Answers for 22nd Dec 2010

Q1. Who invented the wearable gestural computer interface Sixth Sense?

A: Pranav Mistry. Here's Mistry demonstrating the amazing device: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kIWFPUG6UI

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @kashyapa, @Saffronizer

Q2. Wikileaks special. "Diplomatic cable" originally meant what means of communication?

A: Telegram. Though they use radio, fax and Internet today, the name has remained the same: http://deepdip.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/what-is-diplomatic-cable/

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @rushikeshgk, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @Saffronizer

Q3. Unscramble CDALFEIOCN – pain killer blamed for deaths of Indian vultures that ate carcasses of animals treated with it.

A: Diclofenac. http://www.domain-b.com/environment/20080505_diclofenac_poisoning.html

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @Saffronizer

Q4 Which famous scientist once sought to transmit electrical power without wires at a facility known as Wardenclyffe Tower?

A: Nikola Tesla. Unfortunately, his project never came to fruition due to financial problems. But the theory is very interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower#Wireless_transmission

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @Saffronizer

Q5. Who is considered the father of modern chemistry? He was also the first to clearly outline law of conservation of mass.

A: Antoine Lavoisier, a French scientist.

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @Saffronizer

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Scores

@prashanthkpp 50
@Saffronizer 50
@Karmasura 40
@kirankarlmarx 40
@kashyapa 10
@rushikeshgk 10

Questions for 22nd Dec 2010

Q1. Who invented the wearable gestural computer interface Sixth Sense?

Q2. "Diplomatic cable" originally meant what means of communication?

Q3. Unscramble CDALFEIOCN – pain killer blamed for deaths of Indian vultures that ate carcasses of animals treated with it.

Q4. Which famous scientist once sought to transmit electrical power without wires at a facility known as Wardenclyffe Tower?

Q5. Who is considered the father of modern chemistry? He was also the first to clearly outline law of conservation of mass.

Answers for 20th Dec 2010

Q1. What part or feature of the Indian Constitution calls upon the citizens to develop scientific temper?

A: Fundamental duties [Article 51A, Part IVA].

Correct answers: @g_upadhyay, @kashyapa, @Karmasura, @dkarthik

Q2. Name the fictional military AI that becomes self aware and turns against humans in the "Terminator" series of films.

A: Skynet. Beneath the mind blowing action in the Terminator series lies a cautionary tale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_(Terminator)#Origin_and_Nature

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @rushikeshgk

Q3. Which spacecraft is considered to be the farthest manmade object from earth?

A: Voyager 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1#Interstellar_mission

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @kirankarlmarx

Q4. Which popular communications technology is named after a 10th century king who united Denmark?

A: Bluetooth. The king is Harald Blataand or Harold Bluetooth in English. According to the Bluetooth SIG: "King Blatand was instrumental in uniting warring factions in parts of what are now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark - just as Bluetooth technology is designed to allow collaboration between differing industries such as the computing, mobile phone, and automotive markets." http://www.bluetooth.com/English/SIG/Pages/default.aspx

Correct answers: @gdeepy, @rushikeshgk

Q5. What does this symbol stand for? http://twitpic.com/3hs1y5

A: Radiation hazard. It is known as the "trefoil" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazard_symbol#Radioactive_sign

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @gdeepy, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @rushikeshgk

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Scores

@Prashanth_Krish 30
@Karmasura 30
@kirankarlmarx 30
@rushikeshgk 30
@gdeepy 20
@g_upadhyay 10
@kashyapa 10
@dkarthik 10

Questions 20th Dec 2010

Q1. What part or feature of the Indian Constitution calls upon the citizens to develop scientific temper?

Q2. Name the fictional military AI that becomes self aware and turns against humans in the "Terminator" series of films.

Q3. Which spacecraft is considered to be the farthest manmade object from earth?

Q4. Which popular communications technology is named after a 10th century king who united Denmark?

Q5. What does this symbol stand for? http://twitpic.com/3hs1y5

Answers 14th Dec 2010

Q1. Which Hindu school of philosophy postulates that all objects in the universe can be reduced to a finite number of atoms?

