Questions 30th Nov 2010

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

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

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

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

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

Answers for 26th Nov 2010

Q1. The first engineering college in India was established in 1847. It is now an IIT. Which one?

A: IIT Roorkee. It was established by the British. After independence, it became University of Roorkee in 1949 and then the seventh IIT in 2001.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @kirankarlmarx, @swaraj_india, @Saffronizer

Q2. What law holds that the simplest explanation is more likely to be the correct one?

A: Occam's Razor, also known as the Law of Parsimony. It is attributed to William Of Ockham from 14th century England. It recommends selecting the competing hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions. It finds application in philosophy, science and the study of religion.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @kirankarlmarx, @Saffronizer, @sashikanthd

Q3. What are the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China? Name atleast three.

A: Compass, gunpowder, paper and printing. The Chinese are understandably quite proud about them, as they indicate ancient China's scientific advancement, and they were featured during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Great_Inventions_of_Ancient_China

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @Saffronizer

Q4. Evidence for which particle, popularly known as "God particle", is to be found at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN?

A: Higg's Boson. It is a hypothetical elementary particle that could be the reason why mass exists in the universe. Though scientists are convinced of its existence, they'd like to come up with irrefutable evidence, and collecting this evidence is one of the goals of the Large Hadron Collider experiment: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-exactly-is-the-higgs

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @Saffronizer, @sashikanthd

Q5. Watson and Crick made which famous discovery in the field of biology?

A: The double helical structure of DNA. It was discovered with the help of X-ray diffraction in 1953. Watson and Crick won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962.

Correct answers: @Vijay_Vikram, @anooprk07, @kirankarlmarx, @Prashanth_Krish, @SivaChandan, @Saffronizer, @sashikanthd

Scores

@Saffronizer 50

@Prashanth_Krish 50

@kirankarlmarx 40

@sashikanthd 30

@SivaChandan 10

@Vijay_Vikram 10

@swaraj_india 10

@anooprk07 10

Questions for 26th Nov 2010

Q1. The first engineering college in India was established in 1847. It is now an IIT. Which one?

Q2. What law holds that the simplest explanation is more likely to be the correct one?

Q3. What are the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China? Name atleast two.

Q4. Which hypothetical particle, popularly known as "God particle", does the Large Hadron Collider at CERN seek to find evidence for?

Q5. Watson and Crick made which famous discovery in the field of biology?

Notice

Dear participants, there will be no quiz today. We'll be back tomorrow. Take care

Answers 24th Nov 2010

Q1. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work in which area?

A: Ribosomes. He studied the structure and functions of Ribosomes using the technique X-ray crystallography, along with Ada Yonath and Thomas Steitz with whom he shared the Nobel Prize.

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

Q2. What kind of electromagnetic waves are used in TV remote control?

A: Infrared.

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @quietist, @Prashanth_Krish, @Karmasura, @ssudhirkumar, @rushikeshgk, @centerofright

Q3. The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, sometimes called Conan The Bacterium, entered the Guinness Book for what?

A: Toughest bacterium. This bacterium has been demonstrated to survive extreme conditions such as intense nuclear radiation, ultraviolet radiation, cold, dryness, vacuum and acidity. On account of its extraordinary properties, the bacterium is used for research in several areas, including life on Mars and space travel: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/ast14dec99_1/ ; Scientists recently discovered the secrets behind its abilities: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100906142136.htm

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @Karmasura

Q4. Which electronics giant produced the first silicon transistor and the first integrated circuit?

A: Texas Instruments. The first silicon transistor was made in 1954 at TI by Gordon Teal, who announced his invention at a conference as thus: "Contrary to what my colleagues have told you about the bleak prospects for silicon transistors, I happen to have a few of them here in my pocket." http://www.pbs.org/transistor/science/events/silicont1.html . The first integrated circuit was made in 1958 at TI by Jack Kilby, who won the Nobel Prize in 2000. It is probably the most important invention in the last 50-60 years, is it not?

Correct answers: @quietist, @Prashanth_Krish

Q5. What massive object is speculated to be present at the centre of our galaxy Milky Way?

