Mad Scientist Trivia
Originally published as a daily e-mail newsletter
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SCAPES AND PEDICELS
Answer to our previous question: Last time, we asked you whether insect antennae
are primarily tactile sense organs. Actually, no. While they're often called
"feelers," most insect antennae are olfactory organs. That is to say,
bugs use them to smell things. Antennae are lined with numerous olfactory nerves,
which insects use to sniff out food and pheromones, the chemical compounds secreted
by potential mates. (Here's a bonus joke for the day. Question: How do you make
a pheromone? Answer: Rob his tomb!) Back to business. Antennae are composed
of three segments: the scape, pedicel, and flagellum. Bust those out at your
next Scrabble game.
And now for today's question: Where are you likely to find cytoplasm? (A) in
the Sun (B) in the blood (C) in igneous rock (D) in Cleveland.
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CELLS AND MEMBRANES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you where you are most likely
to find cytoplasm - (A) in the Sun (B) in the blood (C) in igneous rock (D)
in Cleveland. Cytoplasm is the viscous transparent substance that exists between
the nucleus and the membrane of most cells. As a rule, cells have three elements:
the nucleus, the outer plasma membrane, and cytoplasm. Within the cytoplasm
are many sub-cellular molecular structures which perform particular tasks. In
animal cells, for instance, there may be ribosomes which synthesize protein,
or mitochondria, which are involved in energy production.
And now for today's question: The amount of damaging radiation released in Chernobyl
was 1,000 times greater than the amount released at Three Mile Island - true
or false?
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TERRIFYING STATISTICS!
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether the amount of
damaging radiation released in Chernobyl was 1,000 times greater than the amount
released at Three Mile Island. Actually, the Chernobyl accident resulted in
radiation levels more than a million times greater than Three Mile Island. It's
terrifying, really. Soviet officials at one point told the U.N. General Assembly
that about 2.2 million people, about 20 percent of the population of the republic
at the time, have become victims of Chernobyl in one form or another. According
to one set of statistics I came across, anemia cases in the affected are of
southern Byelorussia have jumped 700 percent, birth defects and thyroid-related
ailments 200 percent, and chronic respiratory illness tenfold.
And now for today's question: What is the China Syndrome?
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CORES AND MELTDOWNS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what the China Syndrome
refers to. The China Syndrome refers to a hypothetical nuclear reactor accident
in which reactor fuel melts through floor of the containment vessel and burrows
down into the earth. (In the gallows humor of the nuclear engineer, the fuel
burns all the way through to China.) Actually, the likely result of a core meltdown
is that the fuel would eventually burn through to groundwater, causing a steam
explosion, and spewing forth massive amounts of radioactive fallout. It almost
happened at Three Mile Island, and it did more or less did happen at Chernobyl.
There are currently 400-plus operating nuclear reactors in the world. Have a
happy day!
And now for today's question: What is the Chandrasekhar limit?
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COLD STARS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what the Chandrasekhar
limit refers to. Named for Indian astronomer Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (a great
guy to name-drop at cocktail parties, by the way), the Chandrasekhar limit refers
to the maximum theoretical mass of a stable cold star. A cold star being one
which has burned though all or nearly all of its own fuel. Chandrasekhar calculated
that a cold star of more than about one and a half times the mass of the sun
will collapse under its own gravity, becoming a black hole.
And now for today's question: Who invented penicillin?
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FLEMING AND MOLD
Last time we asked you, "Who invented penicillin?" Routinely counted
among the most important medical advances in the history of science, penicillin
was discovered in 1928 by British scientist Sir Alexander Fleming. While examining
a lab dish containing bacteria samples, Fleming noticed that some mold had begun
to form. The bacteria around the mold, furthermore, had been killed. Of course,
this sort of thing happens every day in college dormitory refirgerators, but
Fleming--a trained scientist--realized the significance. By the late 1930s,
scientists were able to extract and purify small amounts of penicillin for use
as an antibiotic.
And now for today's question! What British physician is credited with the first officially recorded vaccination?
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SMALLPOX AND COWPOX
Last time we asked you, "What British physician is credited with the first
officially recorded vaccination?" In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner discovered
a safe method of making people immune to smallpox. Physicians already knew that
a person once infected by smallpox developed an immunity, but inoculating people
with smallpox to prevent smallpox was understandably tricky. After inoculating
a young patient with cowpox, a much milder disease, Jenner discovered that the
boy had built up an immunity to smallpox as well. The experiment is said by
many to have initiated the science of immunology.
And now for today's question! The germ theory of disease was most famously championed by what world-renown French chemist?
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ANTHRAX AND LEPROSY!
