In 1936, who was the first person to fly across the Atlantic in nonstop from east to west, proving that an airline service between London and New York was possible?
The first non-stop transatlantic flight from east to west seems to be in 1919 by a British airship R34, actually part of a return journey carrying about 30 people. They left from East Fortune, Scotland and arrived in Long Island, USA after 108 hours of flight.
The first non-stop solo flight in an airplane was by Jim Mollison in 1932, flying from Portmarnock, Ireland to Pennfield, New Brunswick, Canada.
The flight to which you refer is presumably that of Beryl Markham who became the first woman to achieve the feat in 1936. She flew from Abingdon, England to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_flight (patrickk)
1 answer
Today
by pehinhota
Who to date is the only born person from the Falkland Islands to win a medal at the Olympic Games?
That would be one Louis Charles Baillon.
[quote]Louis Charles Baillon was born in Stanley in 1881, one of the fourteen children of Louis Augustine Baillon who had bought nearly 80,000 acres of land in West Falkland in 1866. The family returned to England in 1888 and settled in the Northampton area. Louis Charles excelled as a sportsman and in 1908 played as full-back in the England hockey team at the Olympics in London. The team won the hockey tournament and received gold medals.[/quote]
https://en.mercopress.com/2018/05/14/falklands-olympic-games-gold-medal-athlete-who-competed-in-1908-london-games (elburcher)
1 answer
Today
by pehinhota
Launched in the US in 2011, what is "Funko Pop!"?
Funko Pop! are figurines with really big heads and big eyes in the chibi Japanese art style. They are considered pop art originally consisting of characters from Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Dr Who. Like many collectibles, these can get quite pricy. Currently, the most valuable one is a Willy Wonka and an oompa loompa which has sold for $100,000. Apparently, there were only 10 of them made like the 5 golden tickets from the book...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funko
https://vaultedcollection.com/blogs/vaulted-blog/most-expensive-funko-pop?utm_source=SEM&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=pmax-pactx&utm_term=brand&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADoXdjg8BLNhgDPtM8K98ZMkoZN1tvYB3Hzgya5DepMWU-DH6pqlDgcaAsASEALw_wcB (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 31 24 by psnz
Where are the eyes of a barreleye fish?
They are found on its forehead.
[quote]This peculiar fish is known for its strange eyes — two bright green upward-pointing orbs that are visible through the transparent dome on its forehead. The upward-pointing eyes are able to spot prey above them in the water column but can rotate forward when needed.[/quote]https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/barreleye
In the above link, click on the first picture for an enlarged view of this fish with a peculiar ocular arrangement. Further down the page, there's about a minute of video footage, too. (psnz)
1 answer
May 31 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What is special about the Rh-null (golden) blood type and how common is it?
The golden blood type has no Rh antigens in its red blood cells.
It is incredibly rare. Fewer than 50 individuals are thought to have this blood group.
The golden blood type was first found in Aboriginal Australians.
One of the concerns for people in this blood group is if they need transfusions, the pool of donors is very small.
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_the_golden_blood_type/article.htm (psnz)
1 answer
May 31 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Who was the first NBA player to have two numbers retired by the same team?
Kobe Bryant has had both the number 8 and the number 24 retired for the Los Angeles Lakers. After eight years with the number 8 Kobe changed to 24 because he said he had experienced growth in his career and life outside of basketball.
[quote] When late Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from eight to 24 during the 2006-07 season, he explained it at the time as "growth" from his prior digits. [/quote]
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-players-two-numbers-retired
https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/kobe-bryant-frenemy-reveals-motivation-behind-no-24-jersey-ak1987 (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 31 24 by psnz
In 14th century England by what name was John of Powderham better known?
John Deydras, was also known as John of Powderham.
[quote]On some day in June 1318, a cat and a one-eared man called John Deydras or Dydras, also known as John of Powderham, were hung in Oxford for challenging the right of Edward II to rule; indeed, John had claimed he was Edward II himself.[/quote]
https://www.executedtoday.com/2012/06/05/1318-john-deydras-aka-john-of-powderham/ (elburcher)
1 answer
May 31 24 by pehinhota
What is/was the use of Pascal's Triangle?