A: A supermassive blackhole. It is speculated to be four million times more massive that the sun. Think about it, we are all revolving around it right now. But dont worry, it is 27,000 light years away from the earth: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7774287.stm

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @g_upadhyay

Scores

@Prashanth_Krish 40
@kirankarlmarx 30
@Karmasura 30
@quietist 20
@g_upadhyay 20
@ssudhirkumar 10
@rushikeshgk 10
@centerofright 10

Questions for 24th Nov 2010

Q1. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work in which area?

Q2. What kind of electromagnetic waves are used in TV remote control?

Q3. The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, sometimes called Conan The Bacterium, entered the Guinness Book for what?

Q4. Which electronics giant produced the first silicon transistor and the first integrated circuit?

Q5. What massive object is speculated to be present at the centre of our galaxy the Milky Way?

Answers 23rd Nov 2010

Q1. What is Jaipur Foot, in the field of surgery?

A: Prosthetic Leg. It is a prosthetic leg created by Masterji Ram Chander under the guidance of Dr. P. K . Sethi in 1961 for landmine victims. It is inexpensive, can be made using local materials, easy to use and water resistant. Here's an article from Time: http://www.time.com/time/reports/heroes/foot.html

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan, @sashikanthd, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish, @kashyapa, @dremtee

Q2. What is the active ingredient in chillies, or what substance in chillies is responsible for their "hotness"?

A: Capsaicin. The degree of hotness of a chilly is directly related to the concentration of capsaicin. Capsaicin has medicinal applications. It is used in ointments for pain relief, for instance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin#Uses

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish, @venkataa, @raghuduttc,

Q3. Who was the first notable woman in mathematics? She is also credited with the invention of the Hydrometer.

A: Hypatia. She was a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher who lived and taught at Alexandria, Egypt, in the 4th-5th century AD. She lived at a time of social turmoil and was brutally murdered by a mob of Christian fanatics which accused her of witchcraft. She is the main character in the 2009 film "Agora." http://womenshistory.about.com/od/hypati1/a/hypatia.htm

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @Prashanth_Krish

Q4. In which psychological phenomenon does a kidnapped individual begin to sympathize and even bond with the captor?

A: Stockholm Syndrome. It occurs when there is no hope of escape. The hostage begins to mistake his captor's not taking his life as an act of kindness. Time magazine on Stockholm Syndrome: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1919757,00.html

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan, @sashikanthd, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish

Q5. The Pacific Ring of Fire pertains to which geological phenomena?

A: Volcanism and earthquakes. It is a long and narrow belt of tectonic activity along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, resulting from collision of tectonic plates. The zone accounts for 3/4ths of all volcanoes and more than half of all earthquakes. http://geography.about.com/cs/earthquakes/a/ringoffire.htm

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan, @sashikanthd, @kirankarlmarx, @Karmasura, @Prashanth_Krish

Scores

@KiranKS 50

@Prashanth_Krish 50

@kishor_narayan 40

@kirankarlmarx 40

@Karmasura 40

@sashikanthd 30

@kashyapa 10

@dremtee 10

@venkataa 10

@raghuduttc 10

Excellent performances. Keep it up fellas!

Questions for 23rd Nov 2010

Q1. What is Jaipur Foot, in the field of surgery?

Q2. What is the active ingredient in chillies, or what substance in chillies is responsible for their "hotness"?

Q3. Who was the first notable woman in mathematics? She is also credited with the invention of the Hydrometer.

Q4. In which psychological phenomenon does a kidnapped individual begin to sympathize and even bond with the captor?

Q5. The Pacific Ring of Fire pertains to which geological phenomena?

Answers for 22nd Nov 2010

Q1. Operation Smiling Buddha (Pokhran 1974) marks the beginning of the Atomic Age in India. Who headed the development team?

A: Raja Ramanna. He was the director of BARC during Smiling Buddha. He became known as the Father of India's nuclear programme and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1975. He is from Karnataka.

Correct answers: @kishor_narayan, @Prashanth_Krish, @Karmasura

Q2. Which mathematical constant is given by the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle?

A: Pi.

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @kishor_narayan, @KiranKS, @aaindian, @Prashanth_Krish, @gdeepy, @quietist, @Karmasura, @SivaChandan, @ssudhirkumar

Q3. Bt-Brinjal carries 'foreign' genes from which bacterium? This bacterium is available commercially as a pesticide.