A: Vaisheshika. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. It was founded by the sage Kanada around the 2nd century BC. Wikipedia informs about the atomic theory espoused by the Vaisheshika school: "The paramāṇus (atoms) are indivisible and eternal, they can neither be created nor destroyed. Each paramāṇu (atom) possesses its own distinct viśeṣa (individuality)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaisheshika#The_atomic_theory

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp, @nharipra

Q2. Identify the object shown in this image taken from a microscope: http://twitpic.com/3fvvw3

A: Snow flake. Snowflakes are congregations of ice crystals. They develop gradually and often take beautiful geometrical shapes even though they are formed from a completely chaotic process. The image was taken from this Wikipedia article on snow flakes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowflake

Correct answers: @quietist, @Karmasura, @sashikanthd, @prashanthkpp, @kirankarlmarx, @swaraj_india

Q3. Unscramble CHATYEOLNICLEL – neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that plays a key role in muscle contraction.

A: Acetylcholine.

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp, @kirankarlmarx

Q4. Malarial drug Quinine is extracted from the bark of which tree?

A: Cinchona tree.

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp, @kirankarlmarx

Q5. Which significant event in world history is taken to be the beginning of the Atomic Age (or the Nuclear Age)?

A: The Trinity Test. It was the first ever nuclear explosion, a test conducted by the US Army on July 16, 1945, the date that is taken to be the beginning of the Atomic Age. It used a plutonium implosion design, the same used by the Fat Man, dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp

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Scores

@Karmasura 50
@prashanthkpp 50
@kirankarlmarx 30
@quietist 10
@sashikanthd 10
@swaraj_india 10
@nharipra 10

Questions 14th Dec 2010

Q1. Which Hindu school of philosophy postulates that all objects in the universe can be reduced to a finite number of atoms?

Q2. Identify the object shown in this image taken from a microscope: http://twitpic.com/3fvvw3

Q3. Unscramble CHATYEOLNICLEL – neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that plays a key role in muscle contraction.

Q4. Malarial drug Quinine is extracted from the bark of which tree?

Q5. Which significant event in world history is taken to be the beginning of the Atomic Age (or the Nuclear Age)?

Answers 8th Dec 2010

Q1. Which element was discovered during a solar eclipse in India in 1868, separately by two scientists at Guntur & Vijaydurg?

A: Helium. It was discovered by Pierre Janssen at Guntur and Norman Lockyer at Vijaydurg. Janssen's discovery: http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/08/19/stories/0419201g.htm | Lockyer's discovery: http://madhavgokhale.blogspot.com/2006/01/vijaydurg-can-fly-high-curtsey-helium.html

Q2. Who gave the theory that humans possess innate ability for language? He's also an outspoken critic of US foreign policy.

A: Naom Chomsky. He theorized about a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that all humans are born with and which enables humans to acquire language through instinct. His influential theory is an important part of the nativist argument about language that is opposed to the idea that language is learned through conditioning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky#Contributions_to_linguistics

Q3. Unscramble RCBATREOUTR – device that blends fuel and air in internal combustion engines.

A: CARBURETTOR.

Q4. What equation gives an estimate of the number of intelligent civilizations that may exist in our galaxy the Milky Way?

A: Drake's Equation. It was given by Dr. Frank Drake (who conducted the first radio search for extraterrestrial life) in 1960. Check it out: http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_drake_equation.html

Q5. What stimulant is added to colas/softdrinks such as Pepsi and Coke?

A: Caffeine.

Scores

@SivaChandan 50
@prashanthkpp 50
@kishor_narayan 40
@Karmasura 40
@aaindian 40
@dubash 20
@Ravitejadanda 10
@quietist 10
@ipramodv 10

Questions for 8th Dec 2010

Q1. Which element was discovered during a solar eclipse in India in 1868, separately by two scientists at Guntur & Vijaydurg?

Q2. Who gave the theory that humans possess innate ability for language? He's also an outspoken critic of US foreign policy.

Q3. Unscramble RCBATREOUTR – device that blends fuel and air in internal combustion engines.

Q4. What equation gives an estimate of the number of intelligent civilizations that may exist in our galaxy the Milky Way?

Q5. What stimulant is added to colas/softdrinks such as Pepsi and Coke?

Answers 6th Dec 2010

Q1. Through the work of which Persian mathematican, known as Father of Algebra, was the Indian numeral system exposed to the West?

A: Al Khwarizmi. Wikipedia informs: "On the Calculation with Hindu Numerals written about 825, was principally responsible for spreading the Indian system of numeration throughout the Middle East and Europe " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_ibn_M%C5%ABs%C4%81_al-Khw%C4%81rizm%C4%AB#Contributions

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kishor_narayan,

Q2. What pigment is responsible for the dark colour of skin and hair?