Pascal's triangle is a wonderful piece of mathematics that can be created and understood by a primary school child and yet hides dozens of fascinating properties and links to real world applications, including probability, combinatorics and algebra. The triangle is constructed starting with '1' in the top row. Each subsequent row is offset by half a place, and has one more number in it. Each number can be found by adding the two above it (if only one number is above, add 0 to it). The triangle is in principle infinite, though I'm not sure anyone has ever managed to write out that many lines. The first 5 rows look like:
1
1 1
1 2 1
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1
(well technically the first row is the 0th row and the last shown is the 4th, is that still 5 rows?)
The most common application of the triangle is to find the coefficients of the binomial expansion. For the expression "(x+y)^n", the nth row of the triangle lists out the coefficients of the expanded expression - e.g. 1,4,6,4,1 if n = 4
Another application that is perhaps easier to grasp intuitively is that for the nth row, the kth entry in that row (again starting from 0 as the first entry)) is given by the function nCk (n choose k). Put simply this function tells you how many ways there are to pick k objects out a of a group of n. One example is how many teams of 2 can be picked from a group of 4 people - the triangle tells us that the 2nd entry from the 4th row is 6, so 6 different teams can be created.
There are so many other patterns and connections hidden within the triangle, many well beyond my level to comprehend. The practical uses are largely superseded by calculators and computers, but the table still provides a useful reference to do these tasks manually. I think the real use is to demonstrate how interconnected seemingly independent aspects of mathematics and real world applications can be, and just to enjoy a pure piece of wonderful mathematics.
(patrickk)
2 answers
May 31 24 by chabenao1
What is/was the use of Pascal's Triangle?
I personally am mathematically declined...!, but see below
[quote] Pascal's triangle is named for 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Pascal wrote a treatise on triangles in his 1654 (published 1655) treatise Traité du triangle arithmétique. However, Pascal did not invent the triangle, so it bears different names in other countries.
In algebra and other branches of mathematics, Pascal's triangle is a triangular array of numbers that lists the coefficients of the expansion of any binomial expression (x + y)n, where n is any positive integer and x and y are real numbers. Its construction is simple: the numbers in each row are the sum of the numbers in the preceding row. So, each row begins and ends with the number 1.
How to Use Pascal's Triangle (Binomial Theorem)
The binomial theorem states that the nth row of Pascal's triangle gives the coefficients of the expanded polynomial (x + y)n.[/quote]
https://sciencenotes.org/pascals-triangle/ (elburcher)
2 answers
May 31 24 by chabenao1
What is "cuckoo smurfing"?
Cuckoo smurfing is a form of money laundering. The idea is to make transactions low enough in value to escape detection. The launderers will do things like use the cash in a casino to buy chips and then turn the chips in to get their money back. There are other ways they try to hide their trail.
[quote] An Example of Cuckoo Smurfing
A common example of cuckoo Smurfing is when a criminal syndicate arranges for cash sums of under $10,000 to be transferred in or out of Australia using the bank account details of an unwitting third party.
Banks rarely are alerted as it falls below the threshold. As such, it does not get the attention of AUSTRAC. The identity of the money launderer is also hidden as the only details provided are that of the innocent third party.
From there, the money is transferred to numerous other bank accounts by making multiple complex transactions. This disguises the source of the money to be laundered and makes tracing it both difficult and expensive.
Ultimately the money is returned to the money launderer and will appear legitimate to only the most shrewd experts, such as money laundering lawyers. [/quote]
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=67b2261a-4988-4804-b066-bd502bc3eb74 (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 30 24 by psnz
What killed 21 people in Boston MA, USA, on 15 January 1919?
Molasses! Gallows humour suggests that they came to a sticky end.
