• RQFTCI98 Final, Rounds 2-3: history, science

    From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Sat Jul 10 23:39:14 2021
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 1998-04-20, and
    should be interpreted accordingly. All questions were written by
    members of the Usual Suspects, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. I will reveal the correct answers in
    about 3 days.

    For further information, including an explanation of the """ notation
    that may appear in these rounds, see my 2020-06-23 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".


    This game included both an audio round and a video round as well as
    current events. That leaves 7 rounds that I can post, and your top
    5 scores will be counted. Each round consists of 15 questions in
    5 triples. I will post them in 3 sets: 2 rounds this time (plus the
    usual current-events-of-1998 excerpt), 3 next time, and then 2.


    ** Final, Round 1 - Current Events (excerpt)

    Answer these 1998 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

    1. This week two major American bank mergers were announced.
    Name any one of the four banks involved in these two deals.

    2. It was a good week for lawyer Clayton Ruby. First, he
    represented Friends of the Lubicon, who have been leading
    a consumer boycott, in a successful bid to prevent this
    Japanese paper firm from blocking it. What firm?

    3. Ruby made it to the news again this week when he handed
    videotapes showing what controversial activity to the RCMP?


    I wrote two triples in each of the following rounds.

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    1. This Holy Roman Emperor who ruled 1765-90 abolished serfdom
    and monasteries, emancipated the Jews, and tried to centralize
    the empire's government -- which led to revolts in Hungary and
    the Netherlands. Give his name and number.

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.


    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cortés in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    6. This parish priest was one of the instigators of the Mexican
    War of Independence. After some early successes, he was captured
    and executed in 1811, and his head was displayed publicly in a
    cage for several years. 10 years after his unfortunate demise,
    the revolution he had started finally prevailed with Mexican
    independence.


    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    9. Who was Indira Gandhi's younger son and intended successor,
    who died in a plane crash in 1980?


    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    11. Decode the rot13 only after you are finished with #10.
    Gur nafjre gb #10 jnf Arjsbhaqynaq, gur arjrfg cebivapr.
    Ohg hagvy n srj lrnef nsgre Jbeyq Jne V, sbhe bs gur avar
    cebivaprf gura rkvfgvat unq genssvp qevivat ba gur yrsg, naq
    svir ba gur evtug. Anzr *nal gjb* bs gur sbhe cebivaprf jurer
    gurl qebir ba gur yrsg.

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)


    * World War II German Missiles

    13. What does the V in the V-weapons stand for? Answer in English
    or German.

    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    15. The V-2 was developed at a research center usually known by
    the name of a nearby village. What name?


    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Programming Languages

    In each case, name the computer programming language seen on the handout.
    All of the languages in this triple either were invented or saw their
    greatest usage in the 1960s.

    1. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/1.jpg
    This first one was used on this continent mostly as a publication
    language (that is, it was used to express algorithms in technical
    papers), as seen here; but in Europe it was widely used for
    actual programming.

    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    EXAMPLE : PROCEDURE OPTIONS (MAIN);
    /* Computes the mean and the number of values greater
    than the mean */
    GET LIST (N);
    IF N > 0 THEN BEGIN;
    DECLARE MEAN, A(N) DECIMAL FLOAT,
    SUM DEC FLOAT INITIAL(0), NUMBER FIXED INITIAL(0);
    GET LIST (A);
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    SUM = SUM + A(I);
    END;
    MEAN = SUM/N;
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    IF A(I) > MEAN THEN
    NUMBER = NUMBER + 1;
    END;
    PUT LIST ('MEAN=', MEAN,
    'NUMBER GREATER THAN MEAN=', NUMBER);
    END EXAMPLE;


    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    6. When two tones are played whose pitch is very close together but
    not the same, they alternately cancel and reinforce each other,
    causing a pulsating effect where the frequency of the pulsations
    equals the difference in the frequencies of the tones. What is
    this specific physical effect called?


