ashoka q thing- the general quiz [finals]

FINALS

I ’ M P R O B A B L Y V E R Y H U N G R Y R I G H T N O W .

RULES

35 Questions

Infinite Bounce (No negatives, full points on pass)

Pounce (if no team objects)

1

Something designed by Apple Records creative director Kosh, an iconic artwork shot in

August 1969, has come to the help of Kolkata Traffic Police in its efforts to instil public

safety awareness among the youth. The advertisement asks passers-by, "If they can, why

can't you?"

As part this awareness campaign, more than a hundred such hoardings and posters hit

the city streets. The idea was thought up to attract the attention of the youth who often

failed to exercise proper public safety awareness.

What did Kosh design?

O H N O E S , A N S W E R S

A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

2

The X is a tongue-in-cheek award for unusual or trivial achievements in scientific

research. In the past, prizes have gone to homoeopathy research, development of a 'gay

bomb', the effect of viagra on curing jetlag, and the five-second-rule.

The ceremony held at MIT/Harvard includes people throwing paper rockets on stage,

which are cleaned up by the Keeper of the Broom. Contestants are booed, and it closes

with, “If you didn't win a prize — and especially if you did — better luck next year!”

Roy Glauber from Harvard, was the Keeper of the Broom until 2005.

What is X and why did Glauber have to excuse himself from the ceremony?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

The Ig Nobel prizes

Glauber had to be in Sweden

3

X's laws are a set of laws made by a science fiction author/lungi-wearing gentleman

regarding the possibilities of prediction:

When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost

certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into

the impossible.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Who is X?


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

4

The Trip Advisor page shows X’s location, and also shows 219 reviews for the mountain

resort, of which 144 are overwhelmingly positive. A sample –

“Reached by funicular railway, X has all the advantages of being secluded amongst

nature, while having attractions including the Kunst Museum and Mendl’s Patisserie close

at hand. Famed for its staffs’ meticulous attention to detail and commitment to the

wellbeing of its residents this hotel proves to be the perfect retreat - you’ll never

experience anything quite like X”

(pic)


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

5

X has an illustrious board of Directors, including former SecState Henry Kissinger. In

2015, its valuation was set to top $10B.

X’s meteoric rise to fame can definitely be attributed to Y, who drew upon a ‘fear of

needles’ to paint a human picture about how amazing X was in a market that had

stagnated for over 80 years. Y became an iconic figure and has been compared to Steve

Jobs and Mark Zucky.

Most famously, X and Y stressed on how 1 drop of blood would be sufficient for their

work.

X and Y?


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

Theranos

Elizabeth Holmes

6

Under Armor was founded by Kevin Plank in the University of Maryland in 1996. It's

known for apparel, shoes and accessories for sports and fitness. Plank found that

although they were getting good sales and a lot of customers, they had one major

problem - underarmor.com was taken.

Since they couldn't afford to buy the existing domain, they made a decidedly un-

American move and changed their name to something similar (which had a domain

available.)

What did they do?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

They used the British spelling

7

X, deriving from the Hebrew

word meaning Radiance, was

founded by Richa Kar.

It is the largest e-commerce

company of its kind in India.

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

8

The X soundtrack surprised industry observers by selling 2,300 copies (in 2014) on audio

cassette, making it the year's second-biggest seller on tape.

Interestingly, similar predictions are being made for something related to X (in 2017).

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

9

In Kangathei, there's a dialect spoken by 30,000 tribesmen. People born here are given

their names in the local dialect, but often take on additional Christian names and

surnames reflecting the dialect/region.

Mangte is a family name.

Chungneijang, in this dialect, means 'Abode of wealth'.

Historically, people taking on Christian names tend to pick names from religious texts.

What does this give us?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

10X is an organisation based in the Netherlands with offices in over 40 countries (including India). Despite their stated goal of

working for the environment, they've done a pretty bad job of it. Patrick Moore, a founding member who left X, has been

critical of their stances for being unscientific.