[quote]The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, was a disaster that occurred on Wednesday, January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
A large storage tank filled with 2.3 million U.S. gallons (8,700 cubic meters) of molasses, weighing approximately 13,000 short tons (12,000 metric tons), burst, and the resultant wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour), killing 21 people and injuring 150. The event entered local folklore and residents reported for decades afterwards that the area still smelled of molasses on hot summer days.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood
Some have termed the Flood, the "Boston Molassacre." (psnz)
1 answer
May 30 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Where did Poland's Zbigniew Turski win a 1948 gold medal in the "choral and orchestral" category?
Would you believe at the Summer Olympics in London! From 1912 to 1948 competitors could win medals for the arts of architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. The IOC decided in 1949 that they would no longer give medals for the arts and stick to athletic competitions only. Interestingly, some of the categories did not have a gold medal or silver medal winner but did have a bronze medal winner. I guess they had a standard and if an artwork was not outstanding it did not win the gold by default.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_competitions_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 30 24 by psnz
Which pet did Mary Sawyer of the U.S. state of Massachusetts nurse back to health?
It was Mary's little lamb!
Mary Elizabeth Sawyer was the person that the nursery rhyme "Mary had a little lamb" was based upon.
Along with her father, Mary discovered a sickly lamb abandoned by its mother, while performing farm tasks. Surprisingly, Mary was able to nurse the lamb back to health. The rhyme was penned by fellow student John Roulstone when the lamb accompanied Mary and her brother to school.
https://modernfarmer.com/2017/12/true-story-behind-mary-little-lamb/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Had_a_Little_Lamb (psnz)
1 answer
May 30 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Which 1980s film claimed to be filmed in "Odorama"?
Polyester in 1981! The moviegoer would get a scratch and sniff card to go along with their movie! When the scene that had a smell came up the film would flash the number that the watchers were supposed to scratch to smell. Not sure I would be eager to scratch numbers 2, 5, or 6!
[quote] The ten smells (developed by 3M per Waters in the supplements section of the DVD release) are:
1) Roses
2) Flatulence
3) Model airplane glue
4) Pizza
5) Gasoline
6) Skunk
7) Natural gas
8) New car smell
9) Dirty shoes
10) Air freshener [/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester_(film)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082926/faq/?ref_=tt_faq_sm (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 29 24 by psnz
What calorie range would the average finisher of an Ironman race burn?
I really like this source's short answer: "a lot!"
The author goes on to point out that there are many factors requiring consideration, including gender, body weight and metabolic rate.
[quote]For example, a 130lb woman will expend roughly 7,290 calories, and a 200lb man will expend roughly 10,890 calories, all within the race itself. Here’s how that breaks down:
130lb Woman:
* Swim: 10cal/min x 90min swim = 900 calories
* Bike: 11cal/min x 6 hour bike = 3,960
* Run: 9cal/min x 4.5 hour run = 2,430
* Total: 7,290 calories
200lb Male:
* Swim: 15cal/min x 90min swim = 1,350 calories
* Bike: 16cal/min x 6 hour bike = 5,760
* Run: 14cal/min x 4.5 hour run = 3,780
* Total: 10,890 calories[/quote]https://joshmuskin.com/ironman-nutrition-faq/
7.29 kilocalories = 30.5 kilojoules
10.89 kilocalories = 45.6 kilojoules
[quote]Considering the average adult expends between 1,500-2,000 calories per day, it’s easy to see how a concerted nutritional effort is needed to make it through an Ironman race without the dreaded “bonk” (aka hyperglycemia).[/quote]https://joshmuskin.com/ironman-nutrition-faq/ (psnz)
1 answer
May 29 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Whose paradox seeks to answer the question: "Where are the aliens?"?
The Enrico Fermi Paradox.
[quote] Given that our solar system is quite young compared to the rest of the universe — roughly 4.5 billion years old, compared to 13.8 billion — and that interstellar travel might be fairly easy to achieve given enough time, Earth should have been visited by aliens already, the idea goes. [/quote]
The Drake equation is a fun tool to play with to try to theorize how many worlds have intelligent life. Unfortunately, it is probably impossible to know any of these variables with firm numbers.