    * Concrete

    7. Concrete is known for its strength and in particular its
    resistance to crushing. But what failing of concrete causes it
    to often be strengthened with steel bars?

    8. Concrete manufacture was known to the ancient Romans, but had
    to be rediscovered in the 19th century. The British bricklayer
    who reinvented cement, one of concrete's principal ingredients,
    named his invention after a particular island because of the
    quality of stone quarried there. The name persists to this day.
    What is the island?

    9. As wet concrete dries, the cement hardens or "cures".
    What *chemical process* causes this effect?


    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    11. The layer between the xylem and the phloem in most plants,
    especially trees, that gives rise to new cells and is responsible
    for secondary (outward) growth, is called what?

    12. The outer waxy or fatty coating on the external surface of many
    plants, especially the leaves, is called what?


    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto Well, somebody had to be the pedant here! msb@vex.net -- David Keldsen

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Kreitzer@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Sun Jul 11 05:02:30 2021
    msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) wrote in news:5ZmdnV_JqfZv6Hf9nZ2dnUU7-UPNnZ2d@giganews.com:

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    Alexander II

    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cortés in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    Moctezuma

    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    Maximilian

    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    Louis Mountbatten

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    China

    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    Newfoundland, 1951

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    Sweden, 1967

    * World War II German Missiles

    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    London

    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    2 octaves

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    resonance

    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    stamen

    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    Neptune

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    Mars; Venus

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That
    is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    Pluto

    --
    Joshua Kreitzer
    gromit82@hotmail.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Erland Sommarskog@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Sun Jul 11 09:40:33 2021
    Mark Brader (msb@vex.net) writes:
    * Enlightened Despots

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    Frederick the Great

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    Alexander III

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    China

    9. Who was Indira Gandhi's younger son and intended successor,
    who died in a plane crash in 1980?

    Rahul Gandhi

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    Sweden. The date was 1967-09-03. I was there.

    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    APL

    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    PL/I

    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    Two octaves

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    Resonance

    6. When two tones are played whose pitch is very close together but
    not the same, they alternately cancel and reinforce each other,
    causing a pulsating effect where the frequency of the pulsations
    equals the difference in the frequencies of the tones. What is
    this specific physical effect called?

    Interference

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    Venus

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    Earth

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    Neptune

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Blum@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Sun Jul 11 14:54:47 2021
    Mark Brader <msb@vex.net> wrote:

    ** Final, Round 1 - Current Events (excerpt)

    1. This week two major American bank mergers were announced.
    Name any one of the four banks involved in these two deals.

    Washington Mutual

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    1. This Holy Roman Emperor who ruled 1765-90 abolished serfdom
    and monasteries, emancipated the Jews, and tried to centralize
    the empire's government -- which led to revolts in Hungary and
    the Netherlands. Give his name and number.

    Charles X

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    Frederick the Great

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    Nicholas I; Alexander III

    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cort?s in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    Montezuma

    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    Maximillian

    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    Mountbatten

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    China

    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    Newfoundland and Labrador in 1935; Newfoundland and Labrador in 1945

    11. Decode the rot13 only after you are finished with #10.
    Gur nafjre gb #10 jnf Arjsbhaqynaq, gur arjrfg cebivapr.
    Ohg hagvy n srj lrnef nsgre Jbeyq Jne V, sbhe bs gur avar
    cebivaprf gura rkvfgvat unq genssvp qevivat ba gur yrsg, naq
    svir ba gur evtug. Anzr *nal gjb* bs gur sbhe cebivaprf jurer
    gurl qebir ba gur yrsg.

    Prince Edward Island and British Columbia

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    Sweden in 1960

    * World War II German Missiles

    13. What does the V in the V-weapons stand for? Answer in English
    or German.

    velocity

    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    London

    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Programming Languages

    1. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/1.jpg
    This first one was used on this continent mostly as a publication
    language (that is, it was used to express algorithms in technical
    papers), as seen here; but in Europe it was widely used for
    actual programming.

