FunTrivia Sci / Tech Mix: Vol 28 Quiz

Answer: Carl Wilhelm Scheele

Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) was a German and Swedish Pomeranian pharmaceutical chemist. Strangely enough, although Scheele first identified it from sour milk, lactic acid has no connection with dairy, and is in fact 100% vegan. All the wrong answers are actors who portrayed another famous scientist, Albert Einstein, on film or TV.

Question by player Quiz_Beagle

Answer: Edwin Hubble

Hubble's book, The Realm of the Nebulae, was the first to describe the spiral galaxy. That is, one which sits on a flat, rotating disk. The Milky Way, our own galaxy, is a spiral galaxy.

Question by player timence

Answer: Hertz

Hertz discovered microwaves and Marconi developed radio waves into radio telegraphy, while the credit for discovering visible waves of light goes to Newton. The frequency of microwaves is between 10^11-10^7 Hz and they have a wavelength range of 10^8-10^12 nanometers.

It can be used for cooking, radar communication and for analysing atomic and molecular structure.

Question by player remote9

Answer: Melanin

Hair colour is determined by the presence of melanin in hair follicles. Each hair grows for three years or so and is then shed and replaced by a brand new hair. As we age, these new hairs will probably have less melanin in them than the old hair resulting in a less vibrant colour. Eventually they become almost transparent and look grey. Grey hair is not inevitable however as other factors such as ethnicity can have a big effect.

Question by player Spontini

Answer: Asteroid or comet impact

Earth is fortunate in that our sun lies in a fairly peaceful and isolated part of its galaxy. There are no nearby stars that are threats to explode in a supernova or emit a gamma ray burst that could destroy civilization as we know it, at least not in the next few hundred million years. Asteroid and comet impacts are another matter.

It is generally accepted that it was an asteroid impact that resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago. A similar event today would almost certainly have dire consequences; even if mankind did not go extinct, civilization as we know it would cease.

Question by player daver852

Answer: earlobe

The earlobe is made of cartilage and skin and is part of the outer ear. The other parts of the ear are known as the middle and inner ears. The earlobe serves two purposes -- to warm the ear and to help with balance. The earlobe is still the most commonly pierced body part, although other locations have become more common. Ear lobes tend to get bigger with age. An old wives' tale attributed to sailors explains why they traditionally only pierced one ear.

This was due to a belief that you'd then have better hearing in the non-pierced ear.

Question by player stashamaria

Answer: Obsidian

Obsidian is formed when magma with a high silicon content cools. It is generally black but can also be dark green or brown. It's found in areas with a history of volcanism from Iceland to New Zealand. As well as jewellery, obsidian can be used for cardiac surgery. Obsidian scalpel blades can be created with an edge of only 3 nanometres.

Question by player Tizzabelle

Answer: Sequoia

The sequoia is a member of the cypress family and more common names for the Sequoia sempervirens tree include the Coast Redwood and the California Redwood. These trees can live as long as 2,200 years. They include the tallest of all trees on Earth. Their height can reach up to 379.1 feet (115.5 meters) and their diameter can be as large as 26 feet (8 meters).

Question by player funnytrivianna

Answer: Waterspout

A waterspout is a funnel shaped vortex which forms over sea, lake or river, and usually attached to a cumulus cloud. It is classed as a tornado if it crosses over to land.

Question by player Plodd

Answer: Reed grass

Calamagrostis is more commonly known as reed grass or small reed. It grows mainly in regions of the world with a mild (temperate) climate. Scientifically Calamagrostis is a genus in the grass family Poaceae, with ca. 260 species.
The word "calamagrostis" is derived from the Greek word kalamos (reed) and agrostis (a kind of grass).

A tufted titmouse is a cute North American songbird. However, it is not a perennial, which is a plant that lives for more than two years.

A brown tufted capuchin monkey is definitely not a plant either. It is to be found in Central and South American rainforests, semi-deciduous lowlands and mountains.

Cacti can be defined as perennials, and some have tufts, but they prefer hot and dry environments, like deserts.

Calamagrostis is a great word! My grandmother used it as a mild curse, when she was angry, because you can say it with such power!

Question by player premananda1382