[quote] N = R* × fp × ne × fl × fi × fc × L
N, the number of civilizations currently transmitting signals, depends on seven factors:
R* is the yearly formation rate of stars hospitable to planets where life could develop
fp is the fraction of those stars with planets
ne is the number of planets per solar system with conditions suitable for life
fl is the fraction of planets suitable for life on which life actually appears
fi is the fraction of planets with life on which intelligent life emerges
fc is the fraction of planets with intelligent life that develops technologies such as radio transmissions that we could detect
L is the average length of time in years that civilizations produce such signs [/quote]
https://www.space.com/25325-fermi-paradox.html
https://www.planetary.org/articles/fermi-paradox-drake-equation (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 29 24 by psnz
Which insect has the largest population on Earth?
Ants are the Earth's most numerous insect.
Conservative estimates put the number of ants at about 2.5 million for every human. That's a staggering 20 quadrillion or so: 20,000,000,000,000,000.
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/how-many-ants-live-on-earth-at-least-20-quadrillion-scientists-say/ (psnz)
1 answer
May 29 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Is the surname "Yeboah", popular in Ghana, linked to the Bible?
Yeboah does not appear to be linked to the Bible. For one, it is not included in the Bible. Second, the overwhelming number of people with the last name Yeboah live in Ghana. If it was a Biblical word it would be a bit more universal.
According to the people on names.org the name Yeboah means cheerful giver. The actual origin of the name is unknown.
https://www.names.org/n/yeboah/about (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 29 24 by chabenao1
Who was Jessica Mitford and why was she disliked by a certain American industry?
Jessica Mitford was an author who wrote "The American Way of Death" in 1963. The book exposed the American funeral industry.
[quote]Mitford's descriptions were so gruesome that her first publisher decided to terminate their contract. She had paid particular attention to the process of embalming - describing in exquisite detail how each body is "sprayed, sliced, pierced, pickled, trussed, trimmed, creamed, waxed, painted, rouged and neatly dressed - transformed from a common corpse into a Beautiful Memory Picture". In her book The American Way of Death, Mitford detailed the processes that transformed the common corpse into a 'memory picture' It was ostensibly a sanitary measure, to prevent further decay and to present the mourners with a poignant last glimpse of their loved one. In practice, it amounted to extensive post-mortem cosmetic surgery. The embalmer would drain the blood from the veins - the sooner the better, to avoid cellular damage, before refilling the arteries with embalming fluid. This came in a number of separate tints, allowing the funeral director to colour with a brown suntan or a healthy rosy glow or simply to regain the "natural undertones", and helped to firm up the skin with youthful plumpness. Following that, the mortician would then nip and tuck the tissue across the body with implants, pins and fillers to mask blemishes and swellings that come with age and illness, before sewing the face into the most attractive (and youthful) expression possible. Finally, the teeth were whitened, make-up applied, and the corpse was dressed in its final outfit. Mitford was surprised to find an enormous range of clothes marketed specifically for the departed; her particular favorite was a special brand of bra designed for "post-mortem form restoration". She argued that mourners were also encouraged to pay exorbitantly for the most expensive coffins, ostentatious flowers and sentimental memorabilia (such as commemorative, heart-shaped ash-trays), with the underlying message that it would be disrespectful to buy anything but the best.
Mitford questioned the dignity and utility of these invasive procedures. She was dismayed that morticians would sometimes discourage an essential medical autopsy because it would make it harder to beautify the body and she objected to the fact that the they often veiled their services in pseudo-psychology, arguing that a lavish funeral, with a pimped and plucked and polished corpse, was essential for the grieving process - despite little evidence this was the case. The vulnerable families would have done far better to see a qualified psychoanalyst, she thought, than to be encouraged to pay for a luxury satin-lined casket and more roses in their funeral wreaths.
Bodies often are made up with cosmetics, among other, more invasive procedures, before being laid to rest More than anything, she baulked at the fact that death was being prettified and sanitized, masking the brutal facts about our mortality. Mitford decided now was time for the public to look death in the face.[/quote]
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160721-how-jessica-mitford-changed-our-ideas-about-death (elburcher)
1 answer
May 28 24 by elvislennon
Which bird flies the longest distance on an annual basis?