A: Melanin.

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kishor_narayan, @sashikanthd

Q3. Indian-origin US researcher Shuvo Roy was in the news very recently. For what?

A: He created the world's first artificial kidney: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/US-based-Indian-creates-first-artificial-kidney/articleshow/7038619.cms | He works in the area of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for biomedical systems http://bts.ucsf.edu/roy/people.html

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @kohlianil, @prashanthkpp, @kishor_narayan

Q4. Only one fixed wing aircraft in active service is capable of vertical take off and landing (VTOL). Which one?

A: The Sea Harrier. It is a naval strike fighter with vertical/short take off and landing capability (V/STOL). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aerospace_Sea_Harrier | V/STOL allows fixed wing aircraft from short airstrips or from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical/Short_Takeoff_and_Landing | The Indian Navy operates the Sea Harrier from the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. The F-35C also has VTOL but is still to enter active service.

Correct answers: @quietist, @kohlianil, @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kishor_narayan, @sashikanthd

Q5. 'Golden Rice' is a transgenic variety of rice that contains which Vitamin in large quantities?

A: Vitamin A. It was developed to fight Vitamin A malnutrition in the developing world but met with significant resistance from environmentalists. It will be available for consumption only after 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_rice

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @Ravitejadanda, @prashanthkpp, @Karmasura, @kishor_narayan

Scores

@prashanthkpp 50
@kishor_narayan 50
@Karmasura 40
@kirankarlmarx 40
@kohlianil 20
@sashikanthd 20
@dubash
@quietist 10
@Ravitejadanda 10

Questions 6th Dec 2010

Q1. Through the work of which Persian mathematican, known as Father of Algebra, was the Indian numeral system exposed to the West?

Q2. What pigment is responsible for the dark colour of skin and hair?

Q3. Indian-origin US researcher Shuvo Roy was in the news very recently. For developing what?

Q4. Only one fixed wing aircraft in active service is capable of vertical take off and landing (VTOL). Which one?

Q5. 'Golden Rice' is a transgenic variety of rice that contains which Vitamin in large quantities?

Answers 3rd Dec 2010

Q1. DRDO recently created what was described as the world's most powerful non-nuclear explosive material. Name it.

A: CL-20. It's full name is Octa-Nitro-Cubane, is a Nitramine class of explosive 15 times as powerful as HMX that is currently used by the Indian armed forces. Ajai Shukla on CL-20 at Broadsword: http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2010/11/move-over-china-drdo-reverse-engineers.html

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx, @vikhrakula

Q2. Which drug is considered to be the main reason Africa ceased to be known as "white man's grave" & led to its colonization?

A: Quinine. It is an anti-malarial drug naturally extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. Its medicinal properties were known to the Queccha Indians in Peru, and this knowledge was brought to Europe by Jesuit priests. It was first used to treat malaria in Rome in 1631 and later helped Europeans overcome the risk of malaria in Africa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinine#History

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp, @kirankarlmarx, @g_upadhyay, @quietist, @dubash

Q3. Which computer was the first to use a graphical user interface (GUI) ?

A: Xerox Alto. It was followed by Xerox Star, Apple Lisa and Macintosh 128k, all of which were among the first to use GUI commercially http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_graphical_user_interface#Xerox_PARC

Q4. Unscramble FRAROMNTEGIR -Hypothetical process of altering the environment of an alien planet to make it habitable for life

A: Terraforming, also called Planetary Engineering. It belongs very much to the realm of science fiction today (in James Cameron's "Aliens", for instance) and is quite impractical but in the distant future, it may prove important for the continuation of human civilization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming

Correct answers: @prashanthkpp, @sashikanthd, @kirankarlmarx

Q5. The 1st use of the concepts in nanotechnology was in a 1959 talk There's Plenty Of Room At The Bottom by which physicist?

A: Richard Feynman. About the talk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There's_Plenty_of_Room_at_the_Bottom#Impact | The transcript of the talk: http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @prashanthkpp, @sashikanthd

Scores

@Karmasura 30
@prashanthkpp 30
@kirankarlmarx 30
@sashikanthd 20
@g_upadhyay 10
@quietist 10
@dubash 10
@vikhrakula 10

Questions 3rd Dec 2010

Q1. DRDO recently created what was described as the world's most powerful non-nuclear explosive material. Name it.

