FunTrivia Sci / Tech Mix: Vol 17 Quiz

Answer: Sinkhole

Florida is called "sinkhole alley" but an underground cavity can collapse anywhere in the world where bedrock is soft, water is present or the surface weight, industry or traffic changes. Sinkholes can be a few feet deep or cover hundreds of miles. There are often warning signs weeks before a collapse.

Question by player Godwit

Answer: James Bond 9007

Czech astronomer Antonin Mrkos (1918-1996) discovered the asteroid on October 5, 1983. After he learned the assigned number ended in 007 he decided to name it James Bond. James Bond 9007 takes 3.89 years to orbit the Sun. Mrkos discovered more than 200 asteroids during his career. James Bond, code number 007, was a fictional spy created by writer Ian Fleming (1908-1964).

Question by player serpa

Answer: Glucose

This simple carbohydrate of glucose is an energy source or fuel, and is the main energy source for the brain. Therefore, if your blood sugar (or glucose) is low, your decision making may be impaired.

Question by player oldstuff28

Answer: Astronomy

Astronomy is a broad study of everything in the sky. It is one of the oldest fields of science.

Question by player musicgirl12

Answer: paraffin wax

Paraffin wax (sometimes called petroleum wax) is a soft white solid which is a byproduct of refining petroleum. Paraffin wax is a solid at room temperature and begins to melt at 37 °C/99 °F) melts completely into a clear liquid between 46 and 68 °C/115 and 154 °F).

In food preservation, it was used for many years to "seal" jars of preserves such as jam and jelly. The melted paraffin wax was poured onto the surface of the nearly full jars and, when cooled, formed a more-or-less airtight seal. When it comes to preventing microorganisms from contaminating food, "more or less" is not good enough and this process has been largely discarded and discontinued. Paraffin wax is still used to make shiny coatings for some kinds of candy and to coat cheeses such as Edam.

Question by player FatherSteve

Answer: Tanzanite

Tanzanite, named after Tanzania, the country where it was found, was introduced to the gem industry in the late 1960s. In its natural form, the mineral has red, brown and burgundy hues. Once the mineral is treated and enhanced, it becomes a beautiful blue, violet tone. The darker the blue, the more valuable the stone is.

Question by player milliesmall

Answer: Recognise faces

This is also known as "face blindness". It is a cognitive disorder in which the sufferer has a difficulty in recognising "familiar" faces. Even further, some may not be able to distinguish faces from objects. Some may not even be able to recognise their own faces. Generally, there is no link between the condition and memory loss, learning disabilities or impaired vision, rather, it is an issue with the right fusiform gyrus - this a fold within the brain that maintains controls of a person's facial perceptions. What causes it? It may be a congenital disorder at birth, a brain trauma or a stroke.

It may also be some form of neurodegenerative disease. In other words, it could be one of many things.

Question by player pollucci19

Answer: water displacement/ buoyancy force

A floating ship or any floating object displaces a lot of water. The displaced water exerts a force to return to its original position. This is the buoyancy force. It counteracts the force of gravity pulling it down. Archimedes correctly surmised that "Any object, wholly or partially immersed in a fluid is bouyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object." This is why a heavily loaded ship will ride lower in the water but still float, as long as water doesn't rush in over the sides and create more weight.

Question by player Nealzineatser

Answer: Iron and Magnesium

The word 'mafic' comes from a portmanteau of the words 'magnesium' and 'ferric'. Mafic minerals are typically silicate minerals or igneous rocks which are rich in magnesium and iron. Mafic rocks include basalt and diabase. Mafic minerals include olivine and pyroxene. Mafic rocks are usually dark-coloured and have a high density.

The region of Hawaii is rich in mafic rocks and minerals.

Question by player angikar

Answer: Red ochre

Ochres are non-toxic pigments that are easily used to make oil paints. Anhydrous iron oxide (Fe2O3) with small crystalline particles is reddish-brown in color, and is called red ochre. If the particles are somewhat larger, the color changes and it is called purple ochre.

The monohydrate (Fe2O3.H20) is called yellow ochre, while brown ochre has a partially hydrated crystal. There is no such thing as green ochre. Ochres are among the earliest known pigments used by humans, extracted from naturally tinted clay.

Question by player looney_tunes