Omega Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mega

A megalith from the Greek "megas" + "lithos" = a large stone. These large stones, usually unwrought, were used in prehistoric architecture to build walls, fortifications, tombs, and monuments. The earliest examples of megalithic architecture are found in Turkiye, in Göbekli Tepe, where the excavations unearthed a Neolithic settlement from 9,000 BCE. Among the most famous megalithic structures are the fortifications in Mycenae in Greece, Stonehenge and Avebury in England and the Megalithic Temples in Malta.

Megalithic walls are often called Cyclopean walls because their size is so massive that only someone with the strength of a Cyclops would be able to lift them.

Answer: Micro

The word is microbrewery, from "micro" + "brewery" from the verb "to brew" to prepare a beverage by fermentation, mixing or boiling. The verb had its first use in the 1500s and comes from Old English "breowan," from Proto-Germanic "breuwan," from Middle Dutch "brouwen," from the PIE root "bhrew" to "boil, burn, bubble."

A microbrewery is a small, artisanal brewery that produces 15,000 barrels or less of beer per year and sells its beer locally. Microbreweries are based on the enthusiastic, innovative, and adventurous approach of their owners who experiment with ingredients, brewing methods, and original marketing of the product. They have tours, and tasting rooms and host events, even weddings and parties at the breweries.

Most such microbreweries can be found in countries with a long-standing beer-brewing tradition, like Scotland, England, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, and Australia, but they have found their way in other markets such as the Mediterranean Islands in the summer where beer-tasting is competing with the customary wine-tasting tradition.

Answer: Mega

The word megaron is derived from the word "megas" and either the noun "arouri", meaning Earth, or from the verb "airo", meaning to rise. In this way, the word megaron etymologically means that which rises in a great way above the Earth. Initially, it meant the main hall or room of a Mycenaean palace complex, the "King's Room" where the throne was situated. It was of grand proportions with a portico, a vestibule, and a hearth in the center of the room which had an opening (oculus) in the ceiling to let the smoke escape. The most famous examples are in the two Mycenaean palaces in Tiryns and Mycenae.

Nowadays, the word megaron often describes a large and significant building that houses public functions, such as musical or theatrical performances, cultural events, conventions, or exhibitions.

Answer: Micro

Microencephaly, or micrencephaly, comes from the Greek "micros" + "encephalon" = small brain. It is a congenital condition in which the brain hasn't developed properly during pregnancy.

This abnormality results in numerous neurological and developmental challenges the severity of which varies among the individuals. The general symptoms and conditions include smaller than normal head, intellectual and developmental disabilities, motor impairment, seizures, and distinct facial features. Since there's no cure for this condition treatment of the individual relies mainly on supportive care, speech, and physical therapy, medication for the seizures, and psychological support. Equally, life expectancy depends upon the severity of the conditions and the individual.

The terms microencephaly and microcephaly (small head) are not interchangeable since a small head does not necessarily mean a small brain.

Answer: Mega

A bit is a contraction of "binary digit," and it represents the fundamental unit of information in computing and digital communications. It was first introduced by Claude Shannon, an American mathematician and electrical engineer, in his groundbreaking paper titled "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," published in 1948. Shannon himself attributes the term "bit" to American mathematician and statistician John Tukey who had coined the term in his lab in 1947.

The unit is used to define the speed and capacity at which digital information is transferred between computers, network systems, and telecommunications.
The megabit, "mega" + "binary unit", is a multiple of the bit, namely 1000000 bits. The symbol for the megabit is Mb. 1000 kilobits equal a megabit and 1000 megabits equal a gigabit.

Answer: Micro

A microbe, from the Greek "micro" + "bios" = small life, is an organism, a life form that is too small to be seen without the use of a microscope. It is composed of a single cell or a colony of cells with a nucleus. Microbes come in a variety of shapes and forms and can be harmful or beneficial to humans and animals. They are harmful because they cause diseases and beneficial because they can be used to cure diseases or partake in productive industrial processes. The family of bacteria includes fungi, bacteria, protozoa, algae, and archaea, some scientists even accept viruses as microbes but as a general rule, they are not included.