Arctic Terns fly a long way from pole to pole each migration season! But their migration is not in a straight line, so the actual distance is much greater than the 12,000 miles that separate the north and south poles.
[quote] Some scientists state the yearly migration can range from 44,000 miles to 59,000 miles. An Arctic tern, in its lifespan, typically flies a distance equivalent to three round trips to the moon. [/quote]
https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/blog/arctic-tern-facts-worlds-longest-migratory-route (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 28 24 by psnz
Could a roadrunner outrun a coyote?
No! Coyotes are more than twice as fast as roadrunners.
[quote]While Looney Tunes' cartoon roadrunner might have been able to out-run the coyote every time, real-life roadrunners aren't so lucky. Coyotes can out-pace roadrunners substantially, clocking up to ~43 miles per hour, compared to the roadrunners ~20 miles per hour. Coyotes will prey on roadrunners, and so will raccoons and raptors. [/quote]https://blog.nature.org/2021/12/01/roadrunner-meet-the-real-bird-behind-the-cartoon/
43 mph = 69 km/h
20 mph = 32 km/h (psnz)
1 answer
May 28 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Who was the first US president to receive a Pulitzer Prize?
JFK won a Pulitzer Prize for his work "Profiles in Courage." The book is a biography of 8 senators who dared to do what was right despite it being an unpopular stance. Several of the senators lost reelection as a result of their decision. Seems like we could use some of that courage today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiles_in_Courage (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 28 24 by psnz
What is the name of the only member of ZZ Tops who does not have a beard?
By some strange quirk, Frank Beard!
Frank Lee Beard (1949-) is the group's drummer. ZZ Top formed in 1969
[quote]Beard was long known as, ironically, the only member of ZZ Top not to have a beard, but he grew a short one in 2013.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Beard_(musician) (psnz)
1 answer
May 28 24 by BigTriviaDawg
How would a pulsed plasma rocket work and what would NASA want to use one for?
A plasma rocket uses electric and magnetic fields to turn the fuel into a plasma. Rockets with this technology could reach speeds of 198,000 km/h (123,000 mph).
Such a spaceship would be useful travelling to planets such as Mars (a 200 day journey could be reduced to 60), or even other star systems.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/plasma-rockets.htm (psnz)
1 answer
May 28 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Originating about 1985, what do the Darwin Awards recognise?
Darwin Awards are a dubious honor for those who die in foolish ways and thereby take themselves out of the gene pool. Not all stupid deaths qualify as there does have to be some "style" and clear lack of thinking. Examples include someone who tries to break into a vending machine to have it land on them. Another includes someone who strapped a rocket onto the back of his car and hit a cliff...at 300 miles an hour. Another has someone throwing giant rocks off a bridge onto the freeway only to fall over himself and get hit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Awards (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 28 24 by psnz
Why did the Beatles's album cover for Sergent Pepper feature Sonny Liston and not Cassius Clay?
Besides which, the group (especially, it seems, John Lennon) were not big fans of Cassius Clay, just photographed with him as a publicity bit.
[quote]The Beatles had only been in the US for 11 days when their tour managers marshalled them into Miami Beach's 5th Street Gym for a photo opportunity with 22-year-old boxer Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali following his conversion to Islam). At the time, Clay had been busy preparing for his big upcoming fight with the Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston. The Beatles, meanwhile, had turned up in Florida to film their second performance for the Ed Sullivan Show.
The Beatles were photographed multiple times in the ring with Clay for the newspapers during the visit. As seen in the photo collection below, the visit was quite the occasion, with all involved seemingly in great spirits. Despite appearances, though, The Beatles were purportedly hoping to see Liston and not, as John Lennon said, the "loudmouth who's going to lose".
In the following weeks, Clay, "the loudmouth", was the one to win the fight as Liston bowed out in the seventh round. Clay also went on to win the highly anticipated rematch the following year in a first-round knockout on his unstoppable rise to prominence as one of the finest boxers in history, or as he put it, "the greatest". Despite Clay's dominance over this period, The Beatles remained loyal fans of Liston and even included his wax model in the photograph taken for the famous, star-studded album cover for 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.[/quote]
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/when-the-beatles-met-muhammad-ali/ (looney_tunes)
2 answers
May 27 24 by chabenao1
What event is credited with the adoption of the logo "the open eye" and the slogan "We Never Sleep" by the Pinkerton Agency?