A: Bacillus thuringiensis. It is a common soil-dwelling bacterium that naturally produces substances that are toxic to certain pests. Bt-Brinjal is a transgenic variety that is genetically engineered to carry genes that produce these toxins.

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @KiranKS

Q4. Only one fifth generation fighter aircraft is in active service today. Which one?

A: F-22 Raptor. It is an air superiority aircraft that uses stealth technology. It is built by Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the US Air Force.

Correct answers: @quietist, @kishor_narayan, @Karmasura, @KiranKS

Q5. The invention of which machine is believed to have led to the Industrial Revolution in the West?

A: Steam engine. While there were other inventions, notably improved cotton spinning (Cotton Genny) and iron smelting technologies, the steam engine had a wide impact and literally "powered" the Industrial Revolution. It acted as a cheap, location-free source of motive power for factories, mines and most importantly transport (railways and ships) for more than a century before the diesel engine and electric motor came to be widely used. References to engines using steam power date back to 1^st century AD but the modern steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712 and was later improved upon by James Watson in 1775.

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

Scores

@kirankarlmarx 30

@kishor_narayan 30

@KiranKS 30

@Prashanth_Krish 30

@quietist 30

@Karmasura 30

@aaindian 10

@gdeepy 10

@SivaChandan 10

@ssudhirkumar 10

@centerofright 10

Well done people!

Questions 22nd Nov 2010

Q1. Operation Smiling Buddha (Pokhran 1974) marks the beginning of the Atomic Age in India. Who headed the development team?

Q2. Which mathematical constant is given by the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle?

Q3. Bt-Brinjal carries 'foreign' genes from which bacterium? This bacterium is available commercially as a pesticide

Q4. Only one fifth generation fighter aircraft is in active service today. Which one?

Q5. The invention of which machine is believed to have led to the Industrial Revolution in the West?

Notice

Dear participants,

There will be no quiz today and tomorrow. Busy days etc. We'll be back on 22nd or 23rd.

Also, I have not updated the scores table. I will do it one of these days. The top three are @kishor_narayan, @kirankarlmarx and @Karmasura

Take care!

Answers 19th Nov 2010

Here are the answers for the quiz on 19th Nov 2010:

Q1. Which Indian ruler used rocket artillery in war (for the first time in India) against the British?

A: Tipu Sultan. He was the first to use the modern design – the iron cylinder rocket.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @centerofright, @kashyapa, @Ashvala, @IamPrabhath, @Karmasura, @kirankarlmarx

Q2. What is the most abundant organic compound on Earth?


A: Cellulose. It is easy to see why it is the most abundant. It forms 33% of all plant matter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @centerofright, @Karmasura

Q3. What force causes winds and projectiles in the atmosphere to become deflected from a straight path?

A: Coriolis force. If you fire a rocket from Hyderabad aimed at Nagpur, it would fall somewhere to the east of Nagpur. Projectiles/winds deflect towards the right in the northern hemisphere and towards the left in the southern hemisphere. The Coriolis force is caused by the earth's rotation.
http://www.windows2universe.org/physical_science/physics/mechanics/Coriolis.html
http://www.geography4kids.com/files/atm_coriolis.html

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @kirankarlmarx

Q4. Who theorized that there were canals on Mars built by a dying civilization? His efforts also led to discovery of Pluto


A: Percival Lowell. His theory was proved wrong when Viking – the first probe to Mars – returned pictures of a planet sized desert. He founded the Lowell Observatory, where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish,

Q5. The Internet owes its origin to which network, created by USA's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and MIT?

A: The ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). It used for the first time technologies that would become the basis of the Internet, like packet switching. The ARPANET is considered one of the "eve" networks of today's Internet.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish

Scores

@Prashanth_Krish 50
@centerofright 20
@Karmasura 20
@kirankarlmarx 20
@kashyapa 10
@Ashvala 10
@IamPrabhath 10

Questions 19th Nov 2010

Q1. Which Indian ruler used rocket artillery in war (for the first time in India) against the British?

Q2. What is the most abundant organic compound on Earth?

Q3. Who theorized that there were canals on Mars built by a dying civilization? His efforts also led to discovery of Pluto

Q4. What force causes winds and projectiles in the atmosphere to become deflected from a straight path?

Q5. The Internet owes its origin to which network, created by USA's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and MIT?

