1 answer
Apr 30 24 by chabenao1
2 answers
Apr 30 24 by pehinhota
In birdwatching, what is meant by the term "kettle" or "kettling"?
Birds of prey like hawks or carrion birds like vultures are often called kettle birds as they use thermals to keep themselves hovering in the air. The act of circling on the thermals resembles a pot boiling, so the term kettle was used to describe the birds. The term kettling refers to a group of birds who are riding the thermals together. Of course, riding the thermal allows the birds to save energy by not having to flap their wings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettle_(birds)
https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2008/09/22/kettles/ (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 29 24 by psnz
Before postage stamps who paid for the mail to be delivered?
In some jurisdictions (parts of the world), it was the sender, whilst in others, the onus fell on the recipient.
Given that postage stamps originated in Victorian England (c. 1840), that will be the focus of this answer. In those times, before postage stamps, it was the recipient who paid, but that caused a significant problem:
[quote]...the costs of delivering mail were not recoverable by the postal service when recipients were unable or unwilling to pay for delivered items, and senders had no incentive to restrict the number, size, or weight of items sent, whether or not they would ultimately be paid for.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamp
Postage stamps solved those issues by requiring senders to pay in advance. (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 29 24 by BigTriviaDawg
How many rabbits are used in elephant stew?
This is actually a classic joke. Here is the recipe for elephant stew:
[quote]
INGREDIENTS:
1 elephant
salt & pepper
2 rabbits (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
First, cut the elephant into bite-size pieces. This will probably take about 2 weeks.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook over kerosene fire at 475-degrees for 8 days.
NOTES:
This will serve 1,360 people. If more are expected, add two rabbits. Do this only if necessary as most people don't like to find a hare in their stew.
[/quote]
( from https://vintage.recipes/elephant-stew/ )
So the answer to serpa's question is "2 rabbits" :-)
(gracious1)
1 answer
Apr 29 24 by serpa
How did the comma and question mark butterflies get their names?
The underside of their wings resembles the mark they are named after. So the eastern comma butterfly has a comma shape on the underside of its wing and the question mark butterfly has, you guessed it, a mark that resembles a question mark. I think the question mark is a bit harder to make out as it looks more like a connect-the-dots kind of question mark. Still, both are really cool!
https://www.natureblog.org/a-question-mark-a-comma-and-a-question-of-origin/ (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 29 24 by psnz
What is the origin of the word "Tory"?
Of Irish origins, to pursue or hunt.
A Tory is a supporter of the Almighty, the monarch and the country.
[quote]The Irish word "toruidhe" or "toruighe," meaning "to pursue" or "to hunt", is suggested as the origin for the term Tory. From the 1500s to 1600s, the term Tory first emerged to refer to the Irish who were dispossessed of their lands and took to the woods, forming themselves into bands that subsisted on wild animals and goods taken from settlers.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tory
From the mid-seventeenth century, "Tory" became a derogatory term for Irish Catholics who had lost their land. In the latter part of that century, the name transferred to the British political party which in the nineteenth century became known as the Conservatives.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/Tory (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 29 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Where and what was the Alpena-Amberley Ridge?
It was a dry land bridge connecting Michigan with Ontario, allowing caribou to travel between them. It was covered by water around 9000 years ago.
https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/lakehuron-arch/research/pre-historic-archaeology-on-the-alpena-amberly-ridge/ (satguru)
1 answer
Apr 27 24 by pehinhota
With reference to passenger boarding of planes, what does the WILMA method refer to?
WILMA stands for the plane seats "window, middle, and aisle! It is a method for boarding passengers onto the plane. Apparently, by boarding the window seat first followed by the middle, and then the aisle the airline is able to save 2 minutes of boarding time. The method does allow for families to still board together, so they won't be split up.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-air-window-seats-economy-class-board-first-wilma-plan/ (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 28 24 by psnz
Who owns and operates the Mount Graham VATT telescope in Arizona?
It must be a blessed telescope, because it's operated by the Vatican Observatory, in partnership with The University of Arizona. This gives new meaning to the term, "Holy See!"
VATT is an acronym for Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. This is a Gregorian telescope, designed by Scottish mathematician James Gregory in the 17th century, rather than named after one of the popes. The telescope operates in the visible and infrared spectra.
The observatory and telescope were built in 1993 and are situated on Mount Graham in the southeast of Arizona.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Advanced_Technology_Telescope (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 28 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What is remarkable about the largest seed in the plant kingdom?
