FunTrivia Sci / Tech Mix: Vol 18 Quiz

Answer: Opium

Laudanum was a cough suppressant which contained opium; it sometimes contained cinnamon, cloves, or honey as well. Mary Lincoln and the poet Coleridge both became addicted to it. It was cheaper than other depressants such as alcohol, because its tax was lower.

In the nineteenth century, before such substances were regulated, it was commonly used to help ease the pain of cramps or diarrhea.

Question by player garrybl

Answer: head

If you picked "foot", you're not too far off. Mechanical head is measured in units of "foot pounds force per pound mass" by American (i.e., U.S.) engineers, though this is usually shortened to "feet of head."

Question by player LordRayleigh

Answer: Spectroscopy

There are several types of spectroscopy, most of which involve the use of electromagnetic radiation. The most popular types are UV-Vis spectroscopy, in which the radiation is either in the visible or ultraviolet range, and IR spectroscopy, in which the radiation is in the infrared spectrum.

In addition to these common forms of spectroscopy, many other variants, such as acoustic spectroscopy, are also used in scientific research.

Question by player pagea

Answer: Francium

With a symbol of Fr and an atomic number of 87, Francium is the second rarest element on earth. The first is astatine. Highly radioactive, it was discovered in 1939 by French physicist Marguerite Perey (1909-1975). Interestingly, Marguerite was a student of the famous Marie Curie.

Question by player Creedy

Answer: Approx 29 and a half days

The lunar equivalent of an Earth day is the time taken to make a complete rotation around its axis with respect to the Earth. With respect to the stars, it takes the moon almost 27 days and 8 hours to make a complete turn around its axis. However, the Earth itself has moved on its journey around the sun so the moon must turn a little more to reach the same phase as seen from the Earth.

The average time for that is 29 days, twelve hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds. It is an average time because the Earth speeds up and slows down on its journey around the Sun because its orbit is not circular.

The lunar day is marked by the length of time between new moons.

Question by player Spontini

Answer: Necropsy

A necropsy involves the same process as an autopsy, but in this case it is performed on an animal to try to determine how or why it died. The body is opened to check the organs and if necessary these can be sent to the laboratory for a biopsy.

Question by player Tekka

Answer: John Langdon Down

Down's Syndrome, which is also known as Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused due to the presence of all or the part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It occurs in about one per 1000 babies born each year. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British doctor who fully described the syndrome in 1866.

Some aspects of the condition were described earlier by Jean-Etienne Dominique Esquirol in year 1838 and Edouard Seguin in 1844. Those with Down syndrome nearly always have physical and intellectual disabilities and, as an adult, their mental abilities are typically similar to those of an 8 or 9 year old child.

Question by player LoveAnimals555

Answer: Take their pulse

Atrial fibrillation refers to the chaotic pulsation of the heart's upper chambers. Digoxin works to strengthen the heart beat and regulate synchronisation. The normal heart rate (pulse) for the average adult, should be between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). If the patient's pulse is below 60bpm, digoxin should not be administered.

Question by player Rigwe

Answer: A cat-like cry

The condition is very rare but effects all ethnicities. Its name is French and refers to the cat-like cries of affected children. Other symptoms include facial disfigurements which often change over time, low birth weight and behavioural problems such as hyperactivity.

It is possible for families with a history of Cri du chat syndrome to have genetic testing to find out how likely future children will be born suffering from this disorder.

Question by player xceltickissesx

Answer: Phosphorus

Phosphorus, despite having the "F" sound when pronounced, is the one represented by the symbol P. Platinum is represented by Pt, plutonium uses the symbol Pu, and potassium is represented by K, from the Latin kalium.

Question by player Spaudrey