HTML Forums Educational Trivia

[Ian]

Welcome to the first (and maybe the last - depending on support) html forums educational trivia. This is designed to be helpful and educational and while some of you may think it is useless trivia, others of you will hopefully result in you simply saying or thinking "hey, I didn't know that" and may find further on in your life what you have learnt was usefull some place.

The Rules:
Simple, when you have answered a question correctly (and have been told it is correct by the post maker), then you can post the next question. Questions should be considered educational or designed to increase others knowledge and should if possible involve some research in order to answer the question. (The harder the better within reason)

Useless questions (such as "who did the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel in the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons" or something) will result in being deleted and will result in the previous post maker having another turn. "Useless" questions are considered at the discression of the moderators and their decision is final. You must be able to back up your question with the correct answer if your answer is in dispute. Other rules will be made and inforced as we go if necessary.

So, you first educational question is:
Arthur Conan Doyle, who was the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was not an author by profession. What was his profession and what do persons of that profession do?
If you didn't know who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, then you have already learned something. Good luck.

[quietstorm]

I have noooo idea, but the thread idea is a good one, Ian. Nice job.

[YellaBunny]

sir doyle practiced medicine as an eye specialist before he became a great writer. Eye Specialist is a person who treats anything dealing with your eyes, regardless of if you can see or not. treating from pink eye to lazy eye, etc

[Android]

I thought he was a ships surgeon. His first tour was to the east coast of Greenland. Sort of a "Bones McCoy" kind of guy.

[JGAC]

He was a doctor in a practice in Plymouth which ended and he then moved to Southsea.

[Dr. Web]

hmmnn... I couldn't find anything that says that he had dualities in careers...

"1891 Conan Doyle gives up his medical practice in favor of writing. The White Company is published."

http://www.siracd.com/life_events.shtml

[Ian]

Originally posted by YellaBunny
sir doyle practiced medicine as an eye specialist before he became a great writer. Eye Specialist is a person who treats anything dealing with your eyes, regardless of if you can see or not. treating from pink eye to lazy eye, etc Correct YellaBunny. Arthur Conan Doyle was an eye specialist. An Ophthalmologist was his profession.

An Ophthalmologist is a physician who specializes in the medical and surgical care of the eyes and visual system and in the prevention of eye disease and injury.

Nice one, the floor is yours for the next question.:rocker:

(didn't know he resided in Plymouth or gave it up in 1891, so thanks for the extra knowledge)

[Dr. Web]

great thread idea Ian. BTW, should I assume that new questions are to be started in new threads?

[Ian]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
great thread idea Ian. BTW, should I assume that new questions are to be started in new threads? Um, I think we should continue in this thread, thats ok isn't it?
I also think it may be a good idea for those who want to participate in it to subscribe to the thread so they are notified when their has been a reply to make it a bit of a faster turn around. That or be on regularly enough to check your answer.

Thanks for the support, Oi YellaBunny, get you're ears up :) what trivia question have you got lined up for us?

[YellaBunny]

uhh okay, I had to do this one in biology...

Using the fingers on their right hand, most people cannot touch this part of their body. What part would this be?

[Ian]

Oh what sort of a question is that?:D

A guess:

Your right wrist or albow.

[transmothra]

Sorry TM, but all that isn't really necessary and only starts to degrade this thread (which I won't allow).
Thanks.

[karinne]

Originally posted by YellaBunny
uhh okay, I had to do this one in biology...

Using the fingers on their right hand, most people cannot touch this part of their body. What part would this be?

hmmm... I'll go for the right elbow! (not albow :D)

[YellaBunny]

lol..Ian, I couldn't think of anything else. My teacher asked us this question and we got some weird answers. So the answer is elbow, I forgot about the wrist!! I can touch mines a little, my lanky fingers.

And transmothra, what the heck are you trying to touch? :P

Okay Ian, I have a better one, if you allow me to try again.

What is the longest muscle in the human body?

[entimp]

The longest muscle is the Satorius... runs from the hip to about the knee... depending if you want to include other things like the tendons.

[karinne]

Originally posted by YellaBunny
lol..Ian, I couldn't think of anything else. My teacher asked us this question and we got some weird answers. So the answer is elbow, I forgot about the wrist!!

Wait a minute?! You can't just say nevermind here's another one?! :rolleyes:

I got it right.... well... Ian did as well but he can't write :D

[Ian]

Originally posted by karinne
Wait a minute?! You can't just say nevermind here's another one?! :rolleyes:

I got it right.... well... Ian did as well but he can't write :D True, the first question was valid and I did spell it wrong. Your turn Karinne, give it your best shot.:)

YellaBunny, I'd be interested in hearing if entimps answer to your second is correct through.

[YellaBunny]

The longest muscle in the body is the sartorius, from the outside of the hip, down and across to the inside of the knee. Entimp is correct.

[karinne]

OK.... here goes...

What was called the supercontinent 225 million years ago?

:D

[Horus_Kol]

it was...

Pangea (or Pangaia).

[karinne]

Close enough... it's Pangaea!

Was that too easy? Oh well.... all yours Horus_Kol! :P

edit: I forgot... wanted to give you this link if you want to learn more about our changing earth - Historial perspective (http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/historical.html) - enjoy ;)

[Horus_Kol]

Name the famous father of Ada Lovelace, after whom the programming language ADA was named.

[Ian]

Lord Byron.

[Horus_Kol]

i think that was a bit too easy..

back to you Ian

[Dr. Web]

c'mon now... let the other kids play! :D

seriously, lets try for some more challenging questions. Ian, how about making the next Q a multi part question?

[Ian]

I made the first one a two part one Doc, here's an easy one for you to get (if you're quick):)


Sunbeams that shine down through clouds have a certain name.

What is the name of the rays?

[karinne]

Sunbeams that shine down through clouds are called crepuscular rays! :D

edit: I just noticed how bored at work I am today! :D

[quietstorm]

Bleh...I'll never manage to come to this thread when there's actually a question to be answered!

[Ian]

Originally posted by karinne
Sunbeams that shine down through clouds are called crepuscular rays! :D

edit: I just noticed how bored at work I am today! :D Damn, i thought that one might slow things down.
Correct, go for it.

[Dr. Web]

Originally posted by Ian
I made the first one a two part one Doc, here's an easy one for you to get (if you're quick):)

wow... karinne gave me a whole 8 minutes~ :D

[karinne]

he he he.... :D

oky doky here's the next one!

NASA's premier x-ray observatory was named what and in honor of which late Indian-American Nobel laureate?

[Horus_Kol]

Chandraskatta

[karinne]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Chandraskatta

It's a 2 parter! Plus.... you wrote it all wrong!

[Horus_Kol]

It was named the Chandraskatta X-ray Telescope in honour of the astrophysicist Chandraskatta. Wasn't it?

Or am I getting up mixed?

[karinne]

well.... OK I guess you're close enough! ;)

It's actually called Chandra X-ray Observatory and physicist's name is Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar! :P

Here's more info (http://chandra.harvard.edu/about/chandra.html) if you guys want!

All your Horus_Kol

[Horus_Kol]

in all fairness - having been presented with the answer - i don't think i deserve it. :(

i don't know why i thought of chandraskatta - i think he was a character in a book i have read recently - but it most certainly isn't Chandrasekhar.

i would be happy to relinquish control back to you Karinne :bounce:

[karinne]

are you sure!? oky doky then here's the next one!

What is the currency used in the French Polysenia? And what do the letters stand for?

[Dr. Web]

Pacific French Franc (CFP) is the currency used in French Polynesia...

[karinne]

Congradulations Dr.Web!!! :D

The floor is yours! :P

[Dr. Web]

I'm thinking of a word. Its inappropriate to say aloud at work, or at the dinner table. The forums wont let me post it without starring out the letters. In 2002, a mistaken explanation for where this word came from circulated through the web.

1. Tell me what the word is by posting a definition from the dictionary. (Don't post the actual word.)
2. The root of this word is shared between two languages. What are they?
3. Tell me what the mistaken explanation for the word was.

Remember, we are a nice forum- post a tame description of the word istead of the word.

[karinne]

Well.... that's a hard one! :eek:

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
in all fairness - having been presented with the answer - i don't think i deserve it. :(

i don't know why i thought of chandraskatta - i think he was a character in a book i have read recently - but it most certainly isn't Chandrasekhar.

i would be happy to relinquish control back to you Karinne :bounce:

I'm a bit confused, are you saying the telescope is not named in honour of Chandrasekhar or that your answer, even though phonetically similar is not the person you were thinking of when you posted Chandraskatta?

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
I'm thinking of a word. Its inappropriate to say aloud at work, or at the dinner table. The forums wont let me post it without starring out the letters. In 2002, a mistaken explanation for where this word came from circulated through the web.

1. Tell me what the word is by posting a definition from the dictionary. (Don't post the actual word.)
2. The root of this word is shared between two languages. What are they?
3. Tell me what the mistaken explanation for the word was.

Remember, we are a nice forum- post a tame description of the word istead of the word.

Is this "educational trivia"? ;)

[Dr. Web]

sure, both displaying truths about the root of the word, and dispelling myth about where the word came from. It just happens to be a questionable word!! :D

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
sure, both displaying truths about the root of the word, and dispelling myth about where the word came from. It just happens to be a questionable word!! :D

LOL... OK, well I give up, I haven't got a ****ing clue with this ****ing word is. :P

[kevin]

a guess:

$hit

$hit is a very old word, with an Old English root. *Scítan is the Old English word. It has cognates in most of the other Germanic languages and shares a common Germanic root with modern equivalents like the German scheissen.
*Scítan, however, doesn't appear in extant Old English texts and is only assumed to have existed in Old English. The verb to $hit dates the Middle English period (c. 1308), and the noun form is from the 16th century. The interjection is of quite recent vintage, not found until the 1920s.

In 2002, an alleged acronymic origin for $hit appeared on the Internet. According to this tale, the word is from an acronym for Ship High In Transit, referring to barges carrying manure. This is a complete fabrication and absurd on its face. All it takes to disprove it is to look up the word in any decent dictionary. Remember, anytime someone posits an acronymic word origin, chances are that it is utterly false.

the above is quoted from www.wordorigins.org

[Dr. Web]

ahhhhh ****! Damn! ****! Great job! Below is the full text of one of those fabrications.... and now its your turn (Kevin) to fill our heads full of ****!