Last time we asked you, "The germ theory of disease was most famously championed
by what world-renown French chemist?" Also known as the microbial theory,
the germ theory of disease was established by Louis Pasteur, along with German
physician Robert Koch. Their work revealed that microbes (germs) are living
organisms themselves, and that certian types of microbes cause disease. Koch
was able to identify the germ that caused anthrax, and later scientists isolated
the microbes behind such perenniel problems as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery,
leprosy, malaria, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.
And now for today's question! What invention won German physicist Wilhelm Conrad the Nobel Prize for physics in 1901?
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X RAYS AND WHY RAYS
Last time we asked you, "What invention won German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen
the Nobel Prize for physics in 1901?" Next time you're at the dentist,
tell the doc you want to order up some Roentgen rays of your back molars. Roentgen
constructed the first x-ray machine after stumbling across a curious phenomenon.
He noticed that some of his photographic paper was reacting strangely to a nearby
electric current. Rather than shrug and have a sandwich like most of us, Roentgen
pursued the matter and discovered the existance of x-rays. He talked his wife
into letting him take an x-ray image of her hand. Even though he had to sleep
on the couch that night, this experiment would later revolutionize surgical
technique.
And now for today's question! What liquid gas is most commonly used by crybiologists to freeze tissue and other organic matter?
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BIG GIRLS DON'T CRYOBIOLOGY
Last time we asked you, "What liquid gas is most commonly used by cryobiologists
to freeze tissue and other organic matter?" While there are other options,
liquid nitrogen is most often used to freeze tissue for later use. Cryobiologists
use temperatures that range from 32 degrees down to -459 degrees Fahrenheit
(absolute zero) to freeze cells in a state of suspended animation. When frozen,
all cellular activity stops cold, as it were. When thawed, cells return to their
previous active state and show few if any effects from aging. Scientists can
now successfully keep entire banks of tissue for later use in skin grafts, cornea
replacement operations, and other procedures.
And now for today's question! What is the BCS theory?
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BCS THEORY
Last time we asked you, "What is the BCS theory?" While it sounds
suspiciously similar to childhood memories of my mother's BISS theory ("Because
I Said So"), the BCS theory has to do with superconducting materials. The
theory was developed by and named after three American physicists--John Bardeen,
Leon N. Cooper, and John Robert Schrieffer. It had been noted previously that
certian metals, alloys and ceramics can conduct electricity without resistance
when cooled to near absolute zero. Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer advanced the
theory that a superconductor has no electrical resistance because of an attractive
interaction between its electrons. The resulting electron pairs are able to
flow around impurities in the material. They received the 1972 Nobel Prize for
physics for their work. My mother's BISS theory, by the way, has yet to be disproved.
And now for today's question! Which type of computer memory is erasable, RAM or ROM?
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YOU SAY RAM, I SAY ROM
Last time we asked you, "Which type of computer memory is erasable, RAM
or ROM?" Technically, either type of memory is erasable by a professional
or in the case of, say, a nuclear detonation in the neighborhood. But RAM (random
access memony) is memory that's available only when the computer is turned on,
and is wiped cleaned every time you reboot. A ROM (read only memory) chip, on
the other hand, holds its memory even when the computer is turned off. The user
cannot alter ROM, hence the term "read only."
And now for today's question! Are CD-ROMs magentic or optical disks?
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MAGNETIC VS. OPTICAL
Last time we asked you, "Are CD-ROMs magentic or optical disks?" Unlike
your computer's hard disk, which uses magnetic indicators to process data, CD-ROMs
are optical disks that are read using tiny beams of light. A CD-ROM works in
the same fashion as an audio compact disc. The surface of the disk is covered
in tiny depression and flat spaces that represent the binary indicators 0 and
1. A laser device uses a beam of light to read the disc, producing the lines
of binary code that your computer uses as building blocks. DVD-ROM disks work
the same way, but have much greater capacity and can store data on both sides
of the disk
And now for today's question! Laser printers use dry ink to print documents, true or false?
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DRY INKLINGS
Last time we asked you, "Laser printers use dry ink to print documents,
true or false?" Yes it's true, Virginia, laser printers use a finely powdered
dry ink. How is this possible? Well, the ink is dry for all but a split-second
of the printing process. A laser printer uses an electrically charged cylinder
to represent the document to be printed. Dry ink (toner) is dusted onto the
cylinder, and sticks to the electrically charged areas. When paper is run over
the cylinder, the ink is heated to liquid form for an instant, then resolidifies
on the surface of the paper.
And now for today's question! What does SONAR stand for?
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FUN WITH ACRONYMS , PART 1
Last time we asked you, "What does sonar stand for?" Sonar is actually
an acronym for "sound navigation and ranging." The term refers to
devices that use sound energy to locate objects and guage their distance, size,
direction and speed, usually underwater. There are basically two types of sonar.