The coco de mer seed is huge and about the size and shape of a woman's midsection. The plants are found on the Seychelles islands with the seeds weighing up to 30 kg! Due to the erotic shape and size of the fruit many throughout history have considered it to be both a forbidden fruit and an aphrodisiac. There is even a perfume made from the essence of the seed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legends_of_the_coco_de_mer (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 28 24 by psnz
What was most unusual about the Polish private Wojtek?
Wojtek was not human, but rather a bear!
Wojtek (1942-1963) was a Syrian brown bear ("Ursus arctos syriacus"). After being bought as a cub by Polish soldiers in Iran, he was enlisted as a private in the Polish Army before later receiving a promotion to corporal. After World War II, Wojtek spent the rest of his life in Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear) (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 28 24 by BigTriviaDawg
In Germany, what work is carried out by a "putzfrau"?
A domestic cleaning person, a housemaid. Putzfrau can also be male despite the gender of the word being feminine. On rare occasions, Putzmann can be used for male housecleaners. In English, the term putz is often an insult for someone who is not very bright.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/german-english/putzfrau (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 27 24 by psnz
What unusual performance enhancer was Thomas Hicks given during the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Marathon?
He received several doses of strychnine. WADA would certainly not approve these days!
The Wikipedia article referenced below describes the race as "bizarre" with poor organisation and officiating.
The race was won by American Frederick Lorz, only to be disqualified when it was found that he had hitched a car ride for part of the distance.
Thomas Hicks was the actual winner. His trainers had administered brandy, raw eggs and strychnine (a stimulant and also a rat poison) to him. Unsurprisingly Hicks was on the point of collapse and hallucinating when he finished the race.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1904_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_marathon (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 27 24 by BigTriviaDawg
In the 1990 film "Home Alone," whereabouts did Kevin and the McCallisters live?
The film is set in the Chicago suburbs. The actual house can be found in Winnetka, Illinois, about 15 miles outside of Chicago.
[quote] The house exterior scenes were filmed on location at a three-story single-family house located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the North Shore village of Winnetka, Illinois, where many of Hughes' previous films had also been shot, but at different houses. [/quote]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone
https://parade.com/1273571/kaigreen/home-alone-house/
(BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 27 24 by psnz
What did the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divide?
It divided the "New World" between Spain (Castile) and Portugal. In effect, this was the splitting of Africa and Central and South America to reduce or stop conflicts between the Spanish (Castilian) and Portuguese nations.
The Treaty was signed in Tordesillas, Spain, on June 7, 1494. Ratification followed in Setúbal, Portugal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 27 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What spice is also known as Chinese cinnamon?
It comes from the bark of a relative of Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) and is called cassia (Cinnamomun cassia). The Chinese version is more pungent and a preferred flavor by many to the Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia makes up one of the five spices traditional in Chinese cuisine with the others being fennel, cloves, star anise, and Sichuan pepper. Yum! In the USA cinnamon is usually not marked as either true Ceylon cinnamon or cassia. The volatile cassia oil is the aromatic part of the bark that gives it the distinct spicy flavor. Remarkably cassia oil only makes up about 1 to 2% of the total volume of the spice.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/cassia-spice
(BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 26 24 by psnz
Which magician was said to have once lived at the Mansion where the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded their album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"?
Harry Houdini.
[quote]The band sought to record the album in an unconventional setting, believing it would enhance their creative output. Rubin suggested the mansion magician Harry Houdini allegedly once lived in, to which they agreed.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Sugar_Sex_Magik
"The Mansion" was originally built in 1918 in the Laurel Canyon region of Los Angeles, California.
It had been once owned by Errol Flynn and rumours suggest that Harry Houdini had also lived there. It has since been used as recording studios for musicians such as Audioslave, The Mars Volta, Slipknot, Linkin Park and the aforementioned Red Hot Chili Peppers.
https://wiki2.org/en/The_Mansion_(recording_studio) (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 26 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Who is the person for whom the Statue of Unity was built to honor and why was it built?
The Statue of Unity honours Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (1875-1950).
Standing 182 metres in height (597 feet) this statue near Kevadia, Gujarat, India, is currently the world's tallest.
Patel was an Indian stateman and independence activist. He served as the first deputy prime minister of India.