    Algol

    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    APL

    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    EXAMPLE : PROCEDURE OPTIONS (MAIN);
    /* Computes the mean and the number of values greater
    than the mean */
    GET LIST (N);
    IF N > 0 THEN BEGIN;
    DECLARE MEAN, A(N) DECIMAL FLOAT,
    SUM DEC FLOAT INITIAL(0), NUMBER FIXED INITIAL(0);
    GET LIST (A);
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    SUM = SUM + A(I);
    END;
    MEAN = SUM/N;
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    IF A(I) > MEAN THEN
    NUMBER = NUMBER + 1;
    END;
    PUT LIST ('MEAN=', MEAN,
    'NUMBER GREATER THAN MEAN=', NUMBER);
    END EXAMPLE;

    PL/1

    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    two octaves

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    sympathetic resonance

    * Concrete

    7. Concrete is known for its strength and in particular its
    resistance to crushing. But what failing of concrete causes it
    to often be strengthened with steel bars?

    poor tensile strength

    8. Concrete manufacture was known to the ancient Romans, but had
    to be rediscovered in the 19th century. The British bricklayer
    who reinvented cement, one of concrete's principal ingredients,
    named his invention after a particular island because of the
    quality of stone quarried there. The name persists to this day.
    What is the island?

    Portland

    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    stamen

    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    Venus

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    Mercury; Earth

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    Pluto

    --
    _______________________________________________________________________
    Dan Blum tool@panix.com
    "I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From swp@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Sun Jul 11 16:55:33 2021
    On Sunday, July 11, 2021 at 12:39:20 AM UTC-4, Mark Brader wrote:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 1998-04-20, and should be interpreted accordingly. All questions were written by
    members of the Usual Suspects, but have been reformatted and may have
    been retyped and/or edited by me. I will reveal the correct answers in about 3 days.

    For further information, including an explanation of the """ notation
    that may appear in these rounds, see my 2020-06-23 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".


    This game included both an audio round and a video round as well as
    current events. That leaves 7 rounds that I can post, and your top
    5 scores will be counted. Each round consists of 15 questions in
    5 triples. I will post them in 3 sets: 2 rounds this time (plus the
    usual current-events-of-1998 excerpt), 3 next time, and then 2.


    ** Final, Round 1 - Current Events (excerpt)

    Answer these 1998 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

    1. This week two major American bank mergers were announced.
    Name any one of the four banks involved in these two deals.

    bankamerica corp (now 'bank of america')

    2. It was a good week for lawyer Clayton Ruby. First, he
    represented Friends of the Lubicon, who have been leading
    a consumer boycott, in a successful bid to prevent this
    Japanese paper firm from blocking it. What firm?

    daishowa inc

    3. Ruby made it to the news again this week when he handed
    videotapes showing what controversial activity to the RCMP?

    seal hunting


    I wrote two triples in each of the following rounds.

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    1. This Holy Roman Emperor who ruled 1765-90 abolished serfdom
    and monasteries, emancipated the Jews, and tried to centralize
    the empire's government -- which led to revolts in Hungary and
    the Netherlands. Give his name and number.

    josef ii

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    friedrich ii (the great)

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    alexander ii


    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cortés in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    cuauhtemoc

    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    maximilian

    6. This parish priest was one of the instigators of the Mexican
    War of Independence. After some early successes, he was captured
    and executed in 1811, and his head was displayed publicly in a
    cage for several years. 10 years after his unfortunate demise,
    the revolution he had started finally prevailed with Mexican
    independence.

    hidalgo


    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    lord mountbatten

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    china

    9. Who was Indira Gandhi's younger son and intended successor,
    who died in a plane crash in 1980?

    sanjay gandhi


    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    newfoundland 1947

    11. Decode the rot13 only after you are finished with #10.
    The answer to #10 was Newfoundland, the newest province.
    But until a few years after World War I, four of the nine
    provinces then existing had traffic driving on the left, and
    five on the right. Name *any two* of the four provinces where
    they drove on the left.