In the 16th Centuries, before commercial fertilizer was invented,
large shipments of manure was transported by ship.

It was shipped in dry bundles, because it weighed a lot less.

But, when water hit it at sea, it not only became heavier,
but the process of fermentation began, a by-product of which is methane gas.

It didn't take long for methane to build up below decks
and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOM !

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before someone had figured out
what was happening. Once it was determined the role that manure played
in explosives, the transporters began stamping the bundles
with the term "Ship High In Transit," so the sailors would know
to stow it high enough off the lower decks, so any water that came
into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and begin
the methane process.

Thus evolved the term "* * * *" which has come down through the centuries
and is in use to this very day.

You probably did not know the true history of this word, acronym.

[kevin]

In what year did Einstein win the Nobel Peace Prize for his Theory of Relativity?

[Dr. Web]

hmmn....

1905
Albert Einstein develops four world-changing theories (the special theory of relativity, the quantum theory of light, the electrodynamics of moving bodies, and the theory of Brownian movement), which will be recognized by a Nobel Prize for physics in 1921, but what will become his most famous discovery - the general theory of relativity - will not receive a Nobel.

from: http://www.pbs.org/kqed/nobel/sttimeline.html

[Ian]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
You probably did not know the true history of this word, acronym. Well I sure didn't. Good one Doc.

Nice confusing question Kevin :) . I believe Doc got it right.

Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921 for his lesser-known work on the photoelectric effect, not honored for his famous theory of relativity published sixteen years earlier."

[Dr. Web]

Originally posted by Ian
Well I sure didn't. Good one Doc.

but its not an acronym....
In 2002, an alleged acronymic origin for **** appeared on the Internet... :D

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
hmmn....

1905
Albert Einstein develops four world-changing theories (the special theory of relativity, the quantum theory of light, the electrodynamics of moving bodies, and the theory of Brownian movement), which will be recognized by a Nobel Prize for physics in 1921, but what will become his most famous discovery - the general theory of relativity - will not receive a Nobel.

from: http://www.pbs.org/kqed/nobel/sttimeline.html


hehehe....

Bit of a trick question but not too hard to figure out. Like a handful of people, Einstein did not recieve the Nobel Prize for his most famous work, but for other work that was much more readily accepted during the period the awards were made. His Theory of Relativity took a while to catch on.

So back to Doc Web or Ian for the next mind expanding question :D

[Dr. Web]

Agoraphobia — Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.

There is another psychological condition closely related to agoraphobia... but it is much more rare.

In the year 2000, a popular US horror writer published a book where two of the main characters suffer from psychological conditions. One from agoraphobia, and the other from the closely related... but more rare condition.

1. What is the name of this 'mystery' condition?
2. What do people fear when afflicted with this condition?
3. In the book previously mentioned, what did the character who was afflicted with this condition fear?

[Android]

1.Auto phobia.
2.Fear of themselves.
3.Not sure, but she had fears of dreams and waking thoughts of violence.

[Dr. Web]

great job android! Your turn for a intruiging question.



The book was "False Memory", by Dean Koontz. The main character suffered from Autophobia. Autophobia is related to Agoraphobia, but more rare. Its usually characterized by fear of being alone, but rarely: fear of one's self. In Koontz's book the main character feared herself (and the harm that she could do to others).

[Android]

Tycho Brae had a most unusual physical feature. What was it?

[kevin]

Originally posted by Android
Tycho Brae had a most unusual physical feature. What was it?

Do you mean Tycho Brahe or is there another person named Tycho Brae?

Tycho Brahe lost an ear or his nose or an eye, something like that, in a fight (maybe an accident?), and he covered it up with something, not a mask but a wooden or metalic replica to replace the missing piece of his head or face.

Edit:

OK...I looked it up, it was his nose and he wore a metal insert to cover up the missing chunk of nose.

[Android]

Yeah, Brahe. You're correct in that a physical feature replace with a prosthetic. What feature was replaced with what substance?

[kevin]

Originally posted by Android
Yeah, Brahe. You're correct in that a physical feature replace with a prosthetic. What feature was replaced with what substance?

I edited my answer above to include the details of the missing part and its replacment.

[Android]

BINGO! Let's have it Kevin.

[kevin]

OK...well, this might be pretty easy but I was reading something recently that made me think of this question:

If saccharine and sugar are both sweet, and sugar adds plenty of calories to our diet when consumed, how come saccharine adds no calories to our diet when used as a substitue for sugar?

[Ian]

Because saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar therefore it takes much less to create the same sweetness. The resulting calorie count of the amount used is next to nothing.

[kevin]

I will have to say that is a wrong answer. Even if the same amount of sacchrine as sugar is used, sacchrine will not add calories, so its not the amount that is the reason.

[entimp]

I don't know the answer for sure but this is a very educated guess...

Sugars are all organic compounds based around the concept of carbon rings which all follow the basis of C6 H12 O6. This formula is essential to the Krebs Cycle and the process of turning ATP (Adenine Tri-phosphate) into ADP (Adenine Di-phosphate) and thus the way we produce energy. Seeing as this is so essential to all life on earth in one form or another the storage of such a compound makes good sense... in that when you are low on energy you burn your reserves of. The fat, which is essentially C6 H12 O6. This fat is derived from the surplass food we have eaten and not use.

To sum up... Sugars, or C6 H12 O6 compounds are the building blocks of fat, or our energy reserves.

Saccharine is not an organic compund and certainly doesn't have typical C6 H12 O6 formation. Here I had to look up the formulae, I'm a biologist not an inorganic chemist so this aint cheating, for Sachharine which is:
C6H4.(SO2.CO).NH
It might have carbon in it, but so does coal, so don't let that confuse you. It is not a compound that the body can use for any source of energy. It simply doesn't have the inherent energy that a C6 H12 O6 compound has. Of course it has energy simply as all matter does... but it can't used by the body like natural sugar due to it's chemistry and thus it can't be turned into fat... and thus we don't give it an equivilant calorific rating...

QED

That make sense... I hope so. 1:30 a.m. so forgive me if it doesn't.

[kevin]

that maybe the precise technical explanation, but it can be summed up nicely in laymens terms:

sacchrine is not metabolized by our bodies so it contributes no calories to our diet. Basically its just passing through.

Entimp gets to ask the next question :)

[entimp]

Yay... maybe too technical but trying to be informative and educational like it says. But yep... simply put that is true also. Good question though. Anyway onto my question.I had a change of heart 2 thirds of the way through my under grad degree (marine biology) and wanted to do anthropology... so a question close to my heart and area of knowledge. So here it is...

In 1974 the partial remains of a australopithecine, AL 288-1, was discovered in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Now called Australopithecus afarensis... which simply put means from latin: (Australis) for Southern, Greek: (pithekos) for ape. Simply: Southern ape from Afar. The discovery was made by the fantastic Donald Johanson... What I want to know is two fold:

1: What nickname was given to this discovery?
2: And why did this name come to be choosen?

[Blueangel]

This rings a bell and if I`m right, it`s the second part of the question that gives it away to me... You pick up a lot of info setting pub quiz`s down at my local, with a bunch of drunken, academical, music freaks :D
1. The discovery was named Lucy
2. So named because `Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds` by The Beatles, was playing on the radio when Johanson retuned to camp.

Probably totally wrong, but just one of those things that stuck in my dusty nugget of a brain.

[entimp]

Indeed very right... shuuucks I thought this one would stump a few of you. But yeah... thats right, when returning to base camp the radio was playing and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was playing. So Johanson says.

[Blueangel]

Yikes! Sorry entimp.
Think this may stump a few people too, but he`s a personal hero of mine so here goes...and this is a three part question, but it`d would be great if anyone other than me knows the fourth part.

Andre Friedmann was born in Budapest in 1913.
1) What was his profession?
2) What name did he adopt?
3) Which international organisation was he a founder
member of?
4) What does his adoptive surname mean when translated
from his native language into English?

[entimp]

ok here ya go... relativly easy

To start with I think you are referring to Endre Friedmann... his name at birth.

1: Photo Journalist
2: Bob Cappa... sorry being silly, Robert Cappa
3: Magnum Photos... thoguh with a few pals.

4: Capa is 'chief' in Itallian, 'wrapped' in French, and 'it castrates' in Spanish... so how bout:

It castrates wrapped chiefs???

:rolleyes:

[Blueangel]

Correct entimp!
I`ve seen the Andrei spelling of his birth name too.
In my eyes, he was one of the best photo-journalists the world has seen
Originally posted by entimp
4: Capa is 'chief' in Itallian, 'wrapped' in French, and 'it castrates' in Spanish... so how bout:

It castrates wrapped chiefs???

:rolleyes:
Capa is Hungarian for shark :D

So over to you...

[entimp]

Okie Dokie...

If you are 'siderodromophobic' you would be scared of what or doing? And that is a real word... :D

[kevin]

Fear of trains, or railrods, or train travel, stuff like that. A Goggle search got it right away. :D

[entimp]

Aint the English language strange...

Go for it Kev...

[kevin]

allriiiighty!

I hope this is not too obscure, but it has been on TV specials in the past and in quite a few books so here goes...

There is a people or tribe of people, they seem to have knowledge that they should not have. They are (or were if they still even exist) a prescientific society, yet their oral mythology contains something that was only discovered by modern astrophysics.

What is the name of the people?
What do they know that they shouldn't be able to know?

Optionaly: what are the explanations as to how they may have aquired this knowledge?

[kevin]

No guesses? Is the question to vague?

[KWJams]

It was recorded in the oral histories of tribes all over the planet from China, India, Australia, and the Americas.

[kevin]

Originally posted by KWJams
It was recorded in the oral histories of tribes all over the planet from China, India, Australia, and the Americas.

Good answer but not the one I am looking for. The people or tribe of people I am looking for is a single tribe of prescientific people. All the civilizations and peoples you listed have good scientific histories going back a long way, some a very long way.

[Horus_Kol]

Kevin,

The tribe of people I think you are refering to are the Dogon's in East-Central Africa.