[quote]"the world's tallest statue would remind the entire world, the future generations about the courage, capabilities and resolution of the person who did this holy work of thwarting the conspiracy to disintegrate Mather India into pieces," the prime minister said addressing a gathering after inaugurating the monument.[/quote]https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-dedicates-sardar-patels-statue-of-unity-to-nation/articleshow/66441981.cms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Unity (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 26 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What does the annual Songkran water festival celebrate?
It is the biggest yearly festival in Thailand marking the Thai New Year. The festival takes place each year from April 13th to April 15th. The focus is on family making a clean start to the year and most importantly throwing water on just about everyone you can find! Wan Nao is the old traditional New Year's Eve on the night of April 14th. On the 15th it is traditional to go to the local Buddhist temple and build a sand castle in honor of the Buddha. It is worth noting that the Thai use a lunar calendar so the date is based on the full moon which is the middle of the month, so the night of April 14th would be the full moon.
https://www.marshall.edu/international/events/songkran-festival/ (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 26 24 by psnz
2 answers
Apr 25 24 by psnz
Which countries have a double-headed eagle on their national flags?
Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia have double-headed eagles on their flags. The double eagle is a remnant from the Byzantine Empire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Albania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Montenegro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Serbia
(BigTriviaDawg)
2 answers
Apr 25 24 by psnz
What is the oldest surviving building in New Zealand?
The Mission House in Kerikeri, also known as Kemp House. Kerikeri is a township in the North Island's Northland province, north of Auckland City. Auckland is the country's largest city. Kerikeri is close to the Bay of Islands.
It is worth remembering that New Zealand is a comparatively young country, with significant European settlement only commencing around 1840 C.E. The Church Missionary Society of England built the Mission House in 1822.
The reference below has some interesting photographs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_House (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 25 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What is "Tencel"?
Tencel is a cellulosic fiber from wood pulp solvents that are recyclable. Tencel is used for everything from clothing to stuffing for pillows. The goal of the company is to make a substance that is as low impact to nature as possible. A very worthy goal.
https://www.tencel.com/about
(BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 25 24 by psnz
What snail has nature's hardest substance?
It is limpet sea snail and in particular, its teeth.
Goethite is an iron-containing nanofibre which limpet sea snails have reinforcing their teeth. It is the hardest biological product ever discovered.
These snails use their teeth to cling onto rocks as part of their feeding on lichen and algae. Naturally, their teeth are particularly strong to play this role.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a14184/snail-teeth-are-the-hardest-natural-substance/ (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 25 24 by BigTriviaDawg
2 answers
Apr 25 24 by serpa
2 answers
Apr 25 24 by serpa
What is the North African dish "shakshuka" made from?
Pure deliciousness! Shakshuka is poached eggs in a tomato base with olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic. Spices that are often added include cumin, paprika, and cayenne. The term 'shakshuka' in Arabic simply means 'mixture' which it is! Since tomatoes and peppers were brought back from the New World, this dish was not possible until the sixteen century and and later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakshouka (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 23 24 by psnz
Where is insulin produced in the body?
Within the pancreas, the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans secrete insulin mostly in response to blood glucose.
[quote]Beta cells in the islets of Langerhans release insulin in two phases. The first-phase release is rapidly triggered in response to increased blood glucose levels, and lasts about 10 minutes. The second phase is a sustained, slow release of newly formed vesicles triggered independently of sugar, peaking in 2 to 3 hours.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8232639/ (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 23 24 by BigTriviaDawg
Who was the Witch of Endor?
Contrary to popular belief the Witch of Endor was not a Star Wars character but rather an advisor to King Saul in the Bible to help converse with the deceased judge Samuel(1 Samuel 28). Interestingly, the origin of the word Endor is a circular well which was probably used to communicate with the dead since the deceased were thought to reside below the ground. It is rather interesting that Saul had rid the land of magicians and needed to go in disguise to talk the the witch of Endor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_of_Endor (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 23 24 by psnz
For what specific job was the Bullmastiff bred to do?
It was bred as a guard dog.
[quote]The Bullmastiff is an English breed of dog of mastiff type and large size, with a solid build and a short muzzle. It was developed as a guard dog in the nineteenth century by cross-breeding the English Mastiff with the now-extinct Old English Bulldog.[/quote]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullmastiff
Bullmastiffs were commonly used by gamekeepers who used the animals to protect against poaching. (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 23 24 by BigTriviaDawg
1 answer
Apr 23 24 by odo5435
What is the Japanese ukiyo-e art style?
