Silence Is Golden Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iron Pyrite

When I was five or six years old, we had a gravel driveway made with local crushed granite. One day I came running into the house with ten or twelve small stones from the driveway. I went straight to my father, proudly beaming, and saying: "Look! Look! Dad, we are rich. Look at all the gold we have from the driveway". My father, a mining engineer, proceeded gently to educate me on the differences between iron pyrite and real gold. Talk about deflation and disappointment! He then took me to a prospecting friend's home who had in his possession some beautiful gold nuggets and samples in quartz. I still see those nuggets in my mind's eye.

Answer: Placer Mining

Gold nuggets are usually created when the surrounding rock has been worn away generally by water erosion. The nuggets are frequently found when panning for gold or in crevices. Also, gold is a very malleable mineral; if several pieces are in close contact, they will meld together through pressure.

The largest nuggets on record are from Australia. The 'Welcome Stranger' nugget was discovered at Moliagul, Victoria, Australia in 1869. The gold mines of Northern Ontario where I worked had gold in granite which was not susceptible to water erosion; therefore, nuggets are a rarity.

Answer: rhodium

According to About.com: "It's an industry standard that all white gold used for jewelry is plated with rhodium. Why rhodium? It is a white metal that somewhat resembles platinum, forms a strong bond over the gold alloy, takes a high shine, resists corrosion and oxidation, and is well-tolerated by most people".

Source: http://chemistry.about.com

Answer: Aries

Ancient Greek mythology is fraught with murder, betrayal, cannibalism and all sorts of bloodletting in violent and unbelievable manner. This holds true with the story of Aries, the golden winged ram. Briefly, Phrixos and his twin sister Helle were to be offered as a sacrifice to Zeus.

The golden ram, Aries, carried them to the land of Colchis. Horrors of all horrors, on the way Helle fell into the sea and drowned. Upon arrival, Phrixos sacrificed Aries to Zeus (talk about a guilt complex) and presented the golden fleece to his father-in-law, the King of Colchis.

The fleece was then hung upon a sacred oak and guarded by a dragon which never slept. Then along came Jason and his Argonauts. Zeus was so touched by the fate of Aries that he made Aries into a constellation.

A truly golden tale!

Answer: Aristotle

In Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics" and "Eudemian Ethics", he taught that the virtuous course of action or behaviour was between two extremes, and with this action one would achieve happiness. First, one is to find one's equilibrium. Second, one's equilibrium is personal and not necessarily the same for another. Third, the equilibrium is between two extremes or vices. Several examples hopefully will suffice. 'Bravery' is the mean between 'rashness' and 'cowardice'. With regards to sexual activity, the mean would be temperance and the vices would be 'total abstinence' and 'nymphomania'. I leave with you with three difficulties. First, is it possible for one to be truly happy, always experiencing the vice/extreme? A second difficulty is that there are some activities which do not have a mean such as telling the truth. Either you tell the truth or you do not, and telling only part of the truth is not telling the truth.

The third: who determines what the virtues and vices are? How can one not help but enjoy philosophic mental gymnastics?

Answer: South Africa

According to the business magazine "Business Cornwall" (May 25, 2010), Mponeng, owned by Anglo Gold Ashanti, is part of the old Western Deep Levels Complex, near Johannesburg, South Africa, and is the deepest gold mine in the world. At its deepest point, the mine is 4.1km below surface.

The mine employs thousands of people, along with workers for Savuka and TauTona, which are located nearby. What is interesting for me is that they use robots to do the underground surveying, which was once a manual process.

Hello computer chips!

Answer: AU1

Auric Goldfinger had the memorable licence plate "AU1". The Periodic Table of Elements lists 'gold' as 'Au', which is the abbreviated Latin word for gold, 'aurum'. An unforgettable scene in the movie is the golden death of Jill Masterson, played by Shirley Eaton, for her dalliance with James Bond. Shame! Shame! For this indiscretion, Goldfinger has her skin painted in gold and she supposedly dies from 'skin suffocation'.

A golden end! This was the third "James Bond" movie, for those that are keeping a count.

Answer: Prince of Morocco

"The Merchant of Venice" (II, vii) - Portia, a lovely rich woman, is being sought by many suitors. Her deceased father had written in his will that she will marry the man who picks the casket that holds her image. Ah, William don't we just love your plots? One casket is gold, one is silver, and the last is lead.

The Prince of Morocco picks the gold one. He is stunned to see a picture, not of Portia, but of Death. This message is found inside: "All that glisters is not gold; Often have you heard that told.

Many a man his life hath sold, But my outside to behold. Gilded tombs do worms enfold".

Answer: British Columbia

The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1880s through the Rocky Mountains required camps to be maintained. Each camp had an esprit de corps. In attempt to outdo a camp to the east of Kicking Horse Pass which called itself Silver City, the name Golden City was chosen. Later it was shortened to Golden.

There was NO gold in 'them thar hills' to which the name could be referred. Originally the main economic activity in this eastern side of the Rockies in the Columbia Mountains was logging.

Modern Golden advertises itself as jump off point for extreme outdoor adventure: hiking, river rafting, horseback riding, heli-skiing, hang gliding, downhill skiing, and ice-climbing. The region has some of the most stunning pristine wilderness in Canada with glaciers and mountain lakes and national parks.

Answer: Egyptian

It was believed by ancient Egyptians that the gods had skins of gold. Therefore, only the pharaohs wore gold, symbolizing their godly status. Eventually priests and the nobility wore gold too. This gold was carried into the tombs of the kings and nobility, which led to the looting of the graves!