Numerous controversies surround X:

Destroying stores of GM crops in Australia

Forgetting to edit a press release that included, “[FILL IN ALARMIST AND ARMAGEDDONIST FACTOID HERE]”

Protection rackets with polluting companies by taking bribes to stop attacking them

Damaging the Nazca Lines, a UN world heritage site, during a 'protest'

X lost their FCRA license in India last year and had their bank accounts frozen after tax evasion and financial mismanagement.

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

11

______ - Barker

Belka - Whitey

Strelka - Arrow

Pchyolka - Little bee

Mushka- Little fly

Chernushka - Blackie

Zvyozdochka - Starlet

Veterok - Little breeze

Ugolyok - Little coal


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

Laika

12

X is a book that gets its name from a point in the story where the protagonist misinterprets apart of a children’s poem and keeps picturing children playing in a field near the edge of acliff, and him saving them when they start to fall off.

Between 1961 and 1982, X was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in theUnited States. In 1981 it was both the most censored book and the second most taught bookin public schools in the United States.

Poem:

Gin a body meet a body, Comin thro' the ___,

Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body cry?

ID X.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R Gin a body meet a body, Cominthro' the rye,

Gin a body kiss a body, Need abody cry?

The Catcher in the Rye

13

"The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", is a short storyby Richard Connell. It was published in Collier's Weekly on January 19, 1924.

It features as its main character a big-game hunter from New York, who falls off ayacht and swims to an isolated island in the Caribbean, where he is hunted by aCossack aristocrat. It is considered by many to be the paradigm example for theman vs man plot archetype.

In 1976, Hayes Noel, a stock trader, Bob Gurnsey, and author Charles Gaines werediscussing Gaines' recent trip to Africa and his experiences hunting buffalo. Thispartially resulted in them trying to recreate the experience of hunting, leading to thecreation of what in 1981?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

14

An incident occurred on the night of 18 July to 19 July 64 in Rome. The problemstarted at the SE end of the Circus Maximus in shops selling some goods. Itdestroyed three of fourteen Roman districts and severely damaged seven. Apopular phrase puts the blame on X, who was probably the scapegoat used bythe people. X, in turn, blamed the Christians and ordered them crucified, burned,or put to the dogs.

In contrast to the rumours, X actually paid for the relief effort from his own funds,personally took part in the search and rescue operations, and opened up hispalace to shelter the homeless. Besides, the instrument associated with X was notin existence in 1st century Rome.

Give the phrase associated with X/the event.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

15

Officially known today as the Primorsky Stairs, the Odessa steps were originally

known as the Boulevard steps, the Giant Staircase, or the Richelieu steps. The

stairs are the formal entrance to the city of Odessa from the sea.

The commonly used name comes from a movie by Sergei Eisenstein with an

historic montage shot on these steps. This sequence has later been replicated in

various other movies, including The Godfather, Untouchables, Star Wars Episode

3 and Brazil.

Which movie gives the commonly used name?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

16

When Europeans first encountered turkeys in America, they incorrectly identified

the birds as a type of guineafowl. Guinea-fowl were also known as turkey fowl

because they were imported to Central Europe through Turkey. The name turkeyfowl, shortened to just the name of the country, stuck as the name of the NorthAmerican bird.

In Turkey, though, the turkey isn’t called that, but has a name which refers to

India. What is it called in Turkey?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R Hindi

17

The Mars Climate Orbiter was a 338 kilogram (750 lb) robotic space probe launched by

NASA on December 11, 1998 to study the Martian climate, atmosphere, surface changes

and to act as the communications relay in the Mars Surveyor '98 program.

However, on September 23, 1999, communication with the spacecraft was lost. The

spacecraft encountered Mars at an improperly low altitude, causing it to incorrectly enter

the upper atmosphere and disintegrate.

The failure, an engineering error, was believed to be a ‘mixup’ which NASA has been

careful to avoid ever since. What happened?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

Americans, being Americans,

mixed up the Imperial and

Metric units

18

The term X is a Spanish farewell that can be literally translated as ‘Until the viewing’ and

means ‘See you later’. This term with added word ‘baby’ was used in the popular hit song

from 1987 "Looking for a New Love" by Grammy Award Winner Jody Watley, where it was

already famous.