    new brunswick, nova scotia

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    sweden 1967


    * World War II German Missiles

    13. What does the V in the V-weapons stand for? Answer in English
    or German.

    vergeltungswaffenn ; vengeance

    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    antwerp belgium

    15. The V-2 was developed at a research center usually known by
    the name of a nearby village. What name?

    peenemunde (there's an umlaut missing on the u)


    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Programming Languages

    In each case, name the computer programming language seen on the handout. All of the languages in this triple either were invented or saw their greatest usage in the 1960s.

    1. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/1.jpg
    This first one was used on this continent mostly as a publication
    language (that is, it was used to express algorithms in technical
    papers), as seen here; but in Europe it was widely used for
    actual programming.

    algol

    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    apl

    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    EXAMPLE : PROCEDURE OPTIONS (MAIN);
    /* Computes the mean and the number of values greater
    than the mean */
    GET LIST (N);
    IF N > 0 THEN BEGIN;
    DECLARE MEAN, A(N) DECIMAL FLOAT,
    SUM DEC FLOAT INITIAL(0), NUMBER FIXED INITIAL(0);
    GET LIST (A);
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    SUM = SUM + A(I);
    END;
    MEAN = SUM/N;
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    IF A(I) > MEAN THEN
    NUMBER = NUMBER + 1;
    END;
    PUT LIST ('MEAN=', MEAN,
    'NUMBER GREATER THAN MEAN=', NUMBER);
    END EXAMPLE;

    pl/i


    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    2 octaves

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    sympathetic vibration

    6. When two tones are played whose pitch is very close together but
    not the same, they alternately cancel and reinforce each other,
    causing a pulsating effect where the frequency of the pulsations
    equals the difference in the frequencies of the tones. What is
    this specific physical effect called?

    beating


    * Concrete

    7. Concrete is known for its strength and in particular its
    resistance to crushing. But what failing of concrete causes it
    to often be strengthened with steel bars?

    low tensile strength which causes poor shear resistance

    8. Concrete manufacture was known to the ancient Romans, but had
    to be rediscovered in the 19th century. The British bricklayer
    who reinvented cement, one of concrete's principal ingredients,
    named his invention after a particular island because of the
    quality of stone quarried there. The name persists to this day.
    What is the island?

    portland

    9. As wet concrete dries, the cement hardens or "cures".
    What *chemical process* causes this effect?

    hydrating


    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    stamen

    11. The layer between the xylem and the phloem in most plants,
    especially trees, that gives rise to new cells and is responsible
    for secondary (outward) growth, is called what?

    cambium

    12. The outer waxy or fatty coating on the external surface of many
    plants, especially the leaves, is called what?

    cuticle


    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    venus

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    earth

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    pluto ; mercury

    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto Well, somebody had to be the pedant here!
    m...@vex.net -- David Keldsen

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    swp, who is grateful to remember what his kids learned in school over the last 2 years

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dan Tilque@21:1/5 to Mark Brader on Mon Jul 12 04:14:16 2021
    On 7/10/21 9:39 PM, Mark Brader wrote:

    ** Final, Round 1 - Current Events (excerpt)

    Answer these 1998 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

    1. This week two major American bank mergers were announced.
    Name any one of the four banks involved in these two deals.

    2. It was a good week for lawyer Clayton Ruby. First, he
    represented Friends of the Lubicon, who have been leading
    a consumer boycott, in a successful bid to prevent this
    Japanese paper firm from blocking it. What firm?

    3. Ruby made it to the news again this week when he handed
    videotapes showing what controversial activity to the RCMP?


    I wrote two triples in each of the following rounds.