Active sonar uses a transmitter to send out a signal which bounces off distant
objects. A recciever then translates the sound that bounces back. Passive sonar
listens for noise given off by other objects, and is not as accurate as active
sonar. Military submarines stick to passive sonar for the most part, since active
sonar "pings" tend to alert the enemy.
And now for today's question! I'm sure you saw this one coming--What does radar stand for?
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FUN WITH ACRONYMS, PART 2
Last time we asked you, "What does radar stand for?" Another rather
sloppy acronym, I'm afraid: Radar comes from "radio detection and ranging."
Like sonar, radar can be used to locate distant objects and guage their distance,
speed, height and direction of motion. Radar uses radio waves in much the same
way that active sonar uses sound. A transmitter puts out a signal and a reciever
listens for the waves that are reflected back from the object. Those signals
are then translated and displayed. Radar is particularly useful in that in can
work at night, in heavy fog, rain or snow. (Bonus trivia: On the TV show M*A*S*H*,
Walter "Radar" O'Reilly was played by Gary Burghoff.)
And now for today's question! Double Secret Bonus Acronym Trivia: What do the acronyms BMEWS and SLBMDS refer to?
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FUN WITH ACRONYMS, DOUBLE SECRET BONUS TRIVIA
Last time we asked you, "What do the acronyms BMEWS and SLBMDS refer to?"
Missile Command fans will recognize these two acronymic heavyweights--both refer
to the U.S. military's missle defense system. The Ballistic Missile Early Warning
System (BMEWS) is designed to identify incoming long-range missles and give
the earliest possible warning. BMEWS has installations at Clear, Alaska; Thule,
Greenland; and Fylingdales Moor, England. The U.S.'s other major missle detection
radar network is the Sea-Launched Ballistic Missile Detection System (SLBMDS).
These radar stations dot the east and west coasts of the U.S. and are designed
to detect missiles launched from submarines and battelships.
And now for today's question! What is inertial guidance?
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INERTIAL GUIDANCE
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what inertial guidance
is. A controversial form of social policy, inertial guidance was used in the
1970s by high school career counselors to motivate underachieving students.
Since a body at rest tends to stay at rest, inertial guidance counselors would
literally throw graduating seniors into the job market and - oops, wait a minute.
Wrong notes, again. Here we go: Inertial guidance is a method of navigation
which uses internal measuring instruments and a computer to provide guidance
information. Used chiefly by airplanes, rockets and submarines, an inertial
guidance system does not rely on observations the stars, radio or radar signals,
or on any other information from outside the vehicle. Instead, internal gyroscopes
and accelerometers gauge speed and direction. A computer crunches the numbers
and outputs map information that shows where the vehicle is relative to its
starting point.
And now for today's question: What famous scientist was offered the presidency of the state of Israel in 1952?
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PRESIDENT EINSTEIN?
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what famous scientist
was offered the presidency of the state of Israel in 1952. Kind of makes you
wonder what could've been: Albert Einstein was indeed approached about the office
of the Israeli presidency in 1952, but he declined, saying he wasn't fit for
such a position. Einstein was an ardent Zionist, and an equally ardent pacifist,
until the rise of Nazism and the outbreak of WWII. After that, he supported
the idea of a world government, believing that only global democracy could prevent
war between nations in the nuclear age. Another interesting detail - Einstein
was not an atheist, contrary to popular belief. He believed in an underlying
order and intelligence to the universe. He once famously said, "God may
be sophisticated, but He is not malicious."
And now for today's question: Do penguins have feathers?
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PENGUIN FEATHERS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you whether penguins have
feathers. Indeed they do, and plenty of 'em. The familiar black-and-white hide
is actually made of thousands of very short, very thick feathers that form a
waterproof coat. Some species of penguin have an additional layer of more downy
feathers beneath the coat, which when combined with the bird's layer of blubber,
keeps them warm in the harsh cold of their habitat. You won't find penguins
at the North Pole, by the way. All species in the wild live in the southern
hemisphere, most in the icy waters off Antarctica.
And now for today's question: Were cat guts actually used for surgery and string instruments?
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CAT GUTS AND VIOLINS
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you if cat guts were actually
used for surgery and string instruments. This question comes in by e-mail from
concerned reader "Rudy," who no doubt is hoping to shield his furry
friends from the harsh realities of life. Well, there's some good news and some
bad news. Indeed, a material called catgut has been historically used to make
strings for musical instruments and surgical thread. But it was probably never
made from cat intestines -- sheep and pigs were used instead. It works like
this: The intestine casings are split into ribbons which are then cleaned, cured
and spun into string. The string is then polished and dried. It's possible that
the real etymology of the "cat" in catgut may come from the word "kit,"
an archaic term for a violin.