X is popular today because of Y.

When Y was translated into Spanish, a new phrase had to be found as the effect of the

phrase X would be lost on the Spanish audience.

Phrase X and Y?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

19

X was born in Pune district. His father, Vinayak, was a post office employee and his mother was Lakshmi. At birth, he was named Ramachandra.

X was given his name because of an unfortunate incident. Before he was born, his parents had three sons and a daughter, with all three boys dying in their infancy. Fearing a curse that targeted male children, young Ramachandra was brought up as a girl for the first few years of his life, including having his nose pierced and being made to wear a nose-ring. It was then that he earned the nickname X (literally "Ram with a nose-ring"). After his younger brother was born, they switched to treating him as a boy.

Who is X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

20

Which institute for higher learning, formerly a school for gifted youngsters, is located at

1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, New York?

The institute serves as a training ground for ‘special’ youngsters and has a which is a

Latin phrase meaning "changing [only] those things which need to be changed“.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

21

X was born as a Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati to a poor family in Andhra. Her striking looks

brought her unwanted attention and she was married off at a young age. Her new family

treated her badly and she ran away.

She entered the film industry as an extra and eventually gained notoriety for her role X in

the movie Vandichakkaram.

X was found dead in her apartment in 1996, apparently having committed suicide.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

Silk Smitha

22A is a 1957 novel by Alice Rosebaum, her fourth and last, and considered to be her magnum opus. Both A and B - published in 1943 - are popular books that have received mixed reactions.

Paul Krugman alluded to an oft-quoted quip by John Rogers in his blog: "There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and A. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."

Philosopher Mark Kingwell, described B as "[Rosenbaum's] best work – which is not to say it is good."

Allan Bloom has referred to the novel as being "hardly literature," one having a "sub-Nietzschean assertiveness [that] excites somewhat eccentric youngsters to a new way of life."

Both A and B are often quoted in ironic attempts to appear intellectual.

Give A and B.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

2 3

This comic panel from

Transmetropolitan depicts

the hero Spider Jerusalem,

who begins the series living a

peaceful hermit’s life in the

woods.

This appearance only lasts for

about 5-6 pages, and was

never intended as character

design but as homage to

someone else.

Who?


A R E C O M I N G !

: O

A N S W E R

24

Theodor Geisel and his publisher, Bennet Cerf, had a bet. This resulted:

a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good,

green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see,

so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you

Explain.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

25

X is a confection manufactured by the Italian Ferrero. In 2000, the parents of threechildren in the United Kingdom who died after choking on ___ campaigned for theproducts to be withdrawn from the European Union. At least six children worldwidehave died from choking on the ___.

X cannot be legally sold in the US, as a non-nutritive object is considered embeddedin the confectionary. In India, and in many other countries, only an altered version ofX is sold.

In Europe they have become a minor cult phenomenon among adults; There is evena thriving collector's market for ___.

Just an FYI, X taste really good. What is X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

26In his 2001 undergraduate commencement address, X university president William R.

Brody said about the name: "Mark Twain wrote about this university: 'A few months ago I

was told that the X University had given me a degree […] I believed they were perfectly

competent to run a college as far as the higher branches of education are concerned, but

what they needed was a little help here and there from a practical commercial man. I said

the public is sensitive to little things and they wouldn't have full confidence in a college

that didn't know how to spell the name ___.' More than a century later, we continue to

bestow diplomas upon individuals of outstanding capabilities and great talent. And we

continue to spell ___ with an s."

Milton Eisenhower, a former university president, once spoke at a convention in

Pittsburgh where the Master of Ceremonies introduced him as "President of ___."

Eisenhower retorted that he was "glad to be here in Pittburgh."

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

27

In the first few years of its production, the X was available in grey, green, blue, and red.

Green was available for the touring and town types, and Landaulets. Grey was only

available for the town type, and red only for the touring type.