The slogan was adopted after one of their agents escorted Abraham Lincoln to Washington DC following his election. There had been an assassination threat, and she stayed awake and on guard during the entire trip.
[quote]Among the business's early operations was to safely deliver the newly elected President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, to Washington, D.C., in light of an assassination threat. Pinkerton detective Kate Warne was assigned and successfully delivered Lincoln to the U.S. capital city through a series of disguises and related tactics that required her to stay awake throughout the entire long journey. As a result of the public notoriety of this success, the business adopted an open eye as its logo and the slogan, "We never sleep."[/quote]
This was one of their more reputable exploits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_(detective_agency) (looney_tunes)
2 answers
May 27 24 by pehinhota
Why did the Beatles's album cover for Sergent Pepper feature Sonny Liston and not Cassius Clay?
Apparently Sonny Liston was included because he didn't think much of Ringo's drumming.
[quote]4. Even Beatle naysayers were included
Boxer Sonny Liston was an odd choice , given that The Beatles had met and posed famously with Muhammed Ali, who twice defeated Liston. Also, after attending a Beatles concert in 1964, Liston said of Ringo, "My dog drums better than that guy."[/quote]
https://www.loudersound.com/features/11-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-sgt-pepper-cover (elburcher)
2 answers
May 27 24 by chabenao1
2 answers
May 27 24 by pehinhota
Where was country legend Keith Urban born?
Keith Lionel Urbahn (now Urban) was born on October 26, 1967 in Whangarei, New Zealand.
Whangarei is New Zealand's northernmost city and is the major population centre of the Northland province. It is about two hours' drive north of Auckland, the country's largest city and metropolitan district.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Urban
FWIW, this author lives in Whangarei.
(psnz)
1 answer
May 26 24 by BigTriviaDawg
According to Guinness World Records, where and how long is the world's shortest street?
Would you believe just over 2 meters? Ebenezer Place in Wick, Scotland. Despite only being 6.75 feet long, the street does have 1 address for a hotel that has one door on the street taking up most of it. Shaq could cover the whole street and stick out at both ends...
[quote] Ebenezer Place originated in 1883, when 1 Ebenezer Place was constructed; the owner of the building was instructed to display a name on the shortest side of the hotel. It was officially declared a street in 1887.
Ebenezer Place was only recognised by the Guinness Book of Records in 2006, after the owner of the Mackays Hotel building made an entrance into a new bistro. It replaced the previous record of 5.2 m (17 ft), held by Elgin Street, Bacup, England. [/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Place,_Wick (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 26 24 by psnz
How many Australian Prime Ministers died in office in the 20th century?
Two to Three died in office: Joseph Lyons and John Curtin for sure. Harold Holt disappeared in December 1967 while swimming in the ocean. If he were still alive he would be 115 years old...so most likely dead! Joseph Lyons and John Curtin both died of heart attacks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Australia (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 26 24 by psnz
What is unusual about the star system TYC 7037-89-1?
Its gravitational complexity.
[quote]A recently discovered and spectacular six-star system, TYC 7037-89-1, possesses a gravitational complexity worthy of Rube Goldberg. Three separate pairs of stars orbit each other in typical binary fashion. But two of these pairs also orbit one another. The third pair, at a greater distance, orbits the other two pairs – the stars in each binary eclipse each other in turn from our point of view.[/quote]https://science.nasa.gov/universe/stars/multiple-star-systems/
To better understand this star system, the link above has a diagram that makes things (slightly) easier to understand. (psnz)
1 answer
May 26 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Where do giant spiral siphonophore live and how long can one get?
