Let's Compare Trivia Quiz

Answer: Einstein

Sir Isaac Newton, who lived from 1643 to 1727, was the English scientist who, after pondering why apples always fell straight to the ground upon detaching themselves from the tree, discovered and explained the principle of universal gravitation or gravity as we commonly refer to it. The theory was presented in his 1687 work, "Principia", which is considered to be one of the most influential and important works in science. In this book, the theory of universal gravitation is described as "any particle of matter in the universe attracts any other with a force varying directly as the product of the masses and inversely as the square of the distance between them."

Newton's work was an influence on another great scientist, the German physicist, Albert Einstein, who is probably one of the greatest scientists of all time. Einstein, who lived from 1879 to 1955, has an immense body of work, but probably the discovery that had the greatest impact on the development of modern physics as we know it, is his discovery of the theory of general and special relativity. His own description is still the best 'non-technical' explanation of this complex theory I've ever come across. He said: "Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it feels like a minute; sit on a hot stove for a minute and it feels like many hours. That's relativity".

Answer: Apple

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" is one of the most popular English fairy tales. It tells the story of a golden haired little girl who enters the forest home of the Three Bears while they are away and tests their furniture, eats their porridge and then falls asleep in one of their beds before the bear family return and find her there. However, when the story was originally written by Robert Southey, the Lake Poet, based on an old oral folk tale, Goldilocks wasn't even in it. The original trespasser was an ugly old woman with silver hair. Southey's story was first published in 1837 in his book, "The Doctor", with the title "The Story of the Three Bears". Since then there have been two further versions of his tale, the second replacing the old woman with a silver haired young girl. The third version changes the little girl to Goldilocks. This is by far the best known and popular version.

"Snow White" is the German fairy tale first published by The Brothers Grimm in their 1812 book "Grimm's Fairy Tales" where it was simply known as Tale 53. The Grimm Brothers continued to revise the story until the final version was published in 1854. The story gained widespread popularity after Disney released their 1937 animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". But, not to forget how the apple fits into the story. Well, the apple is a poisoned one which is given to Snow White by her stepmother, the Evil Queen, who is jealous of her and who tricks Snow White into eating the poisoned half. Snow White then falls into a deep coma until she is magically awoken by a handsome young prince. Quite how and when this happens depends on which version of the story is being read or watched. One thing is constant in all versions though. You guessed it; they marry and live happily ever after.

Answer: Drums

When you hear the guitar sing on such hits as "Hey Joe", "Voodoo Chile", "All Along the Watchtower" and "Purple Haze", it is not hard to understand why Jimi Hendrix's name has become synonymous with the guitar and why he is widely regarded as one of the best guitarists the world has ever seen. What is also astounding is that this creativity all happened within a four year span. James Marshall "JImi" Hendrix was born in Seattle on 27 November 1942. A self taught guitarist who started playing at the age of 15, he was a session musician before finding worldwide acclaim. On 18 August 1969, he played the final set at Woodstock. One year and one month later on 18 September 1970, Jimi Hendrix died at the tender age of 27.

Richard Starkey was born in Liverpool, England on 07 July 1940 and had a childhood marred by extensive health issues and hospital stays. It was during on of these that his love of drumming was born. So, in August 1962, it was no mean feat for Ringo Starr, as he was then known, to join the trio of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison in The Beatles as a replacement for their original drummer, Pete Best, who had been fired. At his first gig, he remembers fans shouting "Pete forever! Ringo never!". However, he persevered and went on to become one of the best known drummers of all time. In 2018, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his services to music. To what does he attribute his unique drumming style; " simply being left handed in a right handed world".

Answer: Petal

In botanical terms, a tree is defined as any woody, perennial plant that grows a self supporting, elongated stem or trunk and which usually has secondary limbs called branches. The term tree is not a taxonomic term, but rather a grouping of different species based on their appearance. Trees have been around for about 370 million years and are called the "lungs of the world". This is because their branches contain appendages called leaves. The job of the leaf is to undertake photosynthesis which creates energy and oxygen for the plant. For this, they need water, sunlight and carbon dioxide. A leaf is then simply any green part of a plant that contains chlorophyll.

A flower is the reproductive structure founds in plants and are usually distinctive in colour and shape. If you have ever walked round a garden, you will have noticed the variety of shapes and colours that flowers come in. The range is staggering, but, little or large, they all have the same function, to ensure the reproduction of the plant through the production of seeds. The bits that give flowers their colouring and shape and which surround the reproductive parts are called petals. Petals are actually modified leaves and their job is to attract pollinators to the plant and the flower.

Answer: Genesis

The Book of Genesis in the first book of the Christian Bible and the first of the Old Testament. The word genesis means beginning or origin and this book tells of the earliest times; of the creation of the world and all living things by God in six days, of the fall of Adam and Eve and the introduction of sin into the world. It is also a record of important early events such as the Flood and the establishment of the Abrahamic covenant and details the origins of the Jewish people.

The Book of Revelation is the opposite. It is both the last book in the Christian Bible and the last book in the New Testament and tells of the last days before Christ's return and the dawn of a new earth and heaven.. The word revelation comes from the Koine Greek word "apokalypsis" which means unveiling or revelation; "that which is uncovered". The book is the only apocalyptic text in the New Testament and is considered to be the culmination of prophecies about the end times that thread their way through the Old Testament.

