Thematic Sci/Tech Trivia

1. Mercury is primarily obtained from the ore cinnabar. In addition to being the main source of mercury, cinnabar is also used to obtain which red pigment?

From Quiz Hi Ho Quicksilver!!

Answer: Vermillion

Cinnabar is a brick-red ore of mercury-sulfide. Grinding cinnabar into a powder is the primary method of obtaining vermillion, and was originally discovered as a by-product of mercury mining. Because the process of producing vermillion was recognised as being toxic, efforts to find easier and safer ways of producing the pigment were under way as early as the 4th century BC, when the Chinese found a method of making synthetic vermillion. By the 17th century, a method had been devised where mercury and melted sulfur were mashed together, then heated to produce vapour that was then condensed, then treated with alkali and washed to remove the sulfur before being ground, producing the pigment. This method remains the primary means of producing vermillion today.

From Quiz Give An Inch And Take A Mile

Answer: Hand

Tony Hand was perhaps the most talented hockey player ever to come out of Scotland, and began his British Hockey League (BHL) career with Murrayfield Racers in 1982. In 1986 Hand was drafted by Edmonton Oilers of NHL and attended training camp alongside such greats as Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mark Messier and, as part of his Canadian experience, played three games for junior Western Hockey League's Victoria Cougars, in which he scored eight points. The Oilers were impressed enough to offer Hand a one year contract, but homesick for Scotland he declined the offer and returned to play for Murrayfield. A hand is a unit of measurement, often used to measure the height of horses and it is the equivalent of four inches.

From Quiz Elementary My Dear

Answer: Lithium

"Lithium" was from the hugely successful "Nevermind" album which also featured "Come As You Are" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". "Nevermind" was the first Nirvana album to feature Dave Grohl on drums. It topped album charts in many countries when it was released in 1991 as well as charting well worldwide when the 20th anniversary deluxe edition was released in 2011. The symbol for lithium is Li.

From Quiz Seasoned with Saltpeter

Answer: China

Gunpowder was the only known chemical explosive until the mid-1800s. China is said to have discovered gunpowder in the 9th century CE with a written recipe being dated to 11th century China.

From Quiz Ten Things I Like About Calcium

Answer: Christopher Eccleston

Christopher Eccleston took on the role of the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series "Dr. Who". The BBC network decided it would be a good idea to air the series once more on the 40th anniversary of the show, however, due to delays, the first series was started only in 2005. Eccleston was the doctor for one series only, the first of the 2005 relaunch of the show. He was born after the series had originally aired, November of 1963. The Doctor is a Time Lord who travels time and space seemingly at random in his attempts to avert crises that could occur. He travels using a machine called TARDIS and is able to regenerate into a new body when 'killed'.

From Quiz Crazy About Carbon

Answer: Total amount of greenhouse gases caused by a person or group's activity

Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) are said to contribute to global warming. As they enter the atmosphere, they prevent thermal energy from the Sun from leaving. This effect is said to be dangerous as it melts the ice caps, thus raising the sea levels. This increases the warming of oceans, slowing the cycling of water that cleans oceans and promotes marine life. The oceans also absorb carbon dioxide as carbonic acid, and this acidifying may damage ecosystems. Scientists have projected several negative outcomes for the planet, one being a huge rise in sea levels if the glaciers melt, if this problem is ignored.

From Quiz Give An Inch And Take A Mile

Answer: Link

Link is an iconic hero, always ready to battle evil forces and explore new lands while collecting anything that may assist him on his quest and performing good deeds for anyone that may need his help along the way. His bravery, compassion, determination, and wisdom know no bounds, much to the relief of the residents of Hyrule, whom he saves time after time. A link as a measurement is based upon an old land surveying tool, called a Gunter's chain, which was a metal chain 66 feet long with 100 links. One link therefore was sixty six hundredths of a foot, or 7.92 inches (20.11 cm).

From Quiz Elementary My Dear

Answer: Silicon Valley

San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley, which took its name from the high number of silicon chip manufacturers in the area along with the many "dot.com" businesses that are headquartered there such as Apple, eBay, Google, Netflix and Facebook. Si is the symbol for silicon.

From Quiz All About Fever

Answer: a tick's bite

The rickettsial bacterium causes the disease but the bite of the Dermacentor tick (the so-called "vector") is what introduces the infection into affected animals. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is not at all limited to the Rocky Mountains region of the United States; it appears throughout North and South America (though not in Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, and Alaska). The disease continues to be potentially fatal but in much smaller percentages since the introduction of tetracycline (doxycycline) and chloramphenicol.

From Quiz Seasoned with Saltpeter

Answer: Mongol

Gunpowder was possibly first used against Europeans by the Mongols at the Battle of Mohi in 1241. The losing side was the Kingdom of Hungary. The battle proved decisive, although what part gunpowder played in this is unclear.