They know that the star Sirius (also known as the Dog Star) is actually a binary system. They could not possibly know this becuase it requires a fairly powerful telescope to detect the smaller star orbiting the main one - something that they did not have access to until very recently.


---------------


As for the Sugar/Saccharine question - it is not the chemical makeup of Saccharine that is so important - it is the physical structure of the molecules. In chemistry there is such a thing called "handedness". Many complex chemical can be bent one way or another around a pivotal carbon molecule.

For some reason all of our body chemistry is set up to react with right-handed molecules.

The Saccharine that they put into artificial sweetener has been refined to include only left-handed molecules. Our enzymes cannot bind to this structure, and so it passes through our bodies harmlessly.

If we were to eat right-handed saccharine, then we would get energy (or fat). from it

[KWJams]

Good answer Horus' :thumbup:

[Horus_Kol]

Okay, here is a bit of a tricky one (I hope):


1) Where was the first supposed signal from an alien race recieved?
2) What was the (in)famous signal called?
3) What really was the source of the signal?

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Kevin,

The tribe of people I think you are refering to are the Dogon's in East-Central Africa.

They know that the star Sirius (also known as the Dog Star) is actually a binary system. They could not possibly know this becuase it requires a fairly powerful telescope to detect the smaller star orbiting the main one - something that they did not have access to until very recently.


That is the correct answer.

One popular explantion as to how they know about Sirius, and seemingly know of its unusual condition, being a white dwarf star not viewable by the naked eye, and more, is that they were visited by extraterrestrials and given the information (for some unknown reason). An explanation I do not subscribe to myself.

Your turn Horus..... :)


hehehe... I see he didn't wait for confirmation :P

[Horus_Kol]

oops - I got you and KW mixed up, Kevin. I keep doing that for some reason. :dunce2:

ah, well. the question is there now anyway. :P:

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Okay, here is a bit of a tricky one (I hope):


1) Where was the first supposed signal from an alien race recieved?
2) What was the (in)famous signal called?
3) What really was the source of the signal?

This could be tricky because pulsars were first thought to be signals from an alien system.

I think it was in Cambridge in the mid or late 1960s, I guess I could look it up for the exact details of the answer.

There are other supposed first contacts with alien races though too. But I think the pulsar one is the one you are looking for.

[Horus_Kol]

1 out of 3, Kevin.

[kevin]

hmm... if you are thinking of the "WOW" signal, I don't think that the source was ever really discoverd, was it?

If I look up the Wow signal on Google I get this:

As of now, the "Wow" signal remains as enigmatic as ever........The most famous signal in SETI history was detected on the night of August 15, 1977 at the Ohio State University Big Ear Observatory.

The very first pulsar signals might have been called "little green men" but maybe my memory is playing tricks on me, not an unusual occurence at 1:00 AM :)

[Horus_Kol]

Getting closer, Kevin.

2 out of 3 now, and it was earlier than the WOW signal.

[kevin]

oh well.... I tried, too lazy or tired to try and look it up, so I will turn in and see if another entrepid soul can pull the answer out of Horus ;)

Good night for now.

[Ian]

1) The Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge (by Jocelyn Bell in 1967. At the time, she was a graduate student at Cambridge University working with her advisor, Dr. Anthony Hewish).
2) The signals were dubbed little green men (LGM) as a reference to extraterrestrial life. (The first signal was designated LGM-1)
3 ) A spinning neutron star.


This is based on the parts Kevin gave that you mentioned got 2 out of 3. So if this is correct, Kevin has the floor as I was only working on his pieces of information.

[Horus_Kol]

You put the last bit in, Ian.

When the first radio telescopes were built in the 50's and 60's, much of the sky had been unmapped.

Imagine the surprise of the researcher trawling though reams of data when she comes across a repeating pulse with perfect regularity. What on Earth (or indeed off it) could do that?

It was dubbed the LGM signal, for Little Green Men, and caused quite a stir.

Finally, more of these pulses were detected, and a theory formed:

A rapidly spinning neutron star, eject radiation along an axis different to the axis of its rotation, and we get to see that radiation as it sweeps past the Earth.

Pulsars, as they are now known, have incredibly fast speeds of rotation, measuring in seconds, and have been shown to be remarkably good timekeepers (accurate to many decimal places).



Guess we'll have to wait for Kevin to wake up again - well done for getting most of the way there.

[kevin]

Trumped while in bed! :)

Which part did I miss?

I got Cambridge mid to late 60's
Pulsar
Little Green Men

I want a recount! :P

[Horus_Kol]

sorry Kevin - i got a little mixed up in my facts, and you were right on all three counts.

Ian had already passed control to you though.

Stuart

[Dr. Web]

great question Kevin! Thats more like it!

[kevin]

OK then, on to the animal kingdom....


The female silk worm moth emits a "smell" when available to mate with a male silkworm moth, nothing especially unique about that, but there is something amazing about this chemical scent....

1. What is the name of the chemical (its sort of funny sounding in English)?
2. What is so amazing about the male silkworm moths ability to sense this "smell"?

[kevin]

Originally posted by KWJams
It was recorded in the oral histories of tribes all over the planet from China, India, Australia, and the Americas.

Funny you should mention the Crab Nebula. I think the reason it is included in so much mythology is because at is center was a super nova, which made it very visible during a certain time in the past for a short period of time. It must have been an impressive sight to have influenced so many cultures and become part of their mythology, like certain comets and other impressive celestial events.

[KWJams]

1. That so many so-called primitive cultures recorded it in their histories, yet European churches denied it. :arcade:

Their position was that the heavens and earth were constant and unchanging in spite of what people around the globe were seeing in broad daylight.

2. It heralded a very important turning point in history.

At the time, Ptolemy could explain most of the astronomical data that had been collected using his idea, so it became very popular. Sometimes, his view of the stars and planets is referred to as the Ptolemaic system , in an attempt to honor him. Sometimes, it is referred to as the geocentric system , to emphasize the fact that Ptolemy thought the earth was at the center of the universe.

The Ptolemaic system was considered the correct explanation for the arrangements of planets and stars in space until the 1700's. Thus, it was a popular theory for nearly 1600 years. Once again, however, the reason that the Ptolemaic system was so popular had less to do with the scientific evidence and more to do with other considerations. Like Aristotle, Ptolemy was (rightly) considered a great scientist. As data were collected that contradicted the Ptolemaic system, many scientists ignored it in reverence to Ptolemy.

There was actually another, probably more important reason that the Ptolemaic system became so popular. It became popular because it fit many scientists' preconceived notions of how things ought to be. In the Ptolemaic system, the earth was at the center of the universe and everything revolved around the earth. Since most people believed that the earth was the most important part of the universe, the Ptolemaic system “made sense.”

Sadly, the most ardent support for the Ptolemaic system came from the church. As more and more scientific evidence came pouring in indicating severe flaws in the Ptolemaic system, the church tried to resist any movement away from it. After all, the church reasoned, since God created man, the earth must be the most important thing in the universe, so it must be at the very center, and everything else must travel around it, just as Ptolemy said. Now, of course, nowhere in the Bible is such a thing written, but that didn't stop the church from believing in it!

In the end, it took hundreds of years of scientific data (and a few people thrown out of the church) before the church was convinced to give up on the Ptolemaic system. Unfortunately, by that time, the damage had been done. The church became viewed as antagonistic to science, and some people today still hold that view. This is unfortunate because, as you will see in later sections of this module, Christianity is a friend to science. Most of the great scientists in history were Christians, and it was their Christianity that many credited for their scientific achievements. Nevertheless, because the church was unwilling to give up on the Ptolemaic system when the scientific evidence was overwhelming, many still see Christianity as an enemy of science. That's too bad.

So this little episode from history shows us another way that science should not be done. You should not hold fast to an idea simply because it fits with your preconceived notions. Science is built on data, not a person's beliefs. The acceptance or rejection of a scientific proposition, then, should rest solely on the data, nothing more. Today, there is a theory called evolution . It is popular among scientists not because there is a lot of evidence for it, but because it fits in with many scientists' preconceived notions. As you will learn in a later module, very little evidence exists for the theory of evolution, and much evidence exists against it. Nevertheless, it is still a prevalent theory because many people like the fact that it tries to explain the existence of life without ever referring to God. As a result, they believe the theory in spite of the evidence. Unfortunately, these people have not learned from the history of science. The history of science teaches us over and over again that believing in an idea because of preconceived notions hurts the cause of science; it does not help it!

[entimp]

A reply to Silkworm Question.

The chemical/pheromone is called 'bombykol' a type of alcohol. It was so called due to the latin name of the moth; Bombyx mori.

Why is it special... because this scent gets the males going big style. With only 100 millionth of a gram released by a female this will get all the males in a fuss for 2 miles around.

Hope that is good enough for you.

[entimp]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Kevin,

The tribe of people I think you are refering to are the Dogon's in East-Central Africa.

They know that the star Sirius (also known as the Dog Star) is actually a binary system. They could not possibly know this becuase it requires a fairly powerful telescope to detect the smaller star orbiting the main one - something that they did not have access to until very recently.


---------------


As for the Sugar/Saccharine question - it is not the chemical makeup of Saccharine that is so important - it is the physical structure of the molecules. In chemistry there is such a thing called "handedness". Many complex chemical can be bent one way or another around a pivotal carbon molecule.

For some reason all of our body chemistry is set up to react with right-handed molecules.

The Saccharine that they put into artificial sweetener has been refined to include only left-handed molecules. Our enzymes cannot bind to this structure, and so it passes through our bodies harmlessly.

If we were to eat right-handed saccharine, then we would get energy (or fat). from it

Sorry had to come back at ya on this one. You are right but this isn't really the true answer. It is considered that life follows this pattern because it all had one common ancestor. And Saccharine was not refined to have a left handed polarisation... that is its natural state. Though right handed versions do appear. Why we store a certain thing is more important to this question. Want a quick explanation for why thing live then this is it:


C6 H12 O6 + O2 ---krebs cycle---> H2O + CO2 = Energy
(sugar) (air) (metabolism) (water) (carbon dioxide)

Here you will see that this means you eat sugar, breathe in some air and use this to make energy, the by products are water vapour and carbon dioxide when you breathe out.

