2. Rules
Arbitrary points for questions (as marked on slide).
Integers between +15 and -15
-175 to +175 total score range.
Closest to 0 wins!
No arguments or name calling permitted. Obscene gesturing allowed.
3. The last question was asked for the first time,
half in jest, on May 21, 2061….
- Isaac Asimov, The Last Question
4. 1.
Which word, in sanskrit translates to ‘he who has no date; who may come at any
time’?
+10
10. 3.
A pretty standard temple in terms of
history and architecture, the temple shot
to fame during the discovery of Egypt by
the Europeans. Of particular note are two
fallen statues of Rameses bearing his
throne name User-maat-re Setep-en-re,
one of which was transported with much
fanfare to London. The other, "half sunk...
shattered visage” still lies in the temple.
What is the now immortalised Greek
translation of the name of Memnon?
The Ramesseum is the memorial temple (or mortuary temple) of Pharaoh Ramesses
II ("Ramesses the Great", also spelled "Ramses" and "Rameses"). It is located across the River
Nile from the city of Luxor.
-13
11.
12. Answer
"Ozymandias"
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
- P. B. Shelley
-13
13. 4. Wanted: _______ ____
Wanted, wanted: _______ ____.
Hair: brown. Lips: scarlet.
Age: five thousand three hundred days.
Profession: none, or "starlet"
Where are you hiding, _______ ____?
Why are you hiding, darling?
(I Talk in a daze, I walk in a maze
I cannot get out, said the starling).
(...)
Oh _______, that juke-box hurts!
Are you still dancin', darlin'?
(Both in worn levis, both in torn T-shirts,
And I, in my corner, snarlin').
Happy, happy is gnarled McFate
Touring the States with a child wife,
Plowing his Molly in every State
Among the protected wild life.
(...)
Wanted, wanted: _______ ____.
Her dream-gray gaze never flinches.
Ninety pounds is all she weighs
With a height of sixty inches.
My car is limping, _______ ____,
And the last long lap is the hardest,
And I shall be dumped where the weed decays,
And the rest is rust and stardust.
+12
16. 5. Rudyard Kipling, May 1893: ___ ____ ___ ______
The wrecks dissolve above us; their dust drops down from afar –
Down to the dark, to the utter dark, where the blind white sea-snakes are.
There is no sound, no echo of sound, in the deserts of the deep,
Or the great grey level plains of ooze where the shell-burred cables creep.
Here in the womb of the world -- here on the tie-ribs of earth
Words, and the words of men, flicker and flutter and beat –
Warning, sorrow and gain, salutation and mirth –
For a Power troubles the Still that has neither voice nor feet.
They have wakened the timeless Things; they have killed their father Time;
Joining hands in the gloom, a league from the last of the sun.
Hush! Men talk to-day o'er the waste of the ultimate slime,
And a new Word runs between: whispering, "Let us be one!"
+6
19. 6.
There is a star in our universe called KIC 8462852 that may or may
not be the hub of what some not-at-all-crazy scientists are calling “a
swarm of megastructures” that may or may not be of alien origin. (…)
Further studies on the phenomenon are currently being done, but, in
the meantime, _____ _____ has given us a soundtrack and
theoretical visual to the potential life surrounding KIC 8462852 in the
form of “Blackstar”, the wonderfully odd and expansive title track
from his forthcoming 28th studio album.
It’s certainly worlds away from the relatively staid songs on his 2013
comeback album, which could be looked back on as a warm-up, an
explorer getting his space legs back after years on land. The
“Blackstar” at the center of the song takes the form of a messianic
figure whose intentions are certainly questionable and probably
destructive. “You’re a flash in the pan/ I’m the great I Am,” ____
sings in character, poking fun at our need to explain the inexplicable
while remaining as perplexing and powerful as ever.
Who?
-7
28. 9.
M. Zahir, of Pudupet, is one of the most sought-after in his profession. In his
heydey, he was known as ‘Idika, Udaika, Erika, Parakai’ Zahir. (‘Crashing,
Breaking, Burning, Flying’ Zahir)
He sources his wares through an extensive contact network, including at
government auctions of goods siezed and damaged in accidents.
However, with changing tastes and sensibilities in a certain industry in Southern
India, his expertise is considered an ‘extravagance’. So, he is required to make
every instance as memorable as possible, regardless of cost or effort. No stand-
ins and retakes are permitted, though redoing a job poses several problems of
its own.
What is Mr. Zahir’s profession?
+11
37. 12.
The Earth went a ‘little ice age’ around the 17th century(options include fluctuations in
solar output, characterised by a period with few or no sunspots known as the Maunder
Minimum and reductions in atmospheric CO2 due to the depopulation of the Americas
by disease in the previous century).