Answers 17th Nov 2010

Here are the answers for the quiz on 17th Nov 2010:

Q1. Who is known as the Father of Surgery in India and the Father of Plastic Surgery?

A: Sushruta. He lived and taught near Varanasi around 600 BC. His Sushruta Samhita is the one of the oldest texts on surgery. In it, he describes over 120 surgical instruments, 300 surgical procedures and classifies human surgery into 8 categories. Among the surgeries he performed were cataract surgery and plastic surgery: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgery#History

http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijps/vol3n2/rhino.xml

Correct answers: @sageisfree, @Prashanth_Krish, @centerofright, @kirankarlmarx, @kishor_narayan, @quietist, @ssudhirkumar, @KVSarmaJ

Q2. Which physical principle is behind the lift produced by an aeroplane's wings, allowing it to fly ?

A: Bernouli's Principle. http://library.thinkquest.org/2819/bernoull.htm

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

Q3. Which computer worm is in the news for targetting industrial infrastructure, notably Iranian nuclear facilities?

A: Stuxnet. Reported in June 2010, it is a Windows-based worm that targets critical control systems in industries. Its most notable victims were the nuclear facilities at Natanz and Bushehr in Iran. The sophistication of the worm indicates that it could have been developed only with nation-state support for a specific objective. It was suspected that Stuxnet was used (by the Chinese – they say) to damage INSAT-4B but ISRO has ruled out Stuxnet's role in the whole affair.

Correct answers: @Prashanth_Krish, @Karmasura, @kishor_narayan, @KVSarmaJ

Q4. Which blood feeding worm releases an anti-clotting enzyme into blood, causing prolonged bleeding even after the bite?

A: Leech. It releases the anti-clotting enzyme Hirudin to allow the blood to 'flow freely.' This property is sometimes used for the clinical practice of bloodletting: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/06/health/he-31093

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

Q5. Which substance is referred to as "burning ice"? It has potential as a large scale source of natural gas in the future

A: Methane clathrate or Gas hydrate. It is formed when methane comes into contact with cold water on the ocean floor. It has potential as a large scale source of natural gas in the future. India has huge reserves on the east coast. When it is burned, it really does look like burning ice, like here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Burning_hydrate_inlay_US_Office_Naval_Research.jpg

Correct answers: @venkataa, @Karmasura

Scores

@Karmasura 40

@kishor_narayan 40

@KVSarmaJ 30

@Prashanth_Krish 30

@kirankarlmarx 30

@quietist 20

@ssudhirkumar 10

@venkataa 10

@sageisfree 10

@centerofright 10

Questions 17th Nov 2010

Q1. Who is known as the Father of Surgery in India and the Father of Plastic Surgery?

Q2. Which principle in physics is behind the lift produced by an aeroplane's wings, allowing it to fly?

Q3. Which computer worm is in the news for targetting industrial infrastructure, notably Iranian nuclear facilities?

Q4. Which blood feeding worm releases an anti-clotting enzyme into blood, causing prolonged bleeding even after the bite?

Q5. Which substance is referred to as "burning ice"? It has potential as a large scale source of natural gas in the future.

Notice

Dear Participants,

You will be able to find all the questions on Twitter by searching using "#STQuiz". Nevertheless, for your convenience, I am posting all questions on this blog from today onwards. So all you need to do is visit this blog whenever you are free, put in your answers in the Comments section or reply to me @S_Chaitanya on Twitter. Answers will be posted on this blog after 9 AM the next day. DO NOT forget to leave your Twitter ID when you put your answers in the Comments section.

Thank you and Happy Quizzing :-)

Answers 16th Nov 2010

16Nov10 #Q1. Where in India is the world's earliest known dock located?

A: Lothal, Gujarat. This is an Indus Valley Civilization site. It is more than 4000 years old. Oceanographers opine that the dock must have been constructed after an indepth study of tides in the region. Lothal was the main port for trade with West Asia. The people of Lothal achieved a high level of civilization, accompanied by advancements in science and technology, art and architecture. Read about Lothal's contributions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothal#Civilization

Correct answers: @kirankarlmarx, @quietist

16Nov10 #Q2. Which satellite system is used for Direct-to-Home (DTH) television (Tata Sky etc.) in India?