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    1. This Holy Roman Emperor who ruled 1765-90 abolished serfdom
    and monasteries, emancipated the Jews, and tried to centralize
    the empire's government -- which led to revolts in Hungary and
    the Netherlands. Give his name and number.

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    Frederick the Great


    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    Nicholas I



    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cortés in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    Montezuma


    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    Maximilian


    6. This parish priest was one of the instigators of the Mexican
    War of Independence. After some early successes, he was captured
    and executed in 1811, and his head was displayed publicly in a
    cage for several years. 10 years after his unfortunate demise,
    the revolution he had started finally prevailed with Mexican
    independence.

    Miguel Hidalgo



    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    Lord Mountbatten


    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    China


    9. Who was Indira Gandhi's younger son and intended successor,
    who died in a plane crash in 1980?


    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    Newfoundland and Labrador, 1955


    11. Decode the rot13 only after you are finished with #10.
    Gur nafjre gb #10 jnf Arjsbhaqynaq, gur arjrfg cebivapr.
    Ohg hagvy n srj lrnef nsgre Jbeyq Jne V, sbhe bs gur avar
    cebivaprf gura rkvfgvat unq genssvp qevivat ba gur yrsg, naq
    svir ba gur evtug. Anzr *nal gjb* bs gur sbhe cebivaprf jurer
    gurl qebir ba gur yrsg.

    Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia


    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    Sweden, 1968



    * World War II German Missiles

    13. What does the V in the V-weapons stand for? Answer in English
    or German.

    vengeance


    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    London


    15. The V-2 was developed at a research center usually known by
    the name of a nearby village. What name?

    Peneemunde



    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Programming Languages

    In each case, name the computer programming language seen on the handout.
    All of the languages in this triple either were invented or saw their greatest usage in the 1960s.

    1. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/1.jpg
    This first one was used on this continent mostly as a publication
    language (that is, it was used to express algorithms in technical
    papers), as seen here; but in Europe it was widely used for
    actual programming.

    Algol


    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    APL


    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    EXAMPLE : PROCEDURE OPTIONS (MAIN);
    /* Computes the mean and the number of values greater
    than the mean */
    GET LIST (N);
    IF N > 0 THEN BEGIN;
    DECLARE MEAN, A(N) DECIMAL FLOAT,
    SUM DEC FLOAT INITIAL(0), NUMBER FIXED INITIAL(0);
    GET LIST (A);
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    SUM = SUM + A(I);
    END;
    MEAN = SUM/N;
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    IF A(I) > MEAN THEN
    NUMBER = NUMBER + 1;
    END;
    PUT LIST ('MEAN=', MEAN,
    'NUMBER GREATER THAN MEAN=', NUMBER);
    END EXAMPLE;

    PL/I



    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    one octave


    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    resonance


    6. When two tones are played whose pitch is very close together but
    not the same, they alternately cancel and reinforce each other,
    causing a pulsating effect where the frequency of the pulsations
    equals the difference in the frequencies of the tones. What is
    this specific physical effect called?

    beat effect



    * Concrete

    7. Concrete is known for its strength and in particular its
    resistance to crushing. But what failing of concrete causes it
    to often be strengthened with steel bars?

    poor resistance to tension


    8. Concrete manufacture was known to the ancient Romans, but had
    to be rediscovered in the 19th century. The British bricklayer
    who reinvented cement, one of concrete's principal ingredients,
    named his invention after a particular island because of the
    quality of stone quarried there. The name persists to this day.
    What is the island?

    Portland


    9. As wet concrete dries, the cement hardens or "cures".
    What *chemical process* causes this effect?

    CaO (lime) + CO2 --> CaCO3



    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    pistil


    11. The layer between the xylem and the phloem in most plants,
    especially trees, that gives rise to new cells and is responsible
    for secondary (outward) growth, is called what?

