waves to a receiving station at Houlton, Maine, and finally via wire back to New York City. — Sourced from Library of Congress

Two

The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

Answer: Galileo Galilei; 17th century

The Galilean moons, discovered by Galileo in 1610, are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. They are planetary-mass moons, larger than any dwarf planet, and Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System. Their discovery challenged the geocentric Ptolemaic world system and demonstrated the importance of the telescope.

Three

In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

Answer: Japan

Sakigake, a practice mission for Japan’s Suisei, flew by Comet Halley, providing data on the comet and Earth’s magnetic tail.

Four

What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

Answer: CQD

CQD, one of the first radio distress signals, was adopted by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company on 7 January 1904. SOS, agreed upon by the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in 1906, was merely a distinctive Morse code sequence of three dots, three dashes and three dots with no spaces between the letters. Although not an abbreviation, SOS is often associated with phrases like ‘save our souls’ or ‘save our ship’.

Five

In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

  1. Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
  2. Scanning text and graphics
  3. Translating from one input language to another output language

Answer: 3. Translating from one input language to another output language

The Georgetown–IBM experiment, a 1954 demonstration of machine translation, showcased the automatic translation of over sixty Russian sentences into English. Developed by Georgetown University and IBM, the experiment utilised a limited vocabulary and grammar rules, focusing on specific domains like politics and science. While the demonstration received widespread attention and encouraged government investment, progress in machine translation was slower than anticipated.

How’s the Weather

These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

W.S. Gifford.
Library of Congress

One

The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

Two

The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

Three

In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

Four

What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

Five

In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

  1. Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
  2. Scanning text and graphics
  3. Translating from one input language to another output language

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

First Things First—Answers

Today’s questions focus on ‘firsts’ that occurred on January 3rd.

Flag of Liberia.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

In 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts was sworn in as the first president of a country which began as a project of the American Colonization Society. What country?

Answer: Liberia

Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic, was established for formerly enslaved people from the United States. It gained independence in 1847 and experienced relative stability until a civil war in the 1990s.

Two

Who, in 1987, was the first woman to be voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Answer: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was a highly acclaimed American singer known for her powerful voice and hits like Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.

Three

A spacecraft named for a goddess who, according to legend, flew from Earth to the Moon was the first to land on the far side of the Moon. What name do the goddess and spacecraft share, and in what decade did this first landing take place?

Answer: Chang’e; 2010s

Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She is often depicted floating towards the moon, holding a moon disk, or with the Hare preparing the elixir of immortality. The spacecraft Chang’e 4, carrying the Yutu-2 rover, landed on the Moon’s far side on 3 January 2019, becoming the first spacecraft to do so. It communicated with Earth via the Queqiao relay satellite.

Four

In 1749, the first issue of Berlingske was published. It is now the oldest continually operating newspaper in what country?

Answer: Denmark

Berlingske, Denmark’s oldest continually operating newspaper, was founded in 1749 and is considered a newspaper of record. Originally titled Kjøbenhavnske Danske Post-Tidender, it has a conservative stance and is known for its traditionalism. The newspaper, now published in tabloid format, has won numerous awards, including the World Press Photo Award three times.

Five

In what decade was the first electric watch introduced to the retail market?

Answer: 1950s

The Hamilton Watch Company produced the first electric watch to be retailed in 1957, using a balance wheel or tuning fork driven by a battery. Quartz watches later surpassed them in accuracy and durability.

First Things First

Today’s questions focus on ‘firsts’ that occurred on January 3rd.

Image Wikimedia Commons

One

In 1848, Joseph Jenkins Roberts was sworn in as the first president of a country which began as a project of the American Colonization Society. What country?

Two

Who, in 1987, was the first woman to be voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Three

A spacecraft named for a goddess who, according to legend, flew from Earth to the Moon was the first to land on the far side of the Moon. What name do the goddess and spacecraft share, and in what decade did this first landing take place?

Four

In 1749, the first issue of Berlingske was published. It is now the oldest continually operating newspaper in what country?

Five

In what decade was the first electric watch introduced to the retail market?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Hot Shot—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

A few true or false posers for you today.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

Gun-toting … … triggers police alert at hotel

True or false: The above 2003 headline from The Herald in Glasgow, Scotland, referenced opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa’s arrival in the city with several shotguns.

Answer: True

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the renowned soprano, caused a stir at a Glasgow hotel when she requested a gun store, leading to a police presence. The hotel, lacking a gunroom, followed protocol and contacted the police, who stored the firearms overnight. The incident occurred shortly after Glasgow was labelled the murder capital of Britain and was reported in The Herald newspaper on 5 December 2003.

Two

True or false: On 18 June 1983, US astronaut Sally Ride became the first woman to travel in space.

Answer: False

On 16 June 1963, Cosmonaut Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova became the first woman to travel in space when she flew a solo mission in Vostok 6. Svetlana Savitskaya, aboard Soyuz T-7, became the second woman to travel in space in 1982, and Sally Ride became the third woman, and first American woman, to travel in space.

Three

True or false: According to the United States Geological Survey, about 90% of the world’s earthquakes, including most of its largest, occur within the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Answer: True

The Ring of Fire is a 25,000-mile (40,000 km) long tectonic belt surrounding the Pacific Ocean, characterised by frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. It is formed by the subduction of various tectonic plates, creating oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and back-arc basins. The Ring of Fire contains the majority of the world’s active volcanoes and earthquakes.

Four

Those kids were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening

True or false: The above lyric from a 1974 song was a number one hit in multiple nations.

Answer: True

Kung Fu Fighting is a disco song by Carl Douglas, released in 1974. It topped charts worldwide, sold eleven million copies, and popularised disco music. The song was covered (using different lyrics) by CeeLo Green and Jack Black in the first film of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and later by The Vamps for the third film.

Five

True or false: Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1878.

Answer: False

Fleming did discover penicillin, but not in 1878, and, in fact, he was not born until 1881. On 3 September 1928, Fleming noticed a fungus contaminating a staphylococci culture, destroying the bacteria around it. He identified the fungus as Penicillium, later confirmed as P. rubens.

Hot Shot

A few true or false posers for you today.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
Image Wikimedia Commons

One

Gun-toting … … triggers police alert at hotel

True or false: The above 2003 headline from The Herald in Glasgow, Scotland, referenced opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa’s arrival in the city with several shotguns.

Two

True or false: On 18 June 1983, US astronaut Sally Ride became the first woman to travel in space.

Three

True or false: According to the United States Geological Survey, about 90% of the world’s earthquakes, including most of its largest, occur within the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Four

Those kids were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening

True or false: The above lyric from a 1974 song was a number one hit in multiple nations.

Five

True or false: Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1878.

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.