The possible existence of living organisms not detected by the human eye dates back to 6th century BCE India, but the ground was broken with Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of the microscope in the 1670s. With experiments and observations, scientists were able to attribute diseases such as typhus, cholera, tuberculosis, and diphtheria to microbes and discover the weapons to fight them with, namely antibiotics.

Microbes are present in the fermenting of alcoholic beverages, the production of cheese and dairy, and chemicals other than antibiotics that are used in pharmacology, medicine, water treatment, and warfare.

Answer: Mega

The word megalomaniac comes from the Greek "megalo" + "mania" = great obsession. Megalomania is described as a psychopathological condition, a narcissistic personality disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur, wealth, power, and the ability to succeed in everything. The persons afflicted by the condition consider themselves powerful and invincible and do not recognize their limitations and shortcomings.

Megalomaniac dictators were people like Adolf Hitler in Germany, Idi Amin in Uganda, or Nicolai Ceausescu in Romania who behaved almost god-like to their people. Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Genghis Khan can also be placed among the megalomaniacs of human history, even though, they are considered military geniuses.

Answer: Micro

Micronesia is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. The name comes from the Greek "micros" + "nesos" = small island because it is comprised of around 2100 small islands, which include the Federated States of Micronesia, the Gilbert Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Marshall Islands. The archipelago of Polynesia is to the southeast and that of Melanesia is to the south.

The islands are inhabited by different ethnic groups, such as the Chamorros, Palauans, Yapese, Chuukese, Kosraeans, and Pohnpeians, among others, which exhibit a linguistic diversity that they preserve alive and vibrant through the oral tradition of storytelling and the transmission of ancestral knowledge from one generation to the next.

The economy of the islands is based on fishing, agriculture, and tourism and, more recently, efforts have been made by the governments of the area to explore the service sector, areas like information technology, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. The biggest challenge that the islands face is the impact of climate change, invasive species, deforestation, and the level of obesity among its population.

Answer: Mega

A megaphone, from the Greek "mega" + "phone" = large voice, is a portable handheld apparatus that is used to amplify the human voice and guide it in a specific direction. Megaphones also go by bullhorns, blow horns, and loudspeakers and they can be either acoustic or electric.

The history of the megaphone dates back to the late 17th century when Samuel Morland and German Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher invented crude megaphones out of copper. The term "megaphone" was first used by Thomas Edison in the 19th century when he developed a device to aid the hard of hearing. Over time, its use expanded to various fields such as in the military, to transmit orders and commands during battles and drills, public safety, sports events, and political rallies.

With its cone-shaped design, the megaphone captures and projects sound waves, enabling the user to communicate effectively over long distances. Its portable and versatile nature has made it an indispensable device for crowd control, public announcements, and organizing large gatherings, ensuring clear and audible communication in a range of settings. To this day it is the most practical means of addressing crowds in an amplified manner.

Answer: Micro

The atmospheric conditions that develop locally over a small area and in general differ from the conditions that prevail in the surrounding larger geographic area constitute a microclimate, from the Greek words "micro" + "klima" = small slope, zone.

The variables in a microclimate include temperature, rainfall, wind or humidity, sunlight, shade, and the presence or lack of vegetation, topography, the quality of the soil, and the elevation of an area. A microclimate can involve a very small area such as a garden, park, or valley, or a larger one such as a city, forest, or coastal region. The different types of microclimates in reality form the general climate of the larger area.

There are different types of microclimates depending on the geographical regions and they are formed naturally or with human intervention, especially in urban areas or areas of extensive farming and agriculture. Some examples of microclimates are those of uplands and lowlands, coastal regions, plant microclimates, urban heat islands, smog, etc.

One very interesting example of microclimates is in Peru. The country has 90 different microclimates spread over the coastal regions, the Andean peaks, and the Amazon rainforests with the floral and faunal diversity.