Thus we store carbon rings such as those based around C6 H12 O6 because they have the right ingredients to make energy not because of their polarisation or handedness.

Sorry... just had to get that in. Hope you all don't mind.

[kevin]

Originally posted by entimp
A reply to Silkworm Question.

The chemical/pheromone is called 'bombykol' a type of alcohol. It was so called due to the latin name of the moth; Bombyx mori.

Why is it special... because this scent gets the males going big style. With only 100 millionth of a gram released by a female this will get all the males in a fuss for 2 miles around.

Hope that is good enough for you.

Thats it! Male silkworms are a candidate for the the most sensitive sense of "smell" on the planet. Its reported they can "smell" as little as one molecule bombykol dilluted in a quadrillion parts of air. I hope female silk worms don't fart! =:O

Back to you entimp.

[entimp]

Ok seeing as we are supposed to educate via this thread and species names will come up quite often, as it has so far, I will pose a question regarding this.

The Silk Moth came up in the last question so I will use this to pose the next.

1: Which of the following species names is correct for the Silk Moth and more importantly why?
a: BOMBYX Mori
b: BOMBYX MORI
c: BOMBYX Mori
d: Bombyx Mori
e: Bombyx mori
f: bombyx Mori

2: The science or term for giving a species its name is?

There are 2 or 3 answers I will accept for question 2 but the most exact gets the next question no matter what order they appear in by the time I get back to check the answers.

[KWJams]

A. Bombyx mori

What is: Linnaean Taxonomy?

[entimp]

wrong I'm afraid, 'a' isn't right or the way you typed it out... which is different to my 'a'. In any case they would both be wrong.

As for the 2nd part close but no cigar.
Edit: but I will accept the 2nd part if no better answer comes up... and will explain the correct one.

[KWJams]

The silkworm ( Bombyx mori , lit. "raw silk of mulberry") is not a worm, but the larva of a moth that is very important economically as the producer of silk. A silkworm's diet consists solely of mulberry leaves. It is native to Northern China.

The silkworm is so called because it spins its cocoon from raw silk. The cocoon is made of a single continuous thread of raw silk from 300 to 900 meters (1000 to 3000 feet) long.

If the caterpillar is left to eat its way out of the cocoon naturally, the threads will be cut short and the silk will be useless, so silkworm cocoons are thrown into boiling water, which kills the silkworms and also makes the cocoons easier to unravel. This harvesting has been done for thousands of years.

The adult moth has been bred for silk production and cannot fly. It is also called the silkworm-moth or mulberry silkworm. Because of its long history and economic importance, the silkworm genome has been the object of considerable modern study

Scientific classification is a means used by biologists to organize each of the organisms on the planet, based primarily on evolutionary similarity as determined by visual observation. This system was devised by Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778).

The system works by placing each organism into a layered hierarchy of groups. Each group at a given layer is composed of a set of groups from the layer directly below. Therefore, in theory, one needs know only the lowest layer (species) of a particular organism in order to uniquely determine the other six layers. In practice, however, many species actually have the same species designation, so when specifiying a species, scientists use the bottom two layers - a system called binomial nomenclature .

[Ian]

ok, I think the answer to Q1 is e: Bombyx mori
Q2 is also a guess. It comes from the Genus Bombyx and the species name mori. Its species name arrived because it fed mostly on the mulberry bush which is of the Morus family. As I say, it is a guess, I might be way of base.

[entimp]

Ok I think we have a correct answer between the two of you. First of all when asking for why one of the answers are correct I was referring to the way they were written. Seeing as all the names were the same I thought this was clear.

Thus E was the correct answer. Why then... All species names are to be written in italics. Biologists also follow a 7 level hierarchy... Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and the species. When we refer to a given species we don't state them all but usually the last two... genus and species.

Bombyx is the genus.
mori is the species.

The first 6 levels should always be capitalised and the species with lower case.

Thus 'E' is in itallics with a capitlised genus and lower case species.

This method is called 'nomenclature' although would have accepted taxonmy or cladistics if no one could come up with this.

KWJams cam up with the nomenclature part... I am impressed but...

The first and main question reffered to which of the species names was correct. Seeing as I was trying to establish the correct way of writing a species name I feel that Ian gets this one...

I hope this agrees with both of you... So for now Ian it is your shout unless you can both agree otherwise.

Hope that wasn't too convoluted... if not I will explain more, just ask.

[KWJams]

Foiled by my choice of using bold tags to empathize my answers instead of italic tags.

Good one Ian :cheers:

[entimp]

You did good on the Nomenclature tho KW... I really didn't think anyone would have got that. You deserve a slap on the back too.

[Ian]

Thanks :)

Right then....

1) The most famous natural landmark in Northern Ireland is what?
2) Approximately how many is there?
3) How were they formed?
4) And how long ago were they formed?

[entimp]

I know this one but will let someone else get a few bites first... ;)

[KWJams]

1. What is the "Giants Causeway"?
2. One
3. Formed when lava broke through the earths crust and cooled when it hit the sea
4. 60 million years ago.

[entimp]

Question 2 needs another look... how many bassalt columns?

[KWJams]

1. The most famous natural landmark in Northern Ireland is what?

There can only be one "most famous."

That is why I wondered if it was a trick question. :arcade:

[entimp]

Literally speaking you may be right, but I think I know what Ian means...

[Ian]

Thanks entimp. Yes, question 2-4 relate to the answer of q1 not the question.

[KWJams]

2. 40k :)

[Ian]

Close enough

[KWJams]

Propane with a specific gravity of .508 @ 60 degrees weighs 4.23 pounds per gallon.

Gross vehicle weight allowed is 114,000 pounds.
Tare weight is 58,000 pounds
Net weight allowed is 56,000 pounds

Lead trailer has a water capacity of 10,960 gallons with a tare weight of 44,000 pounds and can legally bridge 84,000 pounds.

Pull trailer has a water capacity of 5,900 gallons with a tare weight of 14,000 pounds and can legally bridge 40,000 pounds.

Without overfilling beyond 86% capacity, how many gallons can be safely loaded in each trailer and at what filled percentage will both trailers be?

Extra credit questions:

1. At what temperature will propane boil?

2. At what temperature will propane become a gas?

3. Other than it's volatile nature, what are the two main reasons that propane is considered a health hazard? :arcade:

[kevin]

Is the load water or propane?

What does "legally bridge" mean?

[KWJams]

Water Capacity:
Maximum filling density for liquefied gases is defined as the percent ratio of the weight of gas in the tank to the weight of water that the tank will hold. For determining the water capacity of the tank in pounds, the weight of a gallon (231 cubic inches) of water at 60° F. in air shall be 8.32828 pounds.
Basically water capacity determines the weight of water than it can hold.
By figuring the water capacity of a tank in percentages you can tell how many gallons are in 1% by volume.
The reason it is so important to know this is because propane can expand during transportation, depending on the ambient temperature. If a tank is overfilled with cold gas it may expand to the point of exceeding the safety design limits of the tank and spray plumes of raw fuel into the atmosphere where it turns into a gas that is heavier than air and it will find an ignition source. That is why emergency responders try to keep propane tanks cooled off in a fire with a water spray and let the product burn off.
Example: Take a tank with a water capacity of 10,500WC, multiply 10,500 x 1% = 105 gallons per percent.

Bridge:
There are limits on a vehicle's total length and the weight allowed is limited by the bridge weight formula that is based on the vehicle's length, number of axles, and axle spacing.
By knowing the legal bridge weight which I revealed, you will know if you are in compliance with the law for the amount of propane loaded in either trailer. :)

[entimp]

Given it a shot but it is too convoluted for me get involved in sorry KW... too late in the night... might give it another shot if it gets quieter at work.

[entimp]

Ok here goes...

first of all two of the bonus questions...
Propane will boil at 31 degrees F and then it stands to reason that any temp above this the propane will become a gas. The boiling point of any substrate is the highest temp it can reach before the transition from a liquid to a gas... I know there are a few exceptions but in general this is the case.

Ok as for the question... I gotta say it could have been phrased a bit better but this is my answer after a bit of jerking around with a spreadsheet...

Lead Pull Gross
Propane in Gallons 9425.60 5073.40 14499.00
weight lbs 39870.29 21460.48 61330.77
percentage 86.00 85.98 85.99


Hope that does ya... ackkkk no more please....

[KWJams]

You are incorrect. :(

Your total gallons is 14,499 @ 4.23 lbs per gallon that would put you 5,327 lbs over weight. :tsk:

Propane will boil at 31 degrees F

This is not correct either. :(

[entimp]

Sorry wrong quote, ackkk see what your question did... not that it counts for much without the other correct answer... boiling point is -44F or -42C...

Going to have one more look at the maths.

[KWJams]

Originally posted by entimp
Sorry wrong quote, ackkk see what your question did...

Sorry, I don't know Latin. :D

boiling point is -44F or -42C...


DING-DING! -44f is correct so that would mean it will start vaporizing or becoming a gas at -43f. :)

[entimp]

Ok I think I see where I went wrong... I didn't take into account the spare weight when considering the legal total weight and the tare weight. So the spare weight is 56000lbs I believe... So with that taken into account this is my reply:

Lead Pull Gross
Propane in Gallons 8239.00 4999.77 13238.77
weight lbs 34850.97 21149.03 56000.00
percentage 75.17 84.74 78.52

[entimp]

Just checked that with your estimated or calculated deviance... and I make it 3 lbs different from your deviance... but that is as close to bang on the head I think you are going to get.

Acccccccckkkkkk

Again.

[KWJams]

Well, :( let me say this.
The weight and gallons are close enough to say yes.
You had the lead trailer loaded correctly on the first try.
I gave the correct answer of 86%
10,960 x 1% = 109.6 which we can round off to 110.

86% x 110=9,460 net gallons

9,460 x 4.23 lbs oer gallon =40,015.8 rounded off = 40,016 net lbs

40,016 net + 44,000 tare = 84,016 gross, which is close enough to legal we can run with that.
I will not mess with your mind by trying to explain how a difference of 50psi of vapor pressure will increase that gross weight by about 200lbs on a warm day. ;)

The pull trailer you have all the weight loaded on it and will be in violation of the bridge law by being overweight on the interior bridge. ????? Ok, say this is the truck, ----> 1----2-3-4-------5-6,,,,,,7----8
#1 represents the steering axle, #2 is a tag axle, #3&4 are drive axles, #5 + #6 are the tandem axles of the semi trailer, the dashes are a 15' draw bar/tongue, and #7 & #8 are the axles on the pull trailer. The interior bridge that you would be in violation on is the combined weight on axles 5,6,& 7.