Q2. Which drug is considered to be the main reason Africa ceased to be known as "white man's grave" & led to its colonization?

Q3. Which computer was the first to use a graphical user interface (GUI) ?

Q4. Unscramble FRAROMNTEGIR - Hypothetical process of altering the environment of an alien planet to make it habitable for life.

Q5. The 1st use of the concepts in nanotechnology was in a 1959 talk There's Plenty Of Room At The Bottom by which physicist?

Answers 2nd Dec 2010

Q1. Which Indian filmmaker wrote the script "The Alien", which never became a film but may have inspired Spielberg's "E. T"?

A: Satyajit Ray. It was originally meant for a film to be produced by Columbia pictures. Later, "E.T." was produced by the same company, with Steven Spielberg as director. Spielberg of course denied copying Ray's script. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alien#Legacy

Correct answers: @pavanvoice, @dubash, @Prashanth_Krish, @aaindian, @Karmasura, @KiranKS

Q2. What is the approximate value of the Golden Ratio or the Golden Mean, also known as "phi"? (atleast upto three decimals)?

A: 1.618. It is a very interesting number, appearing in a lot of places in nature from the arrangement of branches in a tree to brain wave cycles. Scientists and artists in medieval Europe loved it for its unique properties and believing it to be aesthetically pleasing. Apparently, the new Twitter design is based on phi: http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/new-twitter-golden-ratio/ . Wikipedia has a truly encyclopaedic article on this fascinating number: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#Nature

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @KiranKS

Q3. Name the library and scientific institution in Baghdad that acted as the main intellectual centre of the "Islamic Golden Age"

A: Baitul Hikma, or House of Wisdom. It was a library/translation center in Baghdad founded by Caliph Al Mamun. Many ancient scientific works from different civilizations were translated and preserved. It flourished from the 9th to 13th centuries before it was destroyed by invading Mongols. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Wisdom

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @aaindian, @KiranKS

Q4. What part of the biological cell is referred to as the "power house" of the cell"?

A: Mitochondrion

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @quietist, @Vijay_Vikram, @Ravitejadanda, @Karmasura, @KiranKS

Q5. Hubble Space Telescope will come to the end of its life in 2014. Name the space based observatory that will succeed it

A: James Webb space telescope. It will observe the most distant objects in the universe, farther than Hubble, and help increase our understanding about the origin and evolution of the universe. It will be launched in 2014: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/

Correct answers: @KiranKS

Scores

@KiranKS 50
@Karmasura 40
@aaindian 20
@kirankarlmarx 20
@Prashanth_Krish 20
@quietist 10
@Vijay_Vikram 10
@dubash 10
@pavanvoice 10
@Ravitejadanda 10

Questions 2nd Dec 2010

Q1. Which Indian filmmaker wrote the script "The Alien", which never became a film but may have inspired Spielberg's "E. T"?

Q2. What is the approximate value of the Golden Ratio or the Golden Mean, also known as "phi"? (atleast upto three decimals)?

Q3. Name the library and scientific institution in Baghdad that acted as the main intellectual centre of the "Islamic Golden Age".

Q4. What part of the biological cell is referred to as the "power house" of the cell"?

Q5. Hubble Space Telescope will come to the end of its life in 2014. Name the space based observatory that will succeed it.

Answers 1st Dec 2010

Q1. Which Indian-origin physicist invented the optical fibre and is referred to as the father of fibre optics?

A: Narinder Singh Kapany. He graduated from Agra University before he went to Imperial College, London, for his Ph. D. Wikipedia informs us that "he was named as one of the seven 'Unsung Heroes' by Fortune magazine in their ‘Businessmen of the Century’ issue (1999-11-22)" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narinder_Singh_Kapany

Correct answer: @prashanthkpp, @Saffronizer

Q2. The tallest trees in the world belong to which species (give the common name)?

A: Giant sequoia or Redwood. They are concentrated in California, United States. On an average, they are 50-85 m. tall but the tallest can grow beyond 90 m.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoiadendron

Correct answer: @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @quietist, @Saffronizer

Q3. Which country has the largest number of time zones, and recently reduced it from 11 to 9 to make things more manageable?

A: Russia. Not surprising at all, if you look at the west-east extent of Russia on the map. They will eventually reduce the number to 5 time zones: www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62R0DS20100328 | @Saffronizer informs us that France has actually 12 time zones. But this number also includes the time zones of its island territories.

