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.
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.
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?
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 SaleneWikipedia
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.
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:
The St Leger, the oldest of Britain’s five Classic races, is the last of the five to be run each year, and its distance is longer than any of the other four. In what decade was it first ran?
Answer: 1770s (1776).
The St Leger Stakes, established in 1776, is Great Britain’s oldest Group 1 flat horse race, held annually in September at Doncaster. It concludes the English and Fillies Triple Crowns. The race spans 2,921 metres and is the longest of Britain’s five Classic races, with Camelot being a recent notable contender.
Two
What J.K. Rowling book was first published in the U.K. in June 1997, and under what title was the same book published the following year in the U.S.?
Answers: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling’s debut, follows young wizard Harry Potter discovering his magical heritage. Published in 1997, it became a bestseller, translated into 85 languages, and adapted into a film. Praised for imagination and plot, it sold over 120 million copies, influencing education and marketing.
Three
What geometric shape is also the path of the Earth around the Sun, and how far approximately, in miles or km, does the Earth travel on that path in a year?
Answer: Ellipse; 584 million miles or 940 million km.
Earth orbits the Sun every 365.256 days in a counterclockwise, elliptical path at an average distance of 149.6 million km. Travelling at 29.78 km/s, it appears to move 1° eastward daily relative to the stars. This orbit’s near-circular eccentricity keeps the Sun close to its centre.
The cover of which debut studio album from 1969 depicts the Hindenburg exploding?
Answer: Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, the debut album by the English rock band of the same name, was released in January 1969 in the US and March 1969 in the UK. Recorded in 36 hours at Olympic Studios, London, it features a mix of original and rearranged blues and folk songs. The album achieved top 10 success in the UK and US.
Five
What tennis Grand Slam takes place in a stadium which is named after a World War 1 fighter pilot who was killed in action?
Answer: French Open.
Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros, a French aviation pioneer, first crossed the Mediterranean by airplane in 1913. A self-taught pilot, he joined the French Army in World War I and helped to developed a forward-firing machine gun. He was killed in action in 1918. The Roland Garros tennis stadium in Paris, opened in 1928, honours him and the French Open is alternatively called Roland-Garros.
Off the Shelf
Today’s answers were straight off the ‘shelf’ in that the letters from that word provided the initial letter of each answer.
The St Leger, the oldest of Britain’s five Classic races, is the last of the five to be run each year, and its distance is longer than any of the other four. In what decade was it first ran?
Two
What J.K. Rowling book was first published in the U.K. in June 1997, and under what title was the same book published the following year in the U.S.?
Three
What geometric shape is also the path of the Earth around the Sun, and how far approximately, in miles or km, does the Earth travel on that path in a year?
Four
The cover of which debut studio album from 1969 depicts the Hindenburg exploding?
Five
What tennis Grand Slam takes place in a stadium which is named after a World War 1 fighter pilot who was killed in action?
Five random questions today, neither date-related nor themed.
One
In the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien, who are said to be the inhabitants of Bree?
Answer: Big Folk and Hobbits.
Bree, east of the Shire, is the only Hobbit and Man settlement in Bree-land, inspired by the English village of Brill and Tolkien’s linguistics. The Prancing Pony in Bree is where Frodo’s use of the ring brings him to the attention of Aragorn and the Black Riders.
Two
What is the world’s longest snake?
Answer: Reticulated Python.
The reticulated python is the only snake with verified human consumption, prompting a 2015 US import ban later partially rescinded. Documented fatalities and consumption of humans are recorded from 1638 to 2026, these are mainly in Indonesia.
Three
What is the nearest star to our Sun?
Answer: Proxima Centauri.
Proxima Centauri, discovered in 1915 by Robert Innes, is the nearest star to Earth after the Sun, located 4.25 light-years away in Centaurus. A red dwarf which will remain a main-sequence star for four trillion years. Proxima Centauri has two confirmed exoplanets: Proxima Centauri b and Proxima Centauri d.
Four
In Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Wednesday is revealed to be an incarnation of what God?
Answer: Odin.
Neil Gaiman’s 2001 fantasy novel American Gods centres on Shadow and won Hugo and Nebula awards. A 2011 expanded edition, audio versions and a 2017 Folio Society edition followed. It was adapted for television in 2017 with Gaiman as executive producer.
Five
Which character from television’s Friends is also a moon of the planet Saturn?
Answer: Phoebe.
Phoebe Buffay is a main character in Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and played by Lisa Kudrow. Phoebe, Saturn’s largest irregular satellite, was discovered photographically by William Henry Pickering in 1899. Cassini’s 2004 flyby enabled detailed study. Its retrograde orbit places it in the Norse group.
Quizology.Online 