The correct answer that the semi would be loaded @ 86% or 9,426 net gallons, 39,872 net lbs and 83,872 gross lbs.
The correct answer that the pull trailer would be loaded @ 64% or 3,814 net gallons, 16,133 net lbs and 30,133 gross lbs.

Total gross weight would be 114,005 lbs and a payload of 13,240 net gallons of propane.

The answer to the bonus question you did not answer is that is a health hazard because at a boiling temperature of -41f it will cause severe freeze burns if liquid contacts skin and the second part is that it will displace oxygen resulting in asphyxiation.

Don't say I am crazy, but this is what I do everyday to earn a living.

Your turn :D

[entimp]

Your crazy cause I didn't understand a word of that... well not till I read it about 6 times... Now my head hurts... I'm not even sure how right I was... but if it is good enough for you it is good enough for me... Remind me to defrag my pc a few times next time you win the the question. Just kidding a toughy and it had me stumped so on we go...

Charles Darwin is considered the father of Evolution.
Gregor Mendell is considered the father of Genetics.

1: Who is considered the father of Ethology?
2: What is considered to be his most celebrated publication? A good read considering todays political climate.
3: What is ethology?

[kevin]

hehehe....

that was a good one but I see its all been answered while I was away. I won't ask any gear questions (I own a gear making business), the math is very convoluted (or involuted.... hehehe) figuring out all the dimensions of a gear. But its all done with computer programs these days, punch in the numbers and out comes the formulas. Easy money (if you can afford the software) !:D

[KWJams]

I thought it may make it more interesting to toss in a real life question that could only found by sweat and toil. :arcade:

With all the numbers flying around, the only real questions (not counting the bonus questions) to be answered was basically how much to fill the pull trailer. :D

[kevin]

Ethology seems to have more than one definition:

1. The scientific study of animal behavior, especially as it occurs in a natural environment.
2. The study of human ethos and its formation.


Seems a Konrad Lorenz is often sighted as the father of Ethology although others came before him. I do not know what his most celebrated publication is but I will guess you are hinting at "On Aggression" judging by your clue.

[Horus_Kol]

I thought this was more of a trivia thread - KW's seemed more like an exam question.

If "Ethology" was the study of Ethics, then the first treatise on this was actually called "Ethics" and was written by someone from Greece. I think it was Plato.

[entimp]

The ball is in Kevins Court...

Konrad Lorenz was the first behaviourist to approach the subject with a scientific methodology... where as before it was all down to wishy washy psychologists... not a real science (psychology) if you ask a real scientist... hope no psychologist on here takes that jibe seriously... just a in house science dig at ya all.

Ethology is the study of animal behavior, it is used for the human condition as well though... this I don't understand as a biologist why the two are studied as two different fields.

And finally Konrad Lorenz published 'On Aggression', although some of his suff is disputable such as his model for the storage of aggression until it can be released is a bit sketchy... one of my pet disagreements with the content. Anyway some good background on aggressive behaviour that is required reading for anyone trying to understand what is happening in the world.

Good shot on picking that little hint up there Kevin...

Go for it...

[entimp]

Bored at work... so here is a tally so far... have a file in spreadsheet format and am prepared to update it every 30 to 40 questions. Anyone interested in that info if I do it... otherwise not too worried. Cant upload a .xls file but can do so as a .txt text delimited file so anyone can open it. Sound like a plan? Let me know...
Q#: Posed by: Correct by: Subject area:

1 Ian YellaBunny Literature
2 YellaBunny Karinne Biology
3 Karinne Horus Kol Geology
4 Horus Kol Ian Computing
5 Ian Karinne General Science
6 Karinne Karinne (New Q) Astonomy
7 Karinne Dr. Web Gen Knowledge
8 Dr. Web Kevin Words and Language
9 Kevin Dr. Web Physics
10 Dr. Web Andorid Words and Language
11 Andorid Kevin People
12 Kevin Entimp Chemistry
13 Entimp Blueangel Anthroplogy
14 Blueangel Entimp People
15 Entimp Kevin Words and Language
16 Kevin Horus Kol Anthroplogy
17 Horus Kol Kevin Astonomy
18 Kevin Entimp Biology
19 Entimp Ian General Science
20 Ian KWJams Geography
21 KWJams Entimp Maths
22 Entimp Kevin Biology
23 Kevin

[KWJams]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
I thought this was more of a trivia thread - KW's seemed more like an exam question.

I did stretch reason a bit. :D


The Rules:
Questions should be considered educational or designed to increase others knowledge and should if possible involve some research in order to answer the question. (The harder the better within reason)

The answers to my question are available, but it would require research, and then using the new knowledge to find the sum.

So far, many questions may have been solved by who was the fastest doing a keyword search--copy and paste.

Gee, it's not like anyone had to learn to read and write Latin. }:-) (friendly poke at entimp) :)

This has been a fun thread to participate in, :rocker: I have learned quite a bit already that I forgot I knew, just by researching my own question. :eek:

[kevin]

OK...this should be pretty easy, and the category will be Americana, if entimp wishes to keep track. Since they may be easy, I will ask two questions on the same topic.

1. Who was the last American President that did not have a college degree?

2. Who was the only President (I think) to ever suspend civil liberties (habeas corpus) in the USA?


Don't get to fussy, just looking for the commonly accepted answer to both of the questions.

[Dr. Web]

1. Harry S. Truman
2. Lincoln




Harry S. Truman
(Thursday, May 08, 1884 - Tuesday, December 26, 1972)

Life Facts


Personal:
• First Lady: Elizabeth "Bess" Virginia Wallace Truman, Wife
• Wife's Maiden Name: Elizabeth Wallace
• Number of Children: 1
• Education Level: High School
• School Attended: Independence High School, (attended night classes at the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law. Did not graduate.)
• Religion: Baptist
• Profession: Bank Clerk, Farmer, Soldier, Businessman, Politicain
• Military Service: Colonel


Public Service:
• Dates of Presidency: 4/12/1945 - 1/20/1953
• Presidency Number: 33
• Number of Terms: 2
• Why Presidency Ended: Retire
• Party: Democratic
• His Vice President(s): Alben William Barkley
• Vice President For: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1945-1945)
• Senator: Missouri (1935-1945)
• Other Offices: Judge of Jackson County (MO); Presiding Judge of Jackson County (MO)
http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp?PresidentNumber=32





As the Civil War started, in the very beginning of Lincoln's presidential term, a group of "Peace Democrats" proposed a peaceful resolution to the developing Civil War by offering a truce with the South, and forming a constitutional convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to protect States' rights. The proposal was ignored by the Unionists of the North and not taken seriously by the South. However, the Peace Democrats, also called copperheads by their enemies, publicly criticized Lincoln's belief that violating the U.S. Constitution was required to save it as a whole. With Congress not in session until July, Lincoln assumed all powers not delegated in the Constitution, including the power to suspend habeas corpus. In 1861, Lincoln had already suspended civil law in territories where resistance to the North's military power would be dangerous. In 1862, when copperhead democrats began criticizing Lincoln's violation of the Constitution, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus throughout the nation and had many copperhead democrats arrested under military authority because he felt that the State Courts in the north west would not convict war protesters such as the copperheads. He proclaimed that all persons who discouraged enlistments or engaged in disloyal practices would come under Martial Law.

Among the 13,000 people arrested under martial law was a Maryland Secessionist, John Merryman. Immediately, Hon. Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States issued a writ of habeas corpus commanding the military to bring Merryman before him. The military refused to follow the writ. Justice Taney, in Ex parte MERRYMAN, then ruled the suspension of habeas corpus unconstitutional because the writ could not be suspended without an Act of Congress. President Lincoln and the military ignored Justice Taney's ruling.

Finally, in 1866, after the war, the Supreme Court officially restored habeas corpus in Ex-parte Milligan, ruling that military trials in areas where the civil courts were capable of functioning were illegal.

http://www.civil-liberties.com/pages/did_lincoln.htm

[-iNsOmNiAc-]

What nationality was Napoleon? Anyone know w/out using Google or looking at any other site?

[mikeyp]

wasnt NAP from Sicily?

[kevin]

Originally posted by -iNsOmNiAc-
What nationality was Napoleon? Anyone know w/out using Google or looking at any other site?

If I remember correctly he was born in Corsica, so I guess he was Coriscan.

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
1. Harry S. Truman
2. Lincoln


Thats correct Doc :)


Trumans family came upon hard financial times after having lived faily well for a brief period when he was young. He also had to give up his piano lessons, at which he was said to be good enough to possibly be a concert pianist if he had continued his lessons. He was also one of the first kids in his town to wear glasses, for which he was teased at times. He was by all accounts a very good student and married his childhood sweetheart and the only woman he ever loved, Beth, after winning her heart thru shear effort and persistence. He was fond of poker, and off colored jokes. He also entirely rebuilt the White House during his terms in office, which was in a state of near collapse and many rooms were too dangerous to be occupied.

Lincoln had no college degrees either, and never even graduated elementary school. His physical strength was legendary, which earned him lots of respect when he was a young man.

[kevin]

I know its Docs turn but seeing his answer reminded me of a good trivia question.

What does the S in Harry S. truman stand for?

[mikeyp]

Mr. Truman apparently initiated the "period" controversy in 1962 when, perhaps in jest, he told newspapermen that the period should be omitted. In explanation he said that the "S" did not stand for any name but was a compromise between the names of his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. He was later heard to say that the use of the period dated after 1962 as well as before.

[kaori]

Could be completely wrong, but was Napoleon born in England? Though I can't really imagine him boasting to his mates that he was English somehow ?!