    12. The outer waxy or fatty coating on the external surface of many
    plants, especially the leaves, is called what?


    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    Venus


    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    Earth


    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    Mercury

    --
    Dan Tilque

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mark Brader@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 13 23:00:48 2021
    Mark Brader:
    These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 1998-04-20,
    and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information...
    see my 2020-06-23 companion posting on "Reposted Questions from
    the Canadian Inquisition (RQFTCI*)".

    This game included both an audio round and a video round as well as
    current events. That leaves 7 rounds that I can post, and your top
    5 scores will be counted. Each round consists of 15 questions in
    5 triples. I will post them in 3 sets: 2 rounds this time (plus the
    usual current-events-of-1998 excerpt), 3 next time, and then 2.


    ** Final, Round 1 - Current Events (excerpt)

    Answer these 1998 questions if you like for fun, but for no points.

    1. This week two major American bank mergers were announced.
    Name any one of the four banks involved in these two deals.

    BankAmerica Corp., NationsBank Corp., Banc One Corp., First Chicago
    NBD Corp. Stephen got this.

    2. It was a good week for lawyer Clayton Ruby. First, he
    represented Friends of the Lubicon, who have been leading
    a consumer boycott, in a successful bid to prevent this
    Japanese paper firm from blocking it. What firm?

    Daishowa Inc. Stephen got this.

    3. Ruby made it to the news again this week when he handed
    videotapes showing what controversial activity to the RCMP?

    Seal hunting. Stephen got this.


    I wrote two triples in each of the following rounds.

    In the history round, I wrote questions #10-15.
    In the science round, #1-3 and #13-15 were mine.

    ** Final, Round 2 - History

    * Enlightened Despots

    Names are shown here in English spelling, but did not have to be
    given that way.

    1. This Holy Roman Emperor who ruled 1765-90 abolished serfdom
    and monasteries, emancipated the Jews, and tried to centralize
    the empire's government -- which led to revolts in Hungary and
    the Netherlands. Give his name and number.

    Joseph (not Franz Joseph) II. 4 for Stephen.

    In 2009 Erland queried the part about a revolt in the Netherlands.
    This took place in 1788, apparently in the part of the Netherlands
    that is now Belgium.

    2. This Prussian king who ruled 1740-86 was friends with Voltaire
    and Bach; reformed his kingdom's laws, army, and institutions;
    and started several destructive wars. Give his name and number,
    or name and nickname.

    Frederick II (or the Great). 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    3. This Russian czar who ruled 1855-81 ended the Crimean War,
    abolished serfdom, released political prisoners, abolished
    whipping as a legal penalty, reformed education, and instituted
    local self-government -- before he was assassinated. Give his
    name and number.

    Alexander II. 4 for Joshua and Stephen.


    * Unlucky Figures in Mexican History

    4. Who was the final Aztec king, captured by Cortés in 1521 and
    later killed? His name is the same as the first name of the
    """recently""" elected mayor of Mexico City.

    Cuauhtémoc. 4 for Stephen.

    If Wikipedia is correct, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas's actual title was not
    mayor but "head of government of the Federal District", and he held
    the position only 2 years before resigning to run for higher office.

    5. Who was the Hapsburg archduke who was sent to Mexico as Emperor
    in 1864 by Napoleon III of France? He ruled for only 3 years
    and was executed by firing squad in 1867.

    (Ferdinand) Maximilian. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    6. This parish priest was one of the instigators of the Mexican
    War of Independence. After some early successes, he was captured
    and executed in 1811, and his head was displayed publicly in a
    cage for several years. 10 years after his unfortunate demise,
    the revolution he had started finally prevailed with Mexican
    independence.

    Miguel Hidalgo (y Costilla). 4 for Stephen and Dan Tilque.


    * Indian History

    7. Who served as the final British viceroy of India, completing
    his short term in 1948?

    Lord Louis Mountbatten. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    If Wikipedia is correct, he was second cousin once removed of
    Queen Elizabeth II and uncle of her late husband Prince Philip.