By 1912, all X were being painted midnight blue with black fenders.

A policy that is often cited about the X was not really relevant except for a short period

around 1914.


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R “Any customer can have a

car painted any colour that

he wants so long as it is

black.”

Ford’s Model T policy

28Claude Shannon (1916 – 2001) was a mathematician, electronic engineer, and

cryptographer known as "the father of information theory". Shannon is legendary in

most of the fields he worked in.

One of his experiments was in 1950, when he created a magnetic mouse that could move

around a maze of 25 squares. The mouse was designed to search through corridors until

it found a target. If placed in unfamiliar territory, it was programmed to search until it

reached a known location and then it would proceed to the target, adding the new

knowledge to its memory, thus learning. This mouse, named X for its ability to solve the

maze, may have been the first artificial learning device of its kind.

What is X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

Theseus

29

A split infinitive is an English-language grammatical construction in which a word

or phrase, usually an adverb or adverbial phrase, comes between a marker ('to')

and the bare infinitive form of a verb. As the split infinitive became morecommon in the 19th century, some grammatical authorities sought to introduce

a prescriptive rule against it. However, most modern English usage guides havedropped the objection to the split infinitive.

The most famous example of a split infinitive in popular culture comes from theopening sequence of which 1966 television series?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

31

The Year Without a Summer was 1816, in which severe summer climate

abnormalities caused average global temperatures to decrease by 0.4–0.7 °C,

resulting in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. It is believed

that the anomaly was caused by a combination of an historic low in solar activitywith a volcanic winter event.

In July 1816 "incessant rainfall" during that "wet, ungenial summer" forced X, Percy

Shelley, John William Polidori, and their friends to stay indoors for much of their

Swiss holiday. They decided to have a contest to see who could write the best

story in a certain genre, leading X to write ___, and Lord Byron to write "AFragment", which Polidori later used as inspiration for something else.

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

32

• Van Halen was known for touring with truckloads of equipment - Nine 18-

wheeler trucks, for example. They also had very detailed contracts, famously

including a line that required, among other food: “M&M’s,(WARNING:ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN ONES).”

• The clause was apparently justified at a Colorado concert. Whathappened/why did Van Halen ask for the removal of brown M&M?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R The presence of brown M&Msdespite mention in thecontracts was a sign that duediligence had not beencarried out.

At the Colorado concert, thestage had not been set up tospecifications and caved in,causing damages amountingto $80,000.

To verify contract fulfilment

33

Henrietta Lacks (1920 – 1951) was an African-American woman from Virginia. In 1951,she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and during the treatment, samples of hertumour were isolated for research without permission. These cells would eventuallybecome the HeLa cell line, a group of cells that did not die after a few generations,and considered an enormous boon to medical research.

Today, the HeLa line is ubiquitous in scientific research, but the first major successfrom them was X's discovery, to combat Y, 'the most frightening public healthproblem' after WW2. According to a 2009 PBS documentary, Y was America'sgreatest fear apart from the atomic bomb. Franklin D. Roosevelt founded anorganisation which went on to fund X's work.

Famously, when X was asked in a televised interview who owned the patent, hereplied: "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?".

X and Y?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

34

On being asked about X, Y replied that it was the result of a lot of discussion. An

ad manager said that three relationships were important – mother/son,

girl/mother-in-law, and boss/employee. This was the basis for the first product, titled ‘washroom’. This was successful.

The same team that created ‘washroom’ went on to create X, which achieved cult status.

X?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

35

A back cover is a term used to refer to a listing of all the works of a specific artist,

or all the books, records etc of a specific publisher, including works that are no

longer available. In the case of a band, this would include all their albums prior to

the publishing of the cover listing. Sometimes, it can also informally refer to the works themselves.

Storm Thorgerson was a legendary designer who decided to take the term rather literally, and came up with an iconic photograph.

What photograph AND for whom?


A R E C O M I N G !

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A N S W E R

END

G T F O

ashoka q thing- the general quiz [finals]

Education