From Quiz Ten Things I Like About Calcium

Answer: Akashi, Japan

Maruo Calcium Co. makes calcium carbonates mostly as a paint extender and a plastic filler, but also as food and beverage supplements and a sealant. The company was founded in 1926 as the Maruo Seifun Goshi Company in Akashi, Japan. Only in 1963 did they become the Maruo Calcium Co., but, by then, they had expanded their business to Osaka and Nagoya as well.

From Quiz Brought to You by Sodium!

Answer: Knight to a3

Na3 is the chemical name for three atoms of sodium. The Sodium Attack got its name from this. In the move, the white knight is moved first.

From Quiz Hi Ho Quicksilver!!

Answer: Heat

Caloris Planitia is one of the largest impact basins in the Solar System, with a diameter of approximately 1550km. Caloris is believed to be between 3.8 and 3.9 billion years old, and was formed as a result of an impact between Mercury and an object of around 100km in diameter. Discovered in 1974 during the mission of Mariner 10, Caloris was named for the word 'calor', the Latin for 'heat', as a result of the fact that the Sun is directly above the basin every second time that Mercury reaches perihelion, which is the closest approach to the Sun in its orbit.

From Quiz Give An Inch And Take A Mile

Answer: Clove

Kretek cigarettes are by far the most popular cigarette available in Indonesia and the name "kretek" comes from the crackling sound made by the burning cloves. Kretek cigarettes contain about two thirds tobacco and one third minced dried clove buds, which have been shown to numb the back of the throat of users, leading to a diminished pharyngeal reflex or "gag reflex", which can be a cause of choking. A clove was a 13th century British measurement of weight, equal to seven pounds, if weighing wool but eight pounds if dealing in cheese.

From Quiz Elementary My Dear

Answer: London Palladium

The Royal Variety Performance is an annual charity fundraiser attended by members of the UK royal family featuring comedians, musicians and magicians. It has been held since 1912, when it was attended by King George V and has seen acts as diverse as Laurel and Hardy, The Bolshoi Ballet, Kanye West, The Shaolin Monks, Ozzy Osbourne and The Beatles perform for royalty. Pd is the symbol for palladium.

From Quiz All About Fever

Answer: WKRP

Dr. Johnny Fever was a burned-out hippie disc jockey who hit bottom and bounced into WKRP in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was fired from his gig on a LA rocker for saying "booger" on the air. He adopted numerous personas on his way down: Johnny Duke, Johnny Style, Johnny Cool, and Johnny Midnight. When WKRP changed formats from MOR to rock-and-roll, he led them to number one in the Cincinnati market. Actor Howard Hesseman got the part, in part, because he had been a DJ.

From Quiz Ten Things I Like About Calcium

Answer: Your muscles

An ion channel is a protein that is found in the membrane of a cell that controls the voltage difference and its change from the inside to the outside of a cell. A calcium channel is a specific protein of this kind that is particularly receptive to calcium ions, and helps contract your muscles, among other purposes (this would be an L-type calcium channel). While I've seen the fireplace channel and the aquarium channel, I have yet to see a calcium channel on television.

From Quiz Crazy About Carbon

Answer: Both are made up of only carbon atoms

The fact they are both made of carbon is almost where the similarities end. Diamonds are a hard substance (the hardest on the Mohs scale), while graphite is soft. Graphite is an electrical conductor, diamond is an insulator. These, and other differences, are due to the way carbon bonds with them. In graphite, layers are two dimensional, with a weak bond 'up' and 'down' between other layers, allowing movement. In diamond, a more three-dimensional structure is created which is rigid.

From Quiz Hi Ho Quicksilver!!

Answer: Mariner

Mariner 10 was launched in November 1973 as the final mission of the Mariner programme. The primary purpose of the mission was to make close observations both of Venus (which had been visited by a number of previous spacecraft) and Mercury. Mariner's proposed trajectory would also include a gravitational slingshot, using Venus's gravitational field to alter the spacecraft's flightpath and allow it to intercept Mercury. Mariner 10 made its first flyby of Mercury on 29 March 1974, taking photographs of the planet's dark side. After looping around the Sun, Mariner 10 made a second flyby on 21 September with its cameras on the planet's southern hemisphere. A third and final flyby occurred on 16 March 1975, when the spacecraft passed over the planet's north pole. On 24 March 1975, the spacecraft made an unprogrammed pitch turn, indicating that it had exhausted its supply of maneuvering fuel. At this point, the spacecraft was signalled to switch off its transmitter, ending the mission. No further missions to Mercury were undertaken until 2011, when the MESSENGER spacecraft entered the planet's orbit, spending a total of four years making observations before it was ordered to crash onto Mercury's surface.

From Quiz Give An Inch And Take A Mile

Answer: Batman

Batman is an incredibly popular comic book superhero and has been so right from the start. His appearance in "Detective Comics 27" was so well received that by 1940, he had his own comic book which was originally published quarterly but later became bimonthly and eventually monthly. During that time he has battled foes such as Poison Ivy, The Riddler, The Joker and The Penguin, coming out on top most of the time. The batman was used in the central Ottoman system of weights and in the early 1800s was equal to six okas, or 16 lb 8 oz. By 1931, the Turkish system of weights was metrified, making the oka worth exactly one kilogram, and the batman became ten okas, or ten kilograms.