Also v. much impressed with entimp's scorekeeping - that's the sad kinda statistics i like doing :smug:

[entimp]

Sad statistics indeed!!!! Yeahh well you are right... just bored at work and free time plays some aspect of this. But more than happy too pass the baton to ya at some point. Will keep a master file in XLS format so if you have a decent spreadsheet then no probs. Decided to update it around the last day of each calender month. Which I reckon will be about 50 questions each time. Tell you what Kaori, let me do the end of Feb then you can do March... sound ok?

[Dr. Web]

well, if your really bored entip, you could change my first question catagory to etymology (or word origins) and my second to psychological conditions (or medical).


And now for the next question: Catagory: History/ historical figures.

I started living in a military camp at age 5. My father was killed in battle, and one of my brothers was assasinated. I made a historic march across the alps with an army of many cultures to challenge a great city to a (series of) war(s) that would wage for over ten years. Even though I was defeated in my last battle and my city was destroyed (by the victor) soon after, people still regard me as a truly great general and master of warfare.

This is a many parter.... but should be easy to figure out once you know the answer to #1.

1. What is my name?
2. What city did I attack?
3. There was a very distinct tool in my military force. Though I wasn't the first to use it, I was the first to bring it across the alps and into this new nation. Name it.
4. Why am I reguarded as a great general and master of warfare?
5. ***extra credit*** from what country did #3's special tool come from, and why?

[kevin]

Originally posted by mikeyp
Mr. Truman apparently initiated the "period" controversy in 1962 when, perhaps in jest, he told newspapermen that the period should be omitted. In explanation he said that the "S" did not stand for any name but was a compromise between the names of his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. He was later heard to say that the use of the period dated after 1962 as well as before.

Yes that is correct, the S didn't stand for anything. It was a common practice back then to have a middle initial that did not stand for any name at all!. He also corrected the chief justice that swore him in as President. The chief justice said "Do you, Harry Ship Truman....." and Truman responded: "I, Harry S Truman...." shows what a cool character he was or how anal retentive he was!

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
well, if your really bored entip, you could change my first question catagory to etymology (or word origins) and my second to psychological conditions (or medical).


And now for the next question: Catagory: History/ historical figures.

I started living in a military camp at age 5. My father was killed in battle, and one of my brothers was assasinated. I made a historic march across the alps with an army of many cultures to challenge a great city to a (series of) war(s) that would wage for over ten years. Even though I was defeated in my last battle and my city was destroyed (by the victor) soon after, people still regard me as a truly great general and master of warfare.

This is a many parter.... but should be easy to figure out once you know the answer to #1.

1. What is my name?
2. What city did I attack?
3. There was a very distinct tool in my military force. Though I wasn't the first to use it, I was the first to bring it across the alps and into this new nation. Name it.
4. Why am I reguarded as a great general and master of warfare?
5. ***extra credit*** from what country did #3's special tool come from, and why?

Trivia! Trivia! Man, these questions are like darn examinations! ;)

Anyway, this clue pretty much gives it away:

"made a historic march across the alps"

I'll let somone else answer unless it goes unanswered for a long time.

[kevin]

Originally posted by kaori
Could be completely wrong, but was Napoleon born in England?

Which would explain why he hated the English so much?! :P

[Ian]

Originally posted by kevin
Trivia! Trivia! Man, these questions are like darn examinations! ;) Agreed, this is not mastermind, also, if you must use multi-part questions, please limit them to no more than 3 sub questions from now on (Rule #107). Thanks.

[Horus_Kol]

but nobody has answered doc's questions yet -

1. Hannibal
2. dunno - i thought the attack wasn't actually completed because too many men died on the alps.
3. Elephant.
4. Hannibal fought and won in many battles against the Romans in North Africa. Plus getting a load of Elephants from North Africa into the Alps via Spain is quite an acheivement.
5. The elephants probably came from India - I don't know why, it just sounds to easy to say from Africa.



As for Google Searching - I haven't done that for any question. I think that goes against the spirit in which this thread was started.

[-iNsOmNiAc-]

Kev gets it, Napoleon was Corsican.
Anyone know why he always kept his hand in his vest?

[Horus_Kol]

he had gout - and it caused him great discomfort.

I am confused now - who is asking the questions? has someone started asking when they shouldn't have because there seems to be more than one question open atm.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[Blueangel]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
he had gout - and it caused him great discomfort.

And all these years I thought he had a pet rabbit stuffed in there! :D
I think the Hannibal question is the proper thread atm Horus.

[Horus_Kol]

Originally Posted by Blueangel
And all these years I thought he had a pet rabbit stuffed in there!


Oh no - the rabbit was in the hat. He kept a chain of hankies in his jacket.

Y'see, it was kind of a sideline. When the conquering the world thing didn't work out, he would get one of his general's to dress up in spangly tights, and do a magic show for his army. :D

[Dr. Web]

Originally posted by Ian
Agreed, this is not mastermind, also, if you must use multi-part questions, please limit them to no more than 3 sub questions from now on (Rule #107). Thanks.

okay, but seriously... the questions posted are far too easy to just do a keyword search. I'm trying to make it a little harder by asking for some research AFTER the keyword search.

[Dr. Web]

1. What is my name? Hannibal Barca
2. What city did I attack? Rome
3. There was a very distinct tool in my military force. Though I wasn't the first to use it, I was the first to bring it across the alps and into this new nation. Name it.
Though the greek had used war elephants before, Hannibal was the first to take them extended distances for an attack
4. Why am I reguarded as a great general and master of warfare? Could be that he rallied and kept together a band of such mixed cultures in his army. Could be that he used light and heavy calvary, elephants, shifting formations, and the terrain to his advantage. It could be that he marched on Rome, Italy and waged successful war for over a decade. Despite being vastly outmatched, Hannibal was the first (and subsequently the last) to succeed warring against the romans.
5. ***extra credit*** from what country did #3's special tool come from, and why? pretty tough to source, but its suggested that the elephants came from India, and are smaller than their African cousins.


http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/prm/blclassicbattlejoineda.htm

[Horus_Kol]

like i said earlier:


As for Google Searching - I haven't done that for any question. I think that goes against the spirit in which this thread was started.



so doc, who gets the next question?

[Blueangel]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Oh no - the rabbit was in the hat. He kept a chain of hankies in his jacket.

Y'see, it was kind of a sideline. When the conquering the world thing didn't work out, he would get one of his general's to dress up in spangly tights, and do a magic show for his army. :D
So THAT`S why his hat was shaped like that?! I always wondered. :D
I bet ole Boney(commonly known as `Le Stump` to his mates) never volunteered for the `sawing a man in half` trick. :D

[Dr. Web]

oh, its all YOU horus!

[kevin]

Originally posted by -iNsOmNiAc-
Kev gets it, Napoleon was Corsican.
Anyone know why he always kept his hand in his vest?

Please answer the current question to win the opportunity to ask the next question! :D

[Dr. Web]

Originally posted by kevin
Trivia! Trivia! Man, these questions are like darn examinations! ;)

Y'all don't appreciate a challenge. Besides, its not hard to find out who Hannibal Barca is... or what autophobia is.

[KWJams]

How about if we just post our search results. :rolleyes:

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal

I'm with you Doc :thumbup:

The mind is a muscle :D hence the term made famous by Archie Bunker--"Muscle Head", lets flex them muscles folks.
Let's ask questions that the answers that can only be worked out from information found by digging deep.

The internet in some ways has made us lazy.

It is kind of like how the calculator made pencils and erasers obsolete. :(

<edit
Do'h-------I meant "Meat Head", and Archie did not say muscle head.
Nevermind :rolleyes:

[kevin]

Originally posted by Dr. Web
Y'all don't appreciate a challenge. Besides, its not hard to find out who Hannibal Barca is... or what autophobia is.

Anyone not knowing about Hannibals march over the Alps, was asleep in history class or never watches any historical programming on TV or cable. Its probably best that Hannibal and the Carthaginians lost the Punic war and Rome went on to a long unchallenged period. Rome at least had civil laws and respected human rights (remember, this was a long time ago and what we judge to be civil law and human rights is quite different now), the Carthaginians had little respect for human rights or civil law. The whole area around the Mediterranian could have turned out very very differently. Its one of those "what if" questions that is fun to speculate on, like "what if Nazi Germany and its allies had won WWII?".;)

Start another thread for more complex questions, I would be more than up for that.

[Horus_Kol]

Okay - seeing as how this is a Trivia quiz, answer me this:


What is the origin of the word Trivia?


Also, what is the origin of the word Quiz? And what makes this word so special?



I realise that these will be fairly easy to answer using a google search - BUT that is against the spirit of this thread.

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Okay - seeing as how this is a Trivia quiz, answer me this:


What is the origin of the word Trivia?


Also, what is the origin of the word Quiz? And what makes this word so special?



I realise that these will be fairly easy to answer using a google search - BUT that is against the spirit of this thread.

This is an area I dont know much about, word origins, the study of words (etymology), so without google or other references I haven't a clue. But I will hazard some guesses
trying to apply logic:

Trivia, seems like it can be broken into two parts:

tri and via

tri could mean "three" or "try" depending on the root language

via could mean "way" or "road" or other similar references (path, street, trail, etc).

Since tri and via are both latin based, I would say the original use meant something like "three ways" or "three roads", but how that came to be associated with the use of trivia today (bits of knowledge), I haven't a clue.


Quiz:

I don't know why quiz is special unless its one of those words that nobody really knows what its origin is. Qui is French/Latin for who, but adding a z on the end doesn't mean anything as far as I know.

[Horus_Kol]

Good going on the Trivia part - it does literally mean "Three Roads".

It was used by the Romans to mean "junction" - it slowly gained use as "tidbits of information" because that is what was exchanged there. People would meet at junctions and exchange news and gossip.

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
Good going on the Trivia part - it does literally mean "Three Roads".

It was used by the Romans to mean "junction" - it slowly gained use as "tidbits of information" because that is what was exchanged there. People would meet at junctions and exchange news and gossip.

LOL... the water cooler of the ancient world!:D

So I guess I was totally off on quiz?

[transmothra]

damn, the one thing i'm actually kinda good at and i missed it!