Trees produce narrower annual growth rings in these cooler conditions. They usually
vary in width along with the annual climate variations, and have been used as proxies in
many climate studies, recording everything from drought cycles in the American west to
the Warm medieval Period in Europe. The prolonged cold during the 17th century
resulted in a long succession of narrow dense rings with little variation due to the poor
growing conditions (with long winters and cool summers), making for unusually dense
wood, making for unique and exceptional acoustic qualities.
Why does this render a certain quest for ‘perfection’ invalid?
-4
40. 13.
One hypothesis is that the end of the last glacial period, or Ice Age, precipitated
rapid environmental and geological changes, drastically altering the landscape
around the early humans.
Another hypothesis simply states that observations of seashells and
fish fossils in inland and mountain areas led to these.
Meteors are always complicit in anything fun.
What?
+4
43. 14.
• A World Heritage Site on the
Southern Coast of the UK, this region
consists of cliffs spanning the
Mesozoic era, documenting 180
million years of geological history.
• Due to the quality of the varied
geology and excellent fossil records,
the site is the subject of international
field studies.
• What exciting name is this region
known by?
+13
46. 15.
Phumdis are islands comprising of vegetation,
soil and organic matter, in different stages of
decay. They range in thickness from a few
centimetres to two metres.
During the monsoon season when the water
level is high, the phumdis float, but during the
dry season, as the water level falls, the
phumdis touch the lake bed and
absorb nutrients from it.
These are found exclusively in one part of
India, making up the world’s largest ‘floating’
park.
This park is the last refuge of the brow-
antlered deer or Sangai.
Name the lake or the park.
+1
49. 16.
X is a soft, brown, soil-like material
characteristic of boggy, acid ground, consisting
of partly decomposed vegetation and organic
matter.
It is found in mires, bogs, fens, moors,
pocosins, muskegs, and other swampy terrain.
It is often the first step in the geological
formation of other fossil fuels such as coal,
particularly low-grade coal such as lignite.
When dried, X itself can be used as a fuel
source. This finds use in a particular industry
in parts of Scotland, benefiting from the
smokiness of X fires.
X?
-6
52. 17.
Highland Park has released a set of four single malt whiskies, honouring the
Norse heritage of the Orkeney Islands, where the distillery is situated.
Identify the names of the expressions using the tasting notes provided :)
-13
53. Palate: The true shape‐shifting ability of
____ springs to life on the palate: its
waxy texture is amplified by an intense
smoke that doesn't appear on the nose,
shattering the light citrusy illusion of the
aroma. All is not what it seems. The
smoke fades as liquorice and rich spiced
apple flavours come out to play.
_____’s intriguing allure and feisty
personality has inspired a full, rich and
complex single malt with a lingering
beguiling finish.
A huge, powerful palate draws on the
complexity of ____’s character. Layers
of peat uncover thousands of years of
wisdom. Dense oak combines with
rich charred walnuts. Throughout is a
subtle sweetness, sharing the
knowledge of well-seasoned sherry
wines.
Concentrated and forceful, with an
explosion of aromatic smoke, pungent
fresh ginger, antique copper, stewed
plums, and golden syrup. The finish
thunders on, leaving behind lingering
notes of sweet vanilla and an intense
spiciness.
60. 19.
Like in most parts of the civilised world, “app-based private hire firms” such as Uber and its
competitors are driving London‘s black-cabs to extinction.
The Saving An Icon report by Richard Tracey found black-cab drivers needed to make
"fundamental changes" to keep up with the competition, such as downsizing, etc, etc.
Seeing that we live in the “time of GPS navigation”, another much less welcome suggestion
involved the scrapping of a certain write of passage that usually involves 2-4 years of hard
work.
Steve McNamara, the general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association said: "I'm
stunned and shocked that anybody would suggest doing anything that altered or lowered
the standard of taxi driving.”
What absolutely sacred ritual is being referred to here?
-1
66. 21.
This book, by every-award winning author Connie
Willis, is part of the Oxford Time Travel series.
The story sees a historian, Ned Henry, travel back
in time to Victorian England, join forces with
undergrad Terence St. Trewes, his dog Cyril and a
Professor Peddick, and travel down the Thames, in
order to get the girl, return the cat and save the
universe as we know it.
What is the title of the book (and several plot
points) a tribute to?
+1
75. 24.
The traditional variant is ‘finished’ using an
aniline coating. Transparent dyes, mixed with
water, are applied – and there is no artificial
covering of the natural grain surface of the
skin. The addition of synthetic buck fat (warm
liquid wax) gives it the distinctive appearance
as well as a degree of water repellency as it
absorbs into the naked surface.
A fine shellac coating is later applied and, when
this wears off during use, the waxy surface is
revealed. With heat generated through
friction, polishing of the grain surface can
commence.