    8. Which country invaded India in October 1962 and occupied
    territory disputed since 1957?

    China. 4 for everyone -- Joshua, Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    9. Who was Indira Gandhi's younger son and intended successor,
    who died in a plane crash in 1980?

    Sanjay Gandhi. 4 for Stephen.

    After Sanjay died, his brother Rajiv Gandhi went into politics and
    a few years later he became prime minister. Rahul Gandhi is *his*
    son, also now a politician.


    * Driving on the Left

    10. Which Canadian province or future province was the last where
    people drove on the left side of the road; and, within 3 years,
    when did they change to driving on the right?

    Newfoundland (now called Newfoundland & Labrador), 1947 (accepting
    1944-50). 4 for Stephen. 2 for Dan Blum.

    It joined Canada in 1949.

    11. Decode the rot13 only after you are finished with #10.
    The answer to #10 was Newfoundland, the newest province.
    But until a few years after World War I, four of the nine
    provinces then existing had traffic driving on the left, and
    five on the right. Name *any two* of the four provinces where
    they drove on the left.

    British Columbia in the west; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince
    Edward Island in the east. 4 for Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.

    12. Which was the last country in continental Europe where people
    drove on the left, *and*, within 5 years, when did they stop
    doing it? (If you want to show off, for fun but for no extra
    points, give the exact date.)

    Sweden, 1967-09-03 (accepting 1962-72). 4 for Joshua, Erland
    (who knew the exact date), Stephen, and Dan Tilque.

    See:
    http://miro.medium.com/max/1024/1*g1jkFKOb5KUjNYkIPblE3A.png
    http://i.redd.it/le0k38t14oa61.jpg


    * World War II German Missiles

    13. What does the V in the V-weapons stand for? Answer in English
    or German.

    Reprisal, retaliation, recompense, revenge, vengeance, or
    Vergeltung(swaffe). 4 for Stephen (the hard way) and Dan Tilque.

    14. What city was the target for the greatest number of V-2 rockets?

    Antwerp (or Anvers). 4 for Stephen.

    This Belgian port was strategically important for supplying the
    armies advancing on Germany; and since the Germans could only launch
    the rockets from territory they still controlled, as they retreated
    Antwerp remained within V-2 range longer than London did.

    15. The V-2 was developed at a research center usually known by
    the name of a nearby village. What name?

    Peenemünde. (Not Mittelwerk, the slave-labor factory where they
    were produced.) 4 for Stephen and Dan Tilque.


    ** Final, Round 3 - Science

    * Programming Languages

    In each case, name the computer programming language seen on the handout.
    All of the languages in this triple either were invented or saw their greatest usage in the 1960s.

    1. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/1.jpg
    This first one was used on this continent mostly as a publication
    language (that is, it was used to express algorithms in technical
    papers), as seen here; but in Europe it was widely used for
    actual programming.

    ALGOL. (Or specifically ALGOL 60.) 4 for Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    2. Please see: http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/msb/oof/3/2.jpg
    This language was originally designed as a publication language
    only and looked different then; but once actually implemented,
    it was found highly suitable for some kinds of mathematical work.

    APL. 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.

    As a publication language it looked like this: http://aplwiki.com/images/1/1d/A_Formal_Description_of_System-360_page_258b.png

    3. In the days when the two dominant programming languages on this
    continent were COBOL and FORTRAN, this language was promoted by
    IBM as a common replacement for both:

    EXAMPLE : PROCEDURE OPTIONS (MAIN);
    /* Computes the mean and the number of values greater
    than the mean */
    GET LIST (N);
    IF N > 0 THEN BEGIN;
    DECLARE MEAN, A(N) DECIMAL FLOAT,
    SUM DEC FLOAT INITIAL(0), NUMBER FIXED INITIAL(0);
    GET LIST (A);
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    SUM = SUM + A(I);
    END;
    MEAN = SUM/N;
    DO I = 1 TO N;
    IF A(I) > MEAN THEN
    NUMBER = NUMBER + 1;
    END;
    PUT LIST ('MEAN=', MEAN,
    'NUMBER GREATER THAN MEAN=', NUMBER);
    END EXAMPLE;

    PL/I. 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.