From Quiz Elementary My Dear

Answer: The Irons

The nickname "The Irons" comes from the club's original name of Thames Ironworks Football Club; it was formed in 1895 as the works team of the largest shipbuilder on the River Thames. The club disbanded in June 1900, but reformed in less than four weeks as West Ham United. The symbol for iron is Fe.

From Quiz All About Fever

Answer: Robin Cook

Robin Cook, MD, specializes in a subgenre of fiction called the medical thriller. It blends medical science with action-adventure. His success is demonstrated by his thirty-three published titles. "Fever" combines the very personal story of a cancer researcher whose daughter is diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia and a recycling corporation which illegally dumps cancer-causing benzene in the local river.

From Quiz Seasoned with Saltpeter

Answer: By imports from India

Saltpetre was supplied from the north-west Indian state of Gujarat during the 17th century. France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Britain all established saltpetre refineries in India during the 18th century.

From Quiz Crazy About Carbon

Answer: One linked pair, one unlinked

Three blind mice correspond to the three slots. It can be stolen from Moth Slashers (the mechanic robots on spiked balls in Shinra's HQ) or buy them at Costa Del Sol. Other than that, the armour is unspectacular, but there's carbon even referenced in video games, so there it is.

From Quiz Kick up the Arsenic!

Answer: Signora Toffana

She is reputed to have been responsible for the deaths of over 600 people. She sold her 'Agua Toffana' or Water of Toffana as a cosmetic, in vials with the picture of a saint on them. Her customers were generally wives using the 'tonic' to kill their husbands. She was executed in Naples in 1709.

From Quiz Hi Ho Quicksilver!!

Answer: Deke Slayton

In January 1959, Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton, a US Air Force test pilot, was selected as one of the first group of seven astronauts. In the same year, during a centrifuge run, doctors noticed that Slayton had a slightly irregular heartbeat, and was diagnosed with Idiopathic Atrial Fibrillation, although he was kept on flight status. Selected to fly Mercury's second orbital mission in mid-1962, Slayton began preparing for the flight he planned to name as 'Delta 7'. However, two months prior to launch, he was replaced by his back-up, Scott Carpenter. Although initially disqualified from the one flight, NASA's management elected to keep him medically disqualified. To compensate, he was first made Chief Astronaut, serving as the link between the astronauts and management, before being appointed as Director of Flight Crew Operations, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the training and crew selection of astronauts. In 1971, after several years of trying different treatments for his heart condition, Slayton was examined by doctors at the Mayo Clinic, having not suffered any irregular fibrillation for some time. This examination cleared him to return to flight status, and he finally flew in space as the Docking Module Pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975.

From Quiz Give An Inch And Take A Mile

Answer: Horse

Binky is the horse ridden by Death in the "Discworld" series of novels, and is described as "a large, magnificent white horse, white not as snow but as milk, because milk has more life than snow." Binky was Death's third horse, as he tried a skeletal horse, but bits kept falling off, and also a fiery black horse, but he was so fiery that he often set light to his bedding. A horse as a measurement is used in the sport of horse racing, where a race is won by a (horse) length, which is the equivalent of eight feet or 2.4 metres. In close races, this is shortened to a neck, a head or a nose.

From Quiz Elementary My Dear

Answer: Silver

From 1933-1938, the Lone Ranger rode a horse called Dusty, then in the episode entitled "The Legend Of Silver", he rescued a wild horse from a buffalo attack and this horse chose to give up its wild life and become the Lone Ranger's steed. This horse was named Silver, which has a chemical symbol of Ag. Dusty is not an element in the periodic table.

From Quiz All About Fever

Answer: John Travolta

Driven by the music of the Bee Gees, "Saturday Night Fever" was a hugely popular movie in 1977. John Travolta danced his way from fame as TV's Vinnie Barbarino on "Welcome Back, Kotter" to further fame as the king of the disco dancers. The story was based on a magazine article by British writer Nik Cohn entitled "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night." The disco craze impacted music, dancing, clothing styles, and hair styles. The film was parodied in the album "Sesame Street Fever" in which Grover plays the Tony Manero part and Bert, Ernie and Cookie Monster sing for the Bee Gees.

From Quiz Seasoned with Saltpeter

Answer: Guy Fawkes

This event is better known as the Gunpowder Plot and is celebrated to this day as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night on the 5th November each year, though the leader of the conspiracy was Robert Catesby. The plot was discovered before the conspirators could blow up the House of Commons. It was Guy Fawkes who was found guarding the 36 barrels of gunpowder found under the Houses of Parliament and it is he, rather than Catesby who is popularly seen as the leading conspirator.

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Last Updated Aug 08 2026 5:52 AM

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