Correct answer: @prashanthkpp, @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @ssudhirkumar, @quietist, @centerofright, @dremtee, @Saffronizer

Q4 Homo sapiens like to think they have the largest brains. But one extinct human species did have a larger brain. Which one?

A: Neandertals or Homo neanderthalensis. They are our closest evolutionary cousins. They had brain sizes going much beyond our 1350 cc (average.) However, the brain size can be misleading as it is the brain size-body size ratio that is more important for intelligence. Homo sapiens have the largest ratio among all human species, and hence are the most intelligent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal

Correct answer: @prashanthkpp, @Prashanth_Krish, @Saffronizer

Q5. Unscramble CLITSONAR - antibacterial agent commonly added to toilet soaps, deodorants, toothpastes and handwashes.

A: Triclosan.

Correct answer: @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @SivaChandan, @Saffronizer

Scores

@Saffronizer 50

@Prashanth_Krish 40

@prashanthkpp 30

@kirankarlmarx 30

@quietist 20

@ssudhirkumar 10

@centerofright 10

@dremtee 10

@SivaChandan 10

Questions 1st Dec 2010

Q1. Which Indian-origin physicist invented the optical fibre and is referred to as the father of fibre optics?

Q2. The tallest trees in the world belong to which species (give the common name)?

Q3. Which country has the largest number of time zones, and recently reduced it from 11 to 9 to make things more manageable?

Q4 Homo sapiens like to think they have the largest brains. But one extinct human species did have a larger brain. Which one?

Q5. Unscramble CLITSONAR - antibacterial agent commonly added to toilet soaps, deodorants, toothpastes and handwashes.

First round of STQuiz ends

Dear Participants,

With the end of November, the first round of STQuiz comes to a close. Congratulations and thanks to all the participants for making STQuiz successful.

The Cumulative Scores Table for November will stop and a new table will begin for December. The joint toppers for November are @Prashanth_Krish and @kirankarlmarx. Congratulations to them! In the future, we hope to award prizes in cash or otherwise. But for now, we desire that the toppers adjusht with fame :-)

The table is intended only to induce a spirit of competition. The important thing is your participation, to help serve the primary objective of STQuiz: sharing knowledge, in a fun manner.

It has been a wonderful beginning. When we began, we had no idea how it would go. It was a rather abrupt initiative. The time between conception to implementation was two hours. But the response has been very encouraging.

We believe there is always scope for improvement and this is a good opportunity to receive feedback from you. Would you like STQuiz to remain a daily quiz with Sunday and some other days as holidays? If not, how many days of interval would you like between quizzes? If you have any other suggestion(s) to make, you are always welcome. Anytime, anywhere. You may leave your feedback in Comments or reply @S_Chaitanya on Twitter. We appreciate honest feedback, especially the brutally honest variety :-) So shoot.

Answers 30th Nov 2010

Q1. Who wrote Ashtadhyayi, the earliest systematic work in linguistics?

A: Panini. It is earliest known work on grammar and the structure of language. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81%E1%B9%87ini#The_Ashtadhyayi

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish, @amargov, @prashanthkpp, @KVSarmaJ, @aaindian, @VintageCrusher

Q2 What microbial forms are considered lifeless as they lack a cellular structure & require to infect a cell for metabolism?

A: Viruses. Viruses are little more than grains of dust unless they infect the cell of a living organism. They then use the host cell's machinery for metabolism and reproduction. http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/yellowstone/viruslive.html

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @quietist, @prashanthkpp

Q3. What is the general shape of our galaxy the Milky Way?

A: Spiral. All about it: http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/MW.html

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish, @prashanthkpp, @aaindian

Q4. Which new form of optical storage uses 3-D light interference patterns to store data, offering greater capacity than DVD?

A: Holographic storage. While CDs and DVDs store data on the surface of the recording medium (disc), holographic memory will use the entire volume of the medium. "Holographic memory offers the possibility of storing 1 terabyte (TB) of data in a sugar-cube-sized crystal." http://www.howstuffworks.com/holographic-memory.htm

Correct answers: @Karmasura

Q5. The olfactory lobes in the brain are responsible for which sense? 

A: Smell

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish, @quietist

Scores

@Karmasura 50

@KiranKS 40

@kirankarlmarx 40

@Prashanth_Krish 30

@prashanthkpp 30

@quietist 20

@aaindian 20

@amargov 10

@KVSarmaJ 10

@VintageCrusher 10