Answer: Musketeers

Robin Hood, legendary outlaw, robber of the rich and provider to the poor. Is he fact or fiction? The debate still rages. What is known is that the story of Robin of Locksley and his faithful band of followers, known as The Merry Men, is one of the best-loved English folklore tales. He starting cropping up in folklore in the late 13th to early 14th century with his first known literary mention coming in 1377. Since then, his ongoing feud with the Sheriff of Nottingham where he is ably supported by Little John, Will Scarlett, Much the Miller's Son, Friar Tuck and the minstrel Alan-A-Dale, not to mention the love of his life, Maid Marion, has been the subject of many a ballad, book and film.

"One for all and all for one!" is the famous rallying cry made by the three musketeers who, together with their newfound friend, D'Artagnan, try to outwit the evil Cardinal Richlieu. This swashbuckling tale is the work of Alexander Dumas (Pere) who wrote the 1844 novel, "The Three Musketeers". It tells the story of the young country boy, D'Artagnan, who comes to Paris in the hope of joining the Musketeers of the Guards. Things do not quit pan out from him, but he meets three of the most indomitable members of the corps, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. A rocky start to their relationship which includes three duels soon changes to firm friendship and he becomes the 'fourth musketeer'. The novel spawned two sequels, namely the 1845 "Twenty Years After" and "The Vicomte de Bragalonne: Ten Years Later" which was serialized between the period 1848 to 1850.

Answer: Babylon

The Great Wall of China starts at the Shennai Pass on China's eastern Bohai Coast and meanders its way across what was Imperial China's northern border for an astonishing 21 196.18 kilometres before ending at the Jiayo Pass in the Gobi Desert. It is a series of fortifications that were originally built as a shield against marauding nomads from the Eurasian steppes. The process of connecting the ancient fortification into a unified wall was started by China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang around 220BC. It took over 2000 years to complete and is the single largest man made structure on earth. In 2007, UNESCO declared it to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

From a new wonder to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in Hellenic culture; the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon which were situated near the palaces of King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The Hanging Gardens which were said to be magnificent to behold, were not actually hanging, but consisted of a series of stepped rooftops gardens that were laid out on ziggurat terraces and watered from the Euphrates River. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon still divide historians and scholars today as they are the only one of the Ancient Wonders of which no physical trace has yet been found.

Answer: Ear

This analogy is a case of the biggest and the smallest. The femur, which is also known as the thighbone, is the longest and strongest bone of the 206 bones that make up the adult human body. It is the only bone found in the thigh and runs from the hip to the knee. The average length of the adult femur is around 50cm in length and consists of two rounded ends with a long shaft in between. This bone is crucial for movement and stability within the body. Not only does it support the body's weight, but it also connects a myriad of muscles, tendons and ligaments from the hips and the knees to other parts of the body.

Compare this to the stapes which is one of the tiny bones found in the human middle ear and whose average size is 3mm by 2.5mm. Stapes is the Latin name for what is also known as the stirrup due to its bell-like shape and which is the innermost bone in the ear. Together with the malleus (hammer) and incus (anvil), the stapes forms what are known as the ossicles. Their job is to assist in conversion of vibrations into nerve signals by sending them to the cochlea.

Answer: James Bond

Number Six is the unnamed character who was the central figure in the 1967/8 TV series "The Prisoner". Although the original series only ran for 17 episodes, it was considered groundbreaking in that it crossed genre boundaries, being part spy thriller, part science fiction and it became a cult classic. The eponymous hero is a former government agent who, when he resigns his job rather suddenly, is abducted and taken to The Village, an isolated community that is actually a prison. There he is allocated the designation Number Six. The role of Number Six was played by Patrick McGoohan, who was also the co-creator of the series.

"The name is Bond. James Bond." James Bond, codename 007, is probably the most famous fictional spy in the world. A former Royal Naval Reserve Commander, he is a secret agent who works for British Intelligence MI6 and has a license to kill. The character was created by author Ian Fleming and first appeared in his book, "Casino Royale", in 1953. As Fleming had worked for Naval Intelligence during World War II, he stated that he had created Bond as a composite of many of the agents he came across during that time. However, Fleming gave his character the name James Bond after an American ornithologist who wrote "Birds of the West Indies" because he wanted a dull name. James Bond became a global name when the first film based on Fleming's books "Dr No" was released in 1962 with Sean Connery as 007.

Answer: London

The Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Elizabeth Tower with its Great Clock of Westminster and huge bell, Big Ben, in London are two of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. It's hard to imagine either city without their iconic structures. The graceful, wrought iron lattice 330m tall tower that Gustav Eiffel designed and constructed over a two year period from 1887 to 1889 as the centrepiece for the 1889 World Fair in Paris was never meant to be a permanent structure. However, after initial criticism, it captured the hearts of the Parisian people and so it stayed. It is still Paris's most visited landmark. "La dame de fer" or the" Iron Lady" as she is called in Paris is the tallest structure in the city and was declared a "monument historique" in 1964.

The neo-gothic splendour of the Elizabeth Tower with its famous four-faced clock and its sonorous bell, Big Ben, stands proudly at the north end of the Palace of Westminster and is one of the most iconic sites of London. Strictly speaking, it is only the huge bell, which weighs 13.5 metric tonnes that is named Big Ben, but the name has become widely used for the Elizabeth Tower and the Great Clock of Westminster. The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin and was completed in 1859. In 2012 the tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee, Big Ben tolls every hour on the hour and its resonant chimes have been used by the British Broadcasting Corporation as its daily time signal since 1924.