The two modern variants, are pigment-
finished, whereby the desired pigment is mixed
with resin and several coats of colour are
sprayed on to the surface, forming a barrier to
the natural grain.
Here buck fat isn’t used as it tends to darken
the pigments.
The resin pigment isn’t colourfast, but whereas
with the original, the dye penetrates the skin,
any wearing of the pigment-finished skin will
result in the pale whitish colour of the alum
base tan being revealed underneath. To
prevent this, several coats of hard polyurethane
or cellulose lacquer are applied.
(An alternate technique, such as for the most
prominent use of the newest variant involves a
dyeing technique that reportedly penetrates
the skin, followed by an extra film of “G7”
finish)
This, together with the lack of the heat-reactive
buck fat means polishing becomes an issue.
What is being described?
-15
88. 28.
Following are two sketches drawn in
and of the town of Atrani, on the
Amalfi Coast of Italy. The town acts as
a recurring motif in the works of the
artist.
Name the artist
+7
95. 30.
The word originates from the Italian for ‘cave’ or ‘of a cave’. The word first was used of
paintings found on the walls of basements of Ancient Roman ruins in the 16th century.
Since at least the 18th century, the word has come to be used as a general adjective for
the strange, fantastic, ugly, or disgusting, specifically for architectural elements on
Gothic building. What word?
+4
104. 33.
•The V in England and parts of the Commonwealth
•Raising a fist and slapping the biceps in Iberia and the former Portuguese
colonies
•Hand and fingers curled and the thumb thrust between the middle and index
fingers in Russia and the former USSR
•five fingers are spread wide and the palm is pushed towards someone in Greece
and the Windies
•Thumbs up in Iran and Iraq
How do we do it?
-12
107. 34.
• This triangular junction in Edinburgh is well known
for a proliferation of strip clubs and lap-dancing bars
(including one named Burke and Hare).
• What is this region affectionately called?
-11
113. 36.
This gene (hh), was first identified in the fruit-fly
Drosophila melanogaster by Christiane Nusslein-
Volhard and Eric Wieschaus, as published in 1980,
as the gene that control the segmentation
patterns of the Drosophila embryos.
Mutations in this gene caused the Drosophila
larvae to have clusters of denticles rather than
segments, giving them a stubby appearance, akin
to a certain animal.
Investigations aimed at finding a hh equivalent in
vertebrates by revealed three homologous genes,
DHH, IHH and SHH. The first two, Desert and
Indian are named after the two species of this
animal, while the third, SHH, being the most
extensively studied, is named after a fictional
version of the same.
What animal is this gene named after?
+9
116. 37.
The Olympia Academy (German: Akademie Olympia) was a group founded in
1902 by X, Conrad Habicht, and Maurice Solovine in Bern, Switzerland, who met
– usually at X’s apartment – in order to debate books in the fields of philosophy
and physics.
The group started when X advertised private lessons in mathematics and physics
in order to make a living in 1901. Solovine, a Romanian philosophy student,
answered the newspaper advertisement, though in fact neither the tutorials nor
any payment materialised. Instead, the two began to meet regularly to discuss
their shared interest in physics and philosophy. They were soon joined by the
mathematician Habicht in 1902.
The group disbanded in 1904-05 when the latter two left Bern.
X?
-12
125. 40.
The People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) is an online archive of “the most
diverse part of the planet”, with “833 million people include distinct societies
speaking well over 700 languages, some of them thousands of years old”; “86
different scripts”; “more schools and styles of weaving in India than in any other
single nation”; “professions known only to a few nations, like toddy-tappers”
It wants to act as a record, visual and oral, to educate us- motivate us - to save
this incredible diversity.
Sections include ‘Farm Crisis’, ‘Musafir’, ‘Footsoldiers of Freedom’ and
‘Tongues’, among many others.
Whose magnum opus is PARI?
-13
128. 41.
The Indian Native Dog (INDog) is the aboriginal landrace, or naturally selected
"breed", of the Indian sub-continent. This is the original breed of the country,
found free-living as a commensal of human all over the Indian subcontinent.
Virtually unchanged for millenia, these were (and still are) the hunting partners
and companion animals of the aboriginal peoples of India.
This breed, and to some extent any dog adopting a free-range lifestyle, are
commonly known by the English corruption of a Tamil word, referring to the
lowest castes.
?
+10
131. 42.
This cuisine originated (arrived?) in Birmingham in the 1970s, when chefs
started to make their dishes lighter, healthier and served faster to suit Western
tastes.
The dishes are cooked quickly using vegetable oil rather than ghee, over high
heat in the manner of a stir-fry, and any meat is used off the bone. The
preparation must then be served in the same thin steel bowl it is cooked in over
a hot flame.
What go on?
+7
