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