Ukiyo-e art is beautiful wood block-style prints. Ukiyo-e translates into English as "pictures of the floating world" and refers to the district of Edo where the style became popular.
[quote] The ukiyo-e style was developed in 1765 and remained popular until the closing decades of the Meiji period (1868 – 1912). While only the wealthy could afford paintings by the artists of the day, ukiyo-e prints were enjoyed by a wide audience because they could be produced quite cheaply and in large numbers. [/quote]
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/japanese-woodblock-prints-ukiyo-e (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 22 24 by psnz
Which remarkable thing did Velma Thomas of West Virginia do for 17 hours?
Velma Thomas was in cardiac arrest for 17 hours and managed to survive the event.
Her near-death experience is sometimes also known as "Lazarus Syndrome."
In 2008, Velma Thomas' heart stopped, not once, but three times. She was taken to hospital with all the symptoms of a heart attack. With no measurable brain waves, Thomas was considered clinically dead.
After being disconnected from life support, she came back to life.
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4923465&page=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_syndrome (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 22 24 by BigTriviaDawg
1 answer
Apr 22 24 by psnz
Which ant was recently discovered in Pilbara Western Australia?
"Leptanilla voldemort."
It seems somewhat surprising that despite thousands of years of exploration, mankind is still discovering new species on earth.
This ant species is named after the Harry Potter villain. It seems that the ant has some things in common with its namesake.
The ant is pale in colour and has a slender build with a ghostly appearance. The ant also prefers to live in the shadows.
https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/article/2024/april/new-species-of-ant-found-pottering-under-the-pilbara (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 22 24 by BigTriviaDawg
What does the title of the film "Blood Diamond" (2006) refer to?
'Blood diamonds' are mined in rebel held areas of a country and the proceeds are used to purchase weapons and resources to militarily overthrow the legitimate government of the country where they are mined. This has caused significant hardship and deaths in the civilian populations of many of the countries where the practice exists.
When polished, the diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from legitimate gems and buyers are unaware of their provenance. Diamond dealers such as De Beers Consolidated Mines came under pressure from the U.N. to properly document the source of their stock purchases and (some say) the global trade has significantly decreased since the 1990s.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the earliest use of the term was in 1999 in 'Press Release Foreign & Commonwealth Office.'
https://www.britannica.com/topic/blood-diamond
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/blood-diamond_n?tl=true
(odo5435)
1 answer
Apr 22 24 by Thesuperyoshi
Who was the first person to walk around the perimeter of the Australian mainland?
Technically no one has, as there are many remote sections with no paths or over private land that make a true walk around the perimeter almost impossible. However, from 1921 to 1924, a fellow by the name of Aidan de Brune did manage to follow a route reminiscent of the present day National Highway 1, which is the closest one can get to circumnavigating the country by road (the path he took is shown in the picture in the second link).
He departed from Sydney in an anticlockwise direction, stopping by all the major coastal ports on all four coasts, and walking about 16000km before returning to the same point 2.5 years later.
This wasn't his first rodeo, having earlier walked from Fremantle (Perth) on the west coast to Sydney on the east coast - a distance of about 4500km.
He also kept a diary detailing the distance walked and towns called-in at. He donated this to the State Library of New South Wales - I shall have to give this a look one day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_de_Brune#:~:text=Aidan%20de%20Brune%20(17%20July,of%20Australia%2C%20unaccompanied%20and%20unassisted.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1b668ik/a_map_showing_the_route_that_aidan_de_brune_took/#lightbox (patrickk)
1 answer
Apr 21 24 by odo5435
What is the meaning of the Maori hill named Taumata near Porangahau?
The name of this location is a contender for the longest placename in the world.
It is "Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu" (often written without the spaces.)
The meaning translates as:[quote]"the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater', played his flute to his loved one."[/quote]https://www.newzealand.com/nz/feature/the-longest-place-name-in-new-zealand/
This unassuming hill can be found in the Hawke Bay region of the North Island. Locally, it is just known as Taumata Hill. (psnz)
1 answer
Apr 21 24 by BigTriviaDawg
On her 81st birthday, what phrase did Dame Judi Dench have tattooed on her wrist?
She had the words "Carpe Diem" meaning seize the day which she says is her motto in life. The tattoo was a birthday gift from her daughter. Dench considered many options before settling on her favorite motto. Robin Williams's character John Keating would be proud!
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36673739 (BigTriviaDawg)
1 answer
Apr 21 24 by psnz
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