A: INSAT or Indian National Satellite System. Most satellite-based communication and broadcasting services in India are handled through the INSAT system. Your DTH dish antenna receives signals directly from an INSAT satellite.

16Nov10 #Q3. The most abundant element in the universe is Hydrogen. Which element is the second most abundant?

A: Helium. The two lightest elements Hydrogen and Helium make up 74% and 24% of the mass of the universe respectively. The remaining elements make up only 2%. This is because Hydrogen and Helium were formed during the very birth of the Universe just after the Big Bang, while the heavier elements formed much later in stars through nuclear fusion of Hydrogen and Helium: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_the_chemical_elements#Abundance_of_elements_in_the_Universe

Correct answers: @kirankarlxmarx, @avinashbhat01

16Nov10 #Q4. The widely used 'anti-fever' drug, para-acetyl-amino-phenol, is commonly known as?

A: Paracetamol, from para-acetyl-amino-phenol. It is basically the shortened version. It is more commonly known as Crocin etc. @kppradeepdr has the best explanation: http://twitter.com/kppradeepdr/statuses/4570822924570624

Correct answers: @kirankarlxmarx, @quietist, @KVSarmaJ, @kppradeepdr, @aaindian, @ssudhirkumar

16Nov10 #Q5. Who is called "Father of the atomic bomb"? He's known to have quoted a verse from Bhagvadgita after the 1st n-explosion in 1945

A: Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was already a highly accomplished physicist before he became director of the Manhattan Project. Manhattan Project is the codename for a World War II US-led project to develop nuclear weapons [before the Nazis could :-) ]. He reportedly quoted from Bhagvadgita: "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one." and "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," completely out of context of course.

Enrico Fermi is also called "Father of the atomic bomb." He was also a member of the Manhattan Project and made crucial contributions. For example, he demonstrated the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Earlier, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 for his groundbreaking work in the nuclear field.

Correct answers: @nondescriptguy, @niknathind, @KVSarmaJ, @quietist, @kirankarlmarx

Scores

@kirankarlmarx 40

@quietist 30

@KVSarmaJ 20

@kppradeepdr 10

@aaindian 10

@ssudhirkumar 10

@niknathind 10

@nondescriptguy 10

@avinashbhat01 10

Congratulations to all !

Answers 15th Nov 2010

15Nov10 #Q1. The first modern sine table was compiled by which ancient Indian astronomer?

A: Aryabhata. Aryabhata's sine table was the first in mathematics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Āryabhaṭa's_sine_table

Correct answers: @ranganaathan

15Nov10 #Q2. Genetics studies the replication and transmission of genes. Which field is concerned with replication and spread of ideas?

A: Memetics. It was originated by Richard Dawkins (the author of "The God Delusion".) It uses analogies with biological evolution to explain culture and cultural evolution. The crux is that like genes, memes (ideas, thoughts, beliefs etc.) also replicate and spread, and the 'fittest' memes – the ones that provide benefits to people – spread more and survive longer. More on this fascinating science: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MEMES.html

15Nov10 #Q3. What is responsible for the formation of the greyish coating on the yolk of a hardboiled egg?

A: The formation of iron sulphide, especially when the eggs are overcooked. More:

http://www.open2.net/healtheducation/home_lifestyle/eggsecrets.html

http://newton.ex.ac.uk/teaching/CDHW/egg/

Correct answers: @tnk13

15Nov10 #Q4. This year we are celebrating the 115th anniversary of the discovery of X-Rays. Who discovered X-Rays?

A: Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. He was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery.

Correct answers: @ranganaathan, @ssudhirkumar, @kirankarlmarx

15Nov10 #Q5. (my fav) Which famous fictional AI became the first inductee in the Robot Hall of Fame (fiction), with R2D2 from Star Wars?

A: HAL9000. It is a central character in Arthur Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is the computer of the Discovery One spacecraft. Its objective of ensuring the success of the mission at any cost leads to results that interest a wide range of people, from philosophers to scientists, to this day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_9000#Characterization

The Robot Hall of Fame is an initiative of Carnegie Mellon University, USA. Here's their article on HAL: http://www.robothalloffame.org/hal.html

Scores:

@ranganaathan 20

@ssudhirkumar 10

@kirankarlmarx 10

@tnk13 10

Answers 13th Nov 2010

13Nov10 #Q1. We come across the term 'jwala mukhi' frequently in Indian art and literature. But there is only one active volcano in India. Where is it?