And now for today's question: Where would you most likely consume barium sulfate? (A) at the ballpark (B) at the hospital (C) in buildings constructed before 1932 (D) Cleveland
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MMM! BARIUM SULFATE!
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you where you would most
likely consume barium sulfate -- (A) at the ballpark (B) at the hospital (C)
in buildings constructed before 1932 (D) Cleveland. The answer, is (B) at the
hospital; more specifically, in the x-ray room. A heavy silver-colored metal,
barium sulfate has two qualities that make it useful for doctors performing
x-ray exams. It's more or less insoluble, and it's not poisonous. The patient
drinks a solution containing barium sulfate, which then shows up in x-rays as
it coats the stomach, intestines, what have you. Don't worry about heavy metal
poisoning; barium sulfate makes a quick trip through the system. Like grandma
used to say, "This, too, will pass."
And now for today's question: What is German physicist Max Planck famous for?
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PLANCKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what German physicist
Max Planck is famous for. Some people might tell you that Planck is famous for
batting .402 on the season with the New York Yankees in 1900, but they'd be
lying because I just made that up. No, Planck earned his place in the pantheon
by introducing the concept of quantum mechanics to physics, leading to the development
of the quantum theory of energy. Very briefly, quantum mechanics shows that
light is a stream of separate photons, which have characteristics of both particles
and waves. Light acts as a particle in that photons occupy a fixed amount of
space. But a photon also acts as a wave because it has a definite frequency,
or rate of vibration, consistent with its energy.
And now for today's question: How does a fire extinguisher work?
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BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you how a fire extinguisher
works. Depends, really, on the type of fire and the type of extinguisher. Fire
safety experts classify fires into four categories, depending on what's burning:
Class A fires involve such common materials as wood, cloth, or paper. Class
B fires involve flammable gases or liquids such as cooking grease, gasoline,
or oil. Class C fires involve motors or other electrical equipment through which
electricity is flowing. Class D fires involve certain combustible metals, such
as magnesium shavings. Usually, a fire extinguishers is labeled with the class
(or classes) of fire for which they can be used. Foam extinguishers, used for
Class B fires, work by depositing a film between the liquid and the flame. Liquefied
gas extinguishers, for Class B and C fires, work by smothering a fire in a non-flammable
gas such as carbon dioxide or halocarbon gas. These extinguishers leave no water
or powder residue, minimizing damage to electrical equipment. Some extinguishers
use dry powder, and others, plain old fashioned water.
And now for today's question: Name the launch facility for all manned United States space missions.
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LAUNCHING PAD
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you to name the launch facility
for all manned United States space missions. You may be tempted to say Cape
Canaveral, but you'd be wrong, technically. The Kennedy Space Center (full name:
John F. Kennedy Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
is located on Merritt Island, across from the point of land called Cape Canaveral.
Still, it's often referred to as Cape Canaveral, and with good reason. Formerly
known as NASA's Launch Operation Center, the Kennedy Space Center was named
as such in December 1963, a month after the assassination of the former president.
A year later, the Center as such was moved to Merritt Island, although the Cape
Canaveral facility is still used to build and test equipment.
And now for today's question: What is John Ericsson famous for inventing? (A) the oil drill (B) the marine propeller (C) the airplane propeller (D) a mysterious past to impress girls
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PROPELLER HEAD
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you what John Ericsson is
famous for inventing -- (A) the oil drill (B) the marine propeller (C) the airplane
propeller (D) a mysterious past to impress girls. While we can't be sure about
(D), we do know that the Swedish-born American inventor John Ericsson developed
the first successful marine propeller with blades in 1836. Troublemakers might
object that the screw propeller - essentially a spiral around a cylindrical
rod -- was developed much earlier, but we're talking the marine propeller as
we know it today. Ericsson is also famous for designing the Monitor, one of
the first ironclad warships. The Union ship famously dueled the Confederate
Merrimack to a draw off the Virginia coast during the U.S. Civil War in 1862.
And now for today's question: Can you predict the weather by the sound of katydids or crickets?
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WILLARD SCOTT, CRICKET?
Answer to our previous question: Last time we asked you if you can predict the
weather by the sound of katydids or crickets. This question comes in by email
from an anonymous reader, and sounds suspiciously like the kind of thing my
dad used to tell me when I was a kid. ("Why do crickets chirp, Dad?"
"Because it's going to rain, so you better get that lawn mowed right now!")
Anyway, there's no scientific evidence that I can find about weather-predicting
abilities of crickets or katydids. Both insects create their "songs"
by rubbing the bases of their wings together. The resultant chirping - made
primarily but not exclusively by males - is a mating call.
And now for today's question: How is the length of a season determined?