    * Sound

    4. One string is vibrating at a fixed rate. A second string is
    vibrating at exactly 4 times that rate. In musical units,
    what is the difference in pitch between the two sounds?

    2 octaves (or 12 tones or 24 semitones). 4 for Joshua, Erland,
    Dan Blum, and Stephen.

    5. What is the name of this phenomenon? When two objects naturally
    vibrate at the same frequency, the sound produced by one object
    causes the other to vibrate.

    Resonance or sympathetic vibration. 4 for everyone.

    6. When two tones are played whose pitch is very close together but
    not the same, they alternately cancel and reinforce each other,
    causing a pulsating effect where the frequency of the pulsations
    equals the difference in the frequencies of the tones. What is
    this specific physical effect called?

    Beating. "Interference" was not specific enough. 4 for Stephen
    and Dan Tilque.


    * Concrete

    7. Concrete is known for its strength and in particular its
    resistance to crushing. But what failing of concrete causes it
    to often be strengthened with steel bars?

    Low tensile strength" (easy to crack by pulling apart or stretching,
    also by twisting or shearing). 4 for Dan Blum, Stephen,
    and Dan Tilque.

    8. Concrete manufacture was known to the ancient Romans, but had
    to be rediscovered in the 19th century. The British bricklayer
    who reinvented cement, one of concrete's principal ingredients,
    named his invention after a particular island because of the
    quality of stone quarried there. The name persists to this day.
    What is the island?

    Portland. 4 for Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.

    It's off the south coast of England, near Weymouth.

    9. As wet concrete dries, the cement hardens or "cures".
    What *chemical process* causes this effect?

    Hydration. 4 for Stephen.

    The "drying" water is not evaporating but is bonding to the cement,
    i.e. hydrating it.


    * Botany

    10. The organ of a flower that produces the male gamete, and consists
    of an anther and a filament, is called what?

    Stamen. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, and Stephen.

    11. The layer between the xylem and the phloem in most plants,
    especially trees, that gives rise to new cells and is responsible
    for secondary (outward) growth, is called what?

    Cambium. 4 for Stephen.

    12. The outer waxy or fatty coating on the external surface of many
    plants, especially the leaves, is called what?

    Cuticle. 4 for Stephen.


    * Planets

    13. Of the """9 planets""" in our solar system, which has the longest
    sidereal day? That is, it takes the most time to rotate on its
    own axis, relative to the stars.

    Venus. 4 for Erland, Dan Blum, Stephen, and Dan Tilque.

    14. Which of the """9 planets""" has the highest average density?

    Earth. 4 for Erland, Stephen, and Dan Tilque. 2 for Dan Blum.

    15. Which of the """9 planets""" has the most eccentric orbit? That is,
    it has the greatest proportionate variation in distance to the
    Sun from one end of the orbit to the other.

    1998 answer: Pluto. 2021 answer: It should be Eris, but thanks to
    those silly IAU "dwarf planets", I'll have to discount that and
    accept Mercury. 4 for Joshua, Dan Blum, Stephen (the hard way),
    and Dan Tilque.


    Scores, if there are no errors:

    FINAL ROUNDS-> 2 3 TOTALS
    TOPICS-> His Sci
    Stephen Perry 60 60 120
    Dan Tilque 36 40 76
    Dan Blum 22 42 64
    Erland Sommarskog 12 24 36
    Joshua Kreitzer 20 16 36

    Well done, Stephen!
    --
    Mark Brader, Toronto | "The only proven use of antimatter is the production msb@vex.net | of Nobel Prizes in physics." -- Henry Spencer

    My text in this article is in the public domain.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)