[transmothra]

according to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=quiz)

Word History: The origins of the word quiz are as difficult to pin down as the answers to some quizzes. We can say that its first recorded sense has to do with people, not tests. The term, first recorded in 1782, meant “an odd or eccentric person.” From the noun in this sense came a verb meaning “to make sport or fun of” and “to regard mockingly.” In English dialects and probably in American English the verb quiz acquired senses relating to interrogation and questioning. This presumably occurred because quiz was associated with question, inquisitive, or perhaps the English dialect verb quiset, “to question” (probably itself short for obsolete inquisite, “to investigate”). From this new area of meaning came the noun and verb senses all too familiar to students. The second recorded instance of the noun sense occurs in the writings of no less an educator than William James, who in a December 26, 1867, letter proffers the hope that “perhaps giving ‘quizzes’ in anatomy and physiology... may help along.”

[transmothra]

see also the SDMB (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6315) re: spurious urban legends.

[transmothra]

yeesh, i hate it when i enter a room and it suddenly gets all quiet and people scatter.

[kevin]

Ask a question TM, you got the second part of horus' question and I have already posted a few questions and replies.

[Blueangel]

...tapping my fingers impatiently, waiting for Transmothra to dumbfound us....... :D

[transmothra]

okay... i'll make this one easy, and not a two-parter.

what's the origin of the band name "Pink Floyd"?

[Blueangel]

...dumbfounded and sulking cos I honestly haven`t got a clue...aaarrgghh!
Anything else about Floyd...anything...and I`d be in with a chance. :D

[transmothra]

okay, an alternate question (you can answer one or the other):

name THREE films (that were not Floyd-centric films like The Wall or Pink Floyd At Pompeii) that the Floyd did music for.

[Ian]

Originally posted by transmothra
okay, an alternate question (you can answer one or the other):

name THREE films (that were not Floyd-centric films like The Wall or Pink Floyd At Pompeii) that the Floyd did music for. Nope, sorry TM, your first question is a good question and is the one that stands, just because one person does not know the answer, is no reason to change the question.

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
okay... i'll make this one easy, and not a two-parter.

what's the origin of the band name "Pink Floyd"?

squeezing hard on my brain cells....

I have heard a few diffrent thing sbut I think the name Pink Floyd is the real names of some people or other artists
that the band liked and started calling themselves Pink Floyd.

I remember back to a song titled:

"several small species of small furry animals grooving in a cave with a pict"

or something close to that! I don't remember the name of the album it was on, but it might have just been named Pink Floyd.

[Ian]

Originally posted by kevin
squeezing hard on my brain cells....

I have heard a few diffrent thing sbut I think the name Pink Floyd is the real names of some people or other artists
that the band liked and started calling themselves Pink Floyd. I belive to hit it there Kevin.

From the research I did, Pink Floyd was named by Syd Barrett after two records he had by American Blues Artists Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

[KWJams]

The early years of the band and Syd Barrett sounds like a train wreck. =:O

[transmothra]

Ian gets that one for naming the guys.

btw, Kevin, that album was called Ummagumma, and the song you refer to is actually barely a song at all, but well worth listening to. very funny stuff in fact!

[Ian]

Thanks TM, good question too, it took a bit to find that and in the process I lost a good few hours browsing some good Floyd sites and listening to some rare tracks a few of them had listed. If you have realplayer you might like to give this page a visit http://members.aol.com/Rayman260/pinkroio/pfroio.html (the quality is poor, but still worth listening to.).

Now, the question is:
What is the name of the heaviest meteorite to fall to Earth, how much does it weigh, what country did it fall in, and where is it now.

[transmothra]

the Hoba meteorite weighed approximately 60 tons, possibly as much as 66, although because much of it has literally rusted away it may have once weighed around 100 tons originally. it's now near the town of Grootfontein, Namibia, where it landed (on the Hoba farm - hence the name); though i believe it's officially part of the Grootfontein museum and they've built facilities around it (it's still out in the open, but access is limited to keep vandals away).

there have been other meteorites much more massive, but they no longer exist due to sheer force of impact and geological erosion.

[kevin]

Originally posted by Ian
Now, the question is:
What is the name of the heaviest meteorite to fall to Earth, how much does it weigh, what country did it fall in, and where is it now.


Thats tricky.... I suspect you mean the heaviest known meteorite. Scientists suspect some pretty massive ones have hit the Earth, but not in recent geological times.

TM has the right answers.

[Ian]

Indeed, yes, "known" should have been in there, sorry for the confussion. Nice going TM, it's all yours once again.:rocker:

[transmothra]

well all reet!

hmmm... okay, how's this:

one of the first Talking Heads singles was called "Psycho Killer." one of the lines in the song was changed in order to get radio airplay. (it worked; the song was a hit.)

what line in the chorus of this song was changed to what? (hint: you may -in fact should- use punctuation)

[kevin]

I'll take a guess, but this might be too obvious.....

the line that goes something like:

f-f-f-far better

maybe was:

f-f-f-f**k you

:eek:

[transmothra]

*brzzt!*

guess again. this one is really obscure, i know.

[Blueangel]

Originally posted by transmothra
well all reet!
Oh My Gawd!!!
Does this mean Transmothra is really from Yorkshire? :D

As for `Psycho Killer`...I`ll have to wait til my mate wakes up tomorrow and phone him (he did a great cover of it last year). :D

[Ian]

TM, not sure if this is the answer or not, but it seems they changed the second verse from the original recording. The second verse as we know it is:

You start a conversation you can't even finish it
You're talkin' a lot but you're not sayin' anything
When I have nothing to say my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again

Yet the original recorded verse was:

I passed out hours ago
I'm sadder than you'll ever know
I close my eyes on this sunny day
Say something once, why say it again

does this answer your question?

[transmothra]

actually Ian, i was looking for the change made to the chorus. good one, though. where did you find it?

[kevin]

Ian,

I think they removed some naughty-bits to make it acceptable for air play. And TM said it was in the chorus.
I don't know, I remember when the song first came out, but I don't remember ever hearing an "uncut" version.

[Ian]

Originally posted by kevin
Ian,

I think they removed some naughty-bits to make it acceptable for air play. And TM said it was in the chorus.
Oh, you're right, he did say the chorus, I never read the question properly, silly me.
TM, I found it on a couple of sites, one of them is here.
http://www.guitaretab.com/t/talking-heads/18913.htm

well, back to the books then:rocker:

[transmothra]

this one is terribly obscure. i can't even find it on Google. i think i've got the one bit of trivia that's actually nowhere in cyberspace! :confused: =:O

i can tell you i found it in one of these old out-of-print biographies (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-keywords=Talking%20Heads%20%28Musical%20group%29/ref=br_sub_/002-7185580-5913616), though i can't remember which one.

lemme know if you guys wanna give up on it and move on.

[Blueangel]

All that I can find is that David Byrne changed the lyrics in the recording studio, because he is notoriously forgetful and "fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better" was easier for him to to remember. I can`t find the original lyric anywhere though. Seems he did this with a few tracks, such as `Heaven`, and was always forgetting his own lyrics when playing live. :D

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
this one is terribly obscure. i can't even find it on Google. i think i've got the one bit of trivia that's actually nowhere in cyberspace! :confused: =:O

i can tell you i found it in one of these old out-of-print biographies (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-keywords=Talking%20Heads%20%28Musical%20group%29/ref=br_sub_/002-7185580-5913616), though i can't remember which one.

lemme know if you guys wanna give up on it and move on.

I give up! I can't find anything about this. If it can't be verified how can we believe you are not just pulling our legs??? ;)

I liked "Same as it Ever Was" much better than Psycho Killer anyway!!

[Ian]

Boo hoo, I can't find anything apart from what I posted earlier. Looks like you got us stumped TM, although I havent seen Horus or entimp chime in yet, so they have some idea. If you don't get an answer by thursday, the floor is yours again. Well done on your stumping:D
Hopefully entimp will note that in his compiling of results:rocker:

[transmothra]

wow... i knew that it would be kinda obscure, but i didn't even try to look it up when i posted it. it is incredibly difficult to find this one anywhere. like i said, i only remember it from some book i read years ago. i guess i shoulda just gone with the previous, "alternate" Floyd question!

Kevin was closest, though, although definitely not what i was looking for.

[Horus_Kol]

nope - nada - i knew nothing about TM's question.

sorry that i have been away for a bit, but I have been in Switzerland this week (still there right now).

is transmothra gonna come up with another q?

[transmothra]

here's the answer to the previous question:

"Psycho killer... what the f---?"

was changed to

"Psycho killer... qu'est-ce que c'est?"

[transmothra]

i'm going to go ahead and ask the next question now, while i'm thinking about it:

two-parter: what was Allen Ginsberg's character's name in the Jack Kerouac book The Dharma Bums? give two other names Kerouac used for his friend's fictional alter-ego in various books.

[Ian]

Originally posted by transmothra
i'm going to go ahead and ask the next question now, while i'm thinking about it:

two-parter: what was Allen Ginsberg's character's name in the Jack Kerouac book The Dharma Bums? give two other names Kerouac used for his friend's fictional alter-ego in various books. Allen Ginsberg's character name was Alvah Goldbook.

Gary Snyder is Japhy Ryder
Neal Cassady as Cody Pomeray

[transmothra]

actually, i was looking specifically for other names for Ginsberg, but i didn't make it very clear, so Ian's got it!

[Ian]

oh, sorry TM, just to make it correct....

Carlo Marx in "On The Road"
and
Leon Levinsky in "The Town And The City".

is that correct TM?

[transmothra]

right on, Ian! good job!

[Ian]

All righty then..

Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes, and humans all have something in common, what is it? (no, it is not they all have a head, tail, etc, it has to do with their structure)

[transmothra]

as improbable as it sounds, we all have 7 neck vertebra. even giraffes!

...where did everybody go?

[KWJams]

Breathe the air---> More Pink Floyd.

They are all mammals.

[transmothra]

they're all hairy! that's it! like David Gilmour, circa 1973!

[kevin]

Originally posted by Ian
All righty then..

Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes, and humans all have something in common, what is it? (no, it is not they all have a head, tail, etc, it has to do with their structure)

They like to listen to Liberace? :P

I think the mammal or 7 vertebrates is correct. The neck bones one is good because at first its hard to believe a giraffe has the same amount of neck bones as a human.

Other things:

the females give bearth to babies
the babies drink from their mothers breast while young
breath air with lungs
warm blooded
have back bones
They all hate that Australian guy that runs around capturing them!