A: Barren Island. It is a remote island in the Andaman group. There are no volcanoes on the Indian mainland. More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barren_Island_(Andaman_Islands)

Correct answers: @dubash, @arvindsaraswat, @rushikeshgk, @quietist, @PiSingh_, @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan

13Nov10 #Q2. Which scientist would you associate the ship HMS Beagle with? Last year was the 150th anniversary of his most famous work.

A: Charles Darwin. The observations that he made on the HMS Beagle voyage led to his theory of evolution, which was put forward in "The Origin of the Species" (1859.) Nice read here: http://history1800s.about.com/od/innovators/a/hmsbeagle.htm

Correct answers: @dubash, @arvindsaraswat, @amargov, @kishor_narayan, @rushikeshgk

13Nov10 #Q3. The concentration of which hormone rises in the blood when you are afraid or excited?

A: Adrenaline or Epinephrine. It plays a central role in the socalled 'fight or flight' response. Whenever you are faced with a dangerous situation, the adrenal glands inject a shot of adrenaline into your blood to give you that extra boost to escape or fight successfully. That's not all: http://stress.about.com/od/situationalstress/a/adrenaline0528.htm

Correct answers: @dubash, @KiranKS, @rushikeshgk, @kishor_narayan

13Nov10 #Q4. The "Chandrashekar limit", named after Indian-origin astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, is related to which phenomenon ?

A: The formation of a white dwarf. Stars continuously burn themselves out and when they age and run out of fuel, they turn into either of three kinds of objects: white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. If the mass of a star is less than the Chandrashekar limit (equal to 1.44 times of the sun), it remains as a white dwarf. Subrahmanyan Chandrashekar won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983.

Correct answers: @KiranKS, @kishor_narayan

13Nov10 #Q5. Dry ice is the solid form of which gas?

A: Carbon dioxide. It is used in cooling applications. When exposed to room temperature, it does not melt and simply sublimates into the air.

Correct answers: @Karmasura, @quietist, @Vijay_Vikram, @rushikeshgk, @kishor_narayan

Scores

@kishor_narayan 50

@rushikeshgk 40

@dubash 30

@KiranKS 30

@arvindsaraswat 20

@quietist 20

@Vijay_Vikram 10

@amargov 10

@Karmasura 10

@PiSingh_ 10

Well done guys!

Answers 12th Nov 2010

Thank you for the encouraging response people. I hope you had fun.

Here are the answers for yesterday's quiz:


12Nov10 #Q1. The first high quality steel was made in India around 300 BC. It was later called Damascus steel. What is its original name?

A: Wootz steel

The name comes from "ukku", which means steel or iron in South Indian languages. It had a high carbon content and was used to make high quality swords and other weapons.

Correct answers: @KiranKS

12Nov10 #Q2. The meteorite ALH84001 (discovered in Antarctica) is speculated to contain evidence for extraterrestrial life. On which planet?

A: Mars. It is named after Allan Hills in Antarctica, where it was discovered in the year 1984. You've seen this picture before, havent you? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/ALH84001_structures.jpg

The rock originated on Mars some 4 billion years ago, when conditions might have been conducive for life. It came to Earth 13,000 years ago after it was blasted off Mars by a large meteorite impact.

For more: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/marslife.html

Correct answers: @pavanvoice, @kishor_narayan, @KiranKS

12Nov10 #Q3. Which major epidemic during the medieval era is believed to have indirectly led to the Renaissance in Europe?

A: The Black Death or The Plague or The Bubonic Plague. It was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It took away half of Europe's population. How it may have led to the Renaissance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance#Black_Death

Correct answers: @dubash @rushikeshgk, @KiranKS

12Nov10 #Q4. Its inventor called it "medicine for the soul." What is this potent but *non-addictive* and controversial hallucinogenic drug?

A: LSD. They went to war over Opium but probably no other drug is as controversial as LSD is. Interestingly, it is not addictive http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/explorer/4094/Overview

12Nov10 #Q5. (my favourite) Which drink is known as "liquid bread" ?

A: Beer, especially strong or stout beers like Guiness, which are nutrient-rich: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3266819.stm

Correct answers: @dubash, @kishor_narayan