Mark Brader:
These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2012-02-13, and
should be interpreted accordingly... For further information... see
my 2021-07-20 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from the
Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".
Game 4 is over and JOSHUA KREITZER is the winner. Hearty
congratulations!
** Game 4, Round 9 - Science - The Solar System
Answers may repeat.
1. Which planet takes the least time to complete one rotation on
its axis, just under 10 hours?
Jupiter. 4 for Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
For some reason three different entrants guessed Mercury, the
second-worst answer at 59 days.
2. Provided that their eccentricity is greater than 0 and less
than 1, the orbits of heavenly bodies must have what specific
geometric shape?
Ellipse. 4 for everyone -- Erland, Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen,
Pete, and Dan Tilque.
3. This moon of Jupiter is the largest moon in the solar system.
Name it.
Ganymede. 4 for Erland, Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
2 for Pete.
4. Which planet shows the most flattening? That is, the highest
ratio of the equatorial to the polar diameter.
Saturn. 4 for Stephen. 2 for Joshua.
5. Mars has a thin atmosphere, 95% of which consists of what gas?
Carbon dioxide. 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
6. It is theorized that Mars formerly had a much denser atmosphere
and even had oceans. However, about 4,000,000,000 years ago
Mars lost something, and since then the solar wind has eroded
the oceans and much of the atmosphere. What did Mars lose?
Its magnetic field (magnetosphere). 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen,
and Dan Tilque.
7. Uranus """has 27 known""" natural satellites. The names for
these moons have been chosen from characters from the works of
two writers. Name *either*.
William Shakespeare, Alexander Pope. (Still true.) 4 for Erland,
Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen (the hard way), and Dan Tilque.
Both writers had characters named Ariel. Of the other moons,
24 names come from Shakespeare and 2 from Pope.
8. """Currently""" the International Astronomical Union has
accorded 5 bodies in the solar system the status of dwarf planet.
Pluto is the largest and best-known. Name any of the other four.
*Note*: Only the 2012 answer will be accepted.
Ceres, Eris, Haumea, Makemake. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen
(the hard way), and Dan Tilque.
The IAU web site still lists only those five, but other sources
imply that other bodies qualify. I decided to duck the issue by
only accepting the 2012 answer.
9. Name this largest moon of the dwarf planet Pluto, whose diameter
is over 50% of Pluto's. The name is from a character in Greek
mythology who has an association with Pluto.
Charon. 4 for Erland, Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
10. In 1675, an Italian astronomer determined that Saturn's ring
was composed of multiple smaller rings with gaps between them;
the largest of these gaps was later named after him. What was
his name?
Giovanni Cassini. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.
** Game 4, Round 10 - Challenge Round - "Be My Valentine"
This was the second-hardest round in the original game, after
current events.
* A. My Last Name is Valentine.
Obviously, first names are required on this one.
A1. This actress """is""" best known for her role as a
high-school teacher in the 1970s TV series "Room 222".
Name her.
Karen Valentine. (Still alive.) 4 for Joshua, Stephen, and Pete.
A2. In the 1983 movie "Trading Places", a snobbish investor and
a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as
part of a bet by two callous millionaires. Eddie Murphy
played the con artist; what was his character's *name*
in the film?
Billy Ray Valentine. 4 for Joshua and Stephen.
* B. Valentine's Day Massacre
B1. "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" is the name given to the
mass murder of 7 mob associates as part of a Prohibition-era
conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago...
in what year, within 1?
1929 (accepting 1928-30). 4 for Erland, Joshua, and Stephen.
B2. One of those gangs was the South Side Italian gang, led by
Al Capone; the other was the North Side Irish gang, led
by who?
Bugs Moran. 4 for Joshua and Stephen.
* C. St. Valentine
C1. St. Valentine was a Roman who was martyred for refusing to
give up Christianity. He died on February 14 -- in *what
year*, within 50?
269 (accepting 219-319). 4 for Stephen. 2 for Pete and Dan Tilque.
C2. Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire.
In ancient Rome, February 14 was a holiday to honor which
goddess?
Juno. 4 for Erland and Stephen.
* D. It Happened on February 14
D1. What US state became the 48th state of the union on
1912-02-14?
Arizona. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Pete, and Dan Tilque.
New Mexico had just become the 47th state on 1912-01-06.
D2. On 1939-02-14, the German Reich launched the largest
battleship ever commissioned to that date. It sank the
pride of the British fleet, the HMS Hood, in the Battle of
the Denmark Strait in May 1941, but was itself sunk by the
British Royal Navy in September. Name the German battleship.
Bismarck. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen, Pete, and Dan Tilque.
ObMovie: "Sink the Bismarck!" (1960).
* E. Aphrodisiacs
E1. An English herbalist from the 17th century, Nicholas
Culpepper, wrote that food "stirs up lust in man and woman".
In 19th century France, bridegrooms were served three courses
of this sexy-looking veggie at their prenuptial dinners.
Apparently for a good reason: it is a great source of
potassium, fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A, B1, B6,
and C. The folic acid is said to boost histamine production
necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes.
Name it.
Asparagus. 4 for Dan Blum and Stephen.
E2. Just by looking at the shape of this veggie, you will see
the reason why it was associated with sexuality. The Aztecs
called the tree it grows on the "testicle tree": they thought
the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled testicles.
The Catholic priests in Spain found this fruit so obscenely
sexual that they forbade it. On the other side, it is
rich with folic acid, vitamin B6, and potassium. It is
also said to boost the immune system. Name it.
Avocado. 4 for Joshua and Stephen.
* F. Born on February 14
F1. She was born 1960-02-14 in Los Angeles, California, and
raised in British Columbia. Her birth name was Margaret
Elizabeth Chan. She """is""" an actress with major roles in
"The Big Chill" and "Agnes of God". Name her.
Meg Tilly. (Still alive.) 4 for Joshua and Stephen.
F2. Born 1945-02-14 in New York City, he """is""" an actor/dancer
with major roles in "White Nights" and "Tap". Name him.
Gregory Hines. (He died in 2003.) 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen,
and Pete.
Scores, if there are no errors:
GAME 4 ROUNDS-> 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 BEST
TOPICS-> Mis Spo Ent Lit Geo Sci Cha FIVE
Joshua Kreitzer 23 40 40 40 40 26 36 196
Dan Blum 18 16 36 32 40 36 16 162
Dan Tilque 20 28 8 24 40 36 10 148
Pete Gayde 18 36 -- 28 40 6 18 140
Stephen Perry -- -- -- -- -- 40 48 88
Erland Sommarskog 12 0 -- 0 36 24 8 80
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Fear is an incompetent teacher."
msb@vex.net --Michael Chabon, ST:Picard
My text in this article is in the public domain.
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