These animals live in very deep oceanic water:
[quote]"Praya dubia," the giant siphonophore, lives in the mesopelagic zone to bathypelagic zone at 700 m (2,300 ft) to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) below sea level. It has been found off the coasts around the world, from Iceland in the North Atlantic to Chile in the South Pacific.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praya_dubia
[quote]Giant siphonophores, like all siphonophores, are a collection of highly specialized working parts. Some parts catch prey, others digest food, some parts reproduce and others direct the action by swimming. This siphonophore is bioluminescent — it creates its own light. When it bumps against something, its stem glows with a bright blue light.[/quote]https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-siphonophore
These invertebrates can be up to 40m (130') in length, but are only about as thick as a broomstick handle. Their diet includes small crustaceans, fish larvae and small fishes. (psnz)
1 answer
May 25 24 by BigTriviaDawg
In botany, what things might be described as "rugose"?
Rough and wrinkled. Botanically it is particularly relevant to leaves like the one I have in the photo link below.
[quote] Botany. rough and wrinkled: applied to leaves in which the reticulate venation is very prominent beneath, with corresponding creases on the upper side. [/quote]
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/rugose
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159948224245778002/ (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 25 24 by psnz
What form of poisoning can result if the root vegetable cassava is not properly prepared?
Cyanide poisoning can happen if cassava is not properly prepared. The process of soaking and cooking cassava reduces the amount of cyanogenic glycosides present in the root.
[quote] Regularly consuming cyanogenic glycosides or eating them in high amounts increases the risk of cyanide poisoning. Cyanide poisoning is associated with impaired thyroid and nerve function, paralysis, organ damage, and even death. [/quote]
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cassava (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
May 25 24 by psnz
What is unusual about Mount Wingen in New South Wales, Australia?
It's on fire, and has been for about 6,000 years.
Just beneath the surface is a coal seam which has been smouldering for that length of time. The rate of burning is about one metre of the seam per year.
[quote]In its history, the seam has covered a total area of 6.5 km, making it the oldest continuous coal fire in the world.[/quote]https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/burning-mountain (psnz)
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May 25 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Is there a link between numbers in Turkish and in Nahuatl?
The linguist Georges Dumezil once said that the numbers 1 to 10 in Quechua and Turkish are related. [quote]Is there any truth in that?
it was the numbers 1 to 6, and more work is needed to investigate it: "Less well known is a series of four articles published between 1954 and 1957 on the Quechua language. After a trip to Peru where Dumézil naturally took an interest in local languages, he noted a curious resemblance between the names of numbers one through six in Quechua and Turkish. Upon analyzing these similarities and developing formulas concerning their relations he revealed a range of vocabulary shared by Quechuan and Turkish. This research has yet to be followed up [/quote] https://artificialintelligence4.quora.com/The-linguist-Georges-Dumezil-once-said-that-the-numbers-1-to-10-in-Quechua-and-Turkish-are-related-Is-there-any-truth-i-1
(chabenao1)
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May 19 24 by chabenao1
In what discipline is the Pritzker Prize awarded?
The Pritzker Prize is the top award for a living architect and is considered by some to be the "Nobel Prize" for architects. Jay and Cindy Pritzker founded the prize to help draw public attention to the lifetime achievements of architects. A committee of 8 people across the field of architecture and art come together to select the winner each year. The first winner was selected in 1979 and winners have been selected from around the world.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pritzker-Prize (BigTriviaDawg)
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May 24 24 by psnz
How many times would you have to fold a piece of paper to reach the moon?
What did Douglas Adams claim was the meaning of life? 42! Turns out that 42 folds will get a wad of paper thick enough to reach the moon! That's assuming that it would be possible to find a piece of paper big enough, and that you have the strength to make those folds.
[quote]If you could fold a piece of copier paper 27 times, it would be more than 13km thick. Mt Everest is just over 8.8km tall.
Incredibly, 42 folds would make the wad as thick as the distance from the Earth to the Moon! That's 384,400km.[/quote]https://www.cleverlearning.co.uk/foldingPaper.php
The above website offers an Excel workbook for download to help with the mathematics. It also discusses the very real point that the distance between the Earth and the Moon is not constant, but constantly changing.
Ah, the power of doubling! (psnz)
1 answer
May 24 24 by BigTriviaDawg
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