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
they're all hairy! that's it! like David Gilmour, circa 1973!

LOL...and like you circa 2003 (if that picture is current) :P

Do you ever smile? ;)

[transmothra]

Originally posted by kevin
Do you ever smile? ;) this is about as close as i ever come to actually smiling:

http://transmothra.com/pull/feb03/angryatdeejays.jpg
http://transmothra.com/pull/feb03/kiss1.jpg
http://transmothra.com/pull/feb03/migraine.jpg
http://transmothra.com/pull/feb03/omfg.jpg
http://transmothra.com/pull/feb03/ukrainian_rawker3.jpg

[Blueangel]

:rofl:

[Ian]

errr, getting back on topic guys and gals....

yup, TM, you got it. All have 7 neck vertebra.

[kevin]

note to self:

don't ask Jerry if he smiles :P

[transmothra]

ai'ight. who was the first black woman in space, and who is the oldest ACTIVE astronaut?

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
ai'ight. who was the first black woman in space, and who is the oldest ACTIVE astronaut?

ahem.....

Mae Jemison,MD, was the first African-American woman in space. ;)

Oldest active?

Oldest is John Glenn, but I am not sure if he is still considered active.

[transmothra]

Originally posted by kevin
ahem.....

Mae Jemison,MD, was the first African-American woman in space. ;)

Oldest active?

Oldest is John Glenn, but I am not sure if he is still considered active. oooh, close! Glenn isn't actually active; that was just a publicity stunt.

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
oooh, close! Glenn isn't actually active; that was just a publicity stunt.

OK, well, since I did not know this answer off the top of my head I fired up google and found this information:


At 72, John Young is NASA's oldest "current" astronaut, though he has not flown a mission since 1983.


According to his bio he is technically still eligible to fly Shuttle missions.

The guy sure has an impressive personal history including the congressional medal of honor.

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/young.html

[transmothra]

way to go, Kevin!

[kevin]

OK, back to biology then....

Humans (most anyway) have 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs of chromosomes. Different species have different numbers of chromosomes. Dogs for example, have 78 chromosomes, and cabbages have 18.

The question is:

What species has the most chromosomes and what species has the least?

This is not a trick question, just species with normal cells.

[Blueangel]

Well I knoe that the E. Coli bacteria only has 1 chromosome, so I think this is the least, but I had to wander around Google for the most.
I think it`s the field horsetail plant(Equisetum arvense) with 216 chromosomes.

[kevin]

I think it`s the field horsetail plant(Equisetum arvense) with 216 chromosomes


No that is not the correct answer.

I don't think E. Coli bacteria is a species (please correct my if I am wrong). Most bacteria in fact have a single chromosome, and because of the simpler way that bacteria cells divide, this is what enables bacteria to spread so rapidly.

By species, I mean: plant, animal, or insect.

There may be more than one species with only one chromosome, but my information lists only one.

[Horus_Kol]

I might be corrected, but Plant and Animal are kingdoms, and Insect is a group of the Animal Kingdom.

E. Coli is a species of bacteria.

As far as answering the question goes, I don't know.

[kevin]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
I might be corrected, but Plant and Animal are kingdoms, and Insect is a group of the Animal Kingdom.

E. Coli is a species of bacteria.

As far as answering the question goes, I don't know.

Yea, I think you are correct about the kingdoms.

I will give the question one more day, if nobody posts the answer or any answer I will post a different question. Seems like this thread lost all its steam anyway.

[entimp]

Hold on I am going to have a look at it now.

[entimp]

ok here ya go boys and girls.



Least Chromosomes: Bacteria are defined as a part of the animal kingdom. It all boils down to eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells. Anyway. There is a species of ant that lives in a haploid condition. Haploid being only one half of the chromosomal content. The males of the Myrmecia pilosula species, or bulldog ant as it is called in Oz have only one half of a pair of chromosones. So as a haploid species they have one single chromosome. An interesting species if you were to study biological complexity in relation to genetic simplicity.

Most Chromosomes:
For the animal kingdom... it is the Alaskan King Crab. 208 or 104 pairs if you wish.

For the plant kingdom is a species of fern... 630 pairs of chromosomes, or 1260 chromosomes.

[entimp]

Originally posted by kevin
No that is not the correct answer.

I don't think E. Coli bacteria is a species (please correct my if I am wrong). Most bacteria in fact have a single chromosome, and because of the simpler way that bacteria cells divide, this is what enables bacteria to spread so rapidly.

By species, I mean: plant, animal, or insect.

There may be more than one species with only one chromosome, but my information lists only one.
Lots of bacteria have more than pair of chromosomes. The reason they spread so rapidly is many fold... but mainly as they are single celled species as opposed to zootic (multi celled) species.
E. coli is a species, well many species...
and lastly insects are classed as animals.

[kevin]

Originally posted by entimp
The males of the Myrmecia pilosula species, or bulldog ant as it is called in Oz have only one half of a pair of chromosones.

For the plant kingdom is a species of fern... 630 pairs of chromosomes, or 1260 chromosomes.


Those are the two I was looking for, (although you neglected to name the fern species, Ophioglossum reticulatum) your turn! :)

Seems the amount of chomosomes a species has does not correlate all that much to the complexity of the species.

[transmothra]

Originally posted by kevin
Seems the amount of chomosomes a species has does not correlate all that much to the complexity of the species. speak for yourself - i've only got 23 pair, and i really am a simpleton.

/me scratches head
er, wait... huh?

[entimp]

Ok in relation the last question.
Genetics.

1]What are the 4 nucleic acids that make up DNA, big points if you can name 5.

2]Name the two scientists to discover the famous double helix morphology of DNA. Bonus if you can name 3.

3] 3 base pairs of a nucleic acid are known as a ..... ?

And excuse my grammar in the last post of mine, late at night and way too tired trying to sort out the hack on my website... I am of to bed to dream that web design never entered my life. Will check answers later.

[Horus_Kol]

1) Thymine, Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine - I think the fifth is Uracine or Uracil.


2) I think one was called Crick?

3) a codon

[entimp]

Good enough for me...

Uracil is the other.
The names were Watson and Crick.

[Horus_Kol]

The town of Reading in the UK is famous for it's 3 "B"s

What are the three "B"s?

I can't tell you what kind of information I am looking for, as that would give the game away.

[entimp]

Beer Bands and Basil Brush? or is that 4? I have no idea.

[Blueangel]

I had a good mate at college who was from Reading and used to nag me to go to the 3B's bar if I ever went down to the festival, but I doubt that`s the answer you`re after. Half decent gig venue so I'm told. :D

[Horus_Kol]

hey, well done TM. But do you know why?

[transmothra]

i can't remember the names, but it's for the big companies that used to make biscuits (gone, i gather), beer (still there, but bought out by Newcastle), and i assume light bulbs (i think that one's still there, innit?).

[Ian]

Nice going TM, good knowledge.:)

Lets here ya question:rocker:

[transmothra]

what was the name, location (let's make it a little tough: corner of ________ and ________ streets in ________), and date of John Dillinger's first bank job, and how much money did he walk away with?

bonus points if you can guess why a bum like me would know a thing about it offhand!

[Horus_Kol]

can't answer your question TM.

as for the 3B's:

Biscuits - Huntley & Palmer (still there, but only admin)

Beer - the old Simmonds & Son (now part of Courage Group)

Bulbs - Suttons Seeds (still there, and selling loads)


Good going TM - how do you know so much about Reading from way over there?

[kevin]

Originally posted by transmothra
what was the name, location (let's make it a little tough: corner of ________ and ________ streets in ________), and date of John Dillinger's first bank job, and how much money did he walk away with?

bonus points if you can guess why a bum like me would know a thing about it offhand!

I don't know the Dillinger q's, but my guess is you are reading a book about the 1950s (you did ask about Ginsberg and gang also from the 50s) or a book about the FBI or one of its agents. Please don't say John D. was your grand-daddy or Uncle!:P

[transmothra]

Originally posted by Horus_Kol
can't answer your question TM.

as for the 3B's:

Biscuits - Huntley & Palmer (still there, but only admin)

Beer - the old Simmonds & Son (now part of Courage Group)

Bulbs - Suttons Seeds (still there, and selling loads)


Good going TM - how do you know so much about Reading from way over there? a guy i grew up with had a mom who was an Englishwoman (i got half of my rock and roll LPs from her collection when her kooky husband made her give up rock and roll for Jesus), and he was a serious Anglophile, which rubbed off on the rest of us.
Originally posted by kevin
I don't know the Dillinger q's, but my guess is you are reading a book about the 1950s (you did ask about Ginsberg and gang also from the 50s) or a book about the FBI or one of its agents. Please don't say John D. was your grand-daddy or Uncle!:P nope!

[transmothra]

oh, come on! it's Dillinger! one of the most famous criminals in 20th century western history! you can't possibly be stumped by this now, can you??!

[Ian]

Yup, me is stumped. I've researched what I could on the guy and 1) have conflicting reports on the first bank job (between historians and FBI files) and 2) in addition to that, none I have found mention what street it was on. Sorry TM, I tried.

[Gregory]

i wish i had been around when this thread started, cuz now i am lost

[kevin]

from the PBS website:

June 10 1933: Dillinger robs his first bank, in New Carlisle, Ohio. He takes $10,600.


Another website dedicated to all things Dillinger, first bank robbery listed:

July 17, 1933
Monday 12:45 p.m.
Robs the Commercial Bank of Daleville with Harry Copeland and Hilton Crouch
BANDIT CAR: Chevrolet coupe
TAKE: $3,500

from www.crimelibrary.com:

Dillinger set his sites on his first bank. It was beginner's luck. He, Shaw and Parker knocked over the New Carlisle National Bank in New Carlisle, Ohio, without a hitch. Incredibly enough in the midst of the Depression, they walked away with over $10,000.


I saw nothing about the streets where the bank was. But I did see other sites that say Dillinger "supposedly" robbed the National Bank in Carlisle.

[Gregory]

huh??? oh well, i dont feel like reading all 18 pages!

[transmothra]

if someone wants another hint, just punch me in the face and shriek 'HINT!' or something. i just want to see someone get this right.