Little Black Project: Obsidian Objects Quiz

Answer: Black volcanic glass

Obsidian is black glass of volcanic origin, formed when lava cools off very rapidly. It is found almost overall in the world where some volcanic activity is present, and has been used especially for cutting tools: the cutting edge of an obsidian knife is much smoother than that of a metal knife, allowing thus for more precise cutting. Obsidian is also used as an ornament or in jewels.

(Question provided by JanIQ)

Answer: Bertie Bassett

Liquorice Allsorts were originally made by Geo. Bassett & Co. Ltd in England, after a salesman dropped a tray of sweets when showing the range to a client. They went back into the tray all mixed up, and the client thought it looked better as a mixture, rather than selling the different types of sweet separately. Bertie Bassett is the company's mascot, and is made of different allsorts forming a man's shape.

Liquorice (or licorice in the USA) is a black, sweet candy which has a distinctive taste a bit like aniseed; some people love it and others hate it. Some people find that it has a laxative effect, and eating too much of it can be bad for your health.

(Question provided by windrush)

Answer: Lumps of coal

Frosty the Snowman was first seen on a 1969 animated Christmas television special. It has been shown every Christmas since. The story is based on a popular song Gene Autry released on a 1950 record album:

"Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corn cob pipe and a button nose
And eyes made out of coal."

(Question provided by em1958)

Answer: Megatron

Originally from Marvel Comics, "Transformers" was produced as a television series in the 1980s. Heroic Optimus Prime and the villainous Megatron, and their finest soldiers, crash land on pre-historic Earth in the Ark and the Nemesis before awakening in 1985. Then they have major battles that continue through the franchise that made the toys were very popular. A series of movies appeared more recently. Megatron is depicted as a mainly black figure with some red highlights, particularly his eyes.

(Question provided by em1958)

Answer: Ward off evil

A black beckoning cat is said to protect its owner from evil and demons. Maneki-neko were traditionally white but nowadays can be found in all different colors and each color means something different.

(Question provided by Joepetz)

Answer: A phonograph record

Phonograph records were first invented in the 1880s and were the most popular way of playing pre-recorded music throughout most of the 20th century. From the 1940s onwards, records were generally made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which gave them their shiny black appearance and led to them commonly becoming known as "vinyls". In the 1980s, compact discs (CDs) began to replace records and far fewer of them are now made and sold, although they are still popular with some fans and collectors. They are also still used for music awards like the gold and platinum discs presented to artists whose songs sell a large number of copies.

(Question provided by Fifiona81)

Answer: Pool (Billiards)

The Magic 8 Ball is a hollow plastic orb designed to resemble the 8-ball from the game of pool, or billiards. The Magic 8 Ball is a toy designed by Mattel used for fortune telling, or seeking advice. The premise is for a user to ask a yes/no question before turning the ball over to reveal one of the twenty answers inside a standard Magic 8 Ball.

Pool is a game played on a pool table - a felt-covered table with six pockets into which a player attempts to hit the balls. Depending on the version of the game being played, balls are hit into the pockets in a particular order, colour, or pattern (big/small, spot/stripe, solid/stripe, etc - the names vary depending on where in the world the game is being played).

(Question provided by Lones78)

Answer: Black Sunglasses

Witches have traditionally been described as wearing a long black gown with black shoes and a black point hat. They are usually also accompanied by a black cat. To emphasize their wickedness, they are usually shown as being ugly. Witches are important characters in fairytales like "Rapunzel" and "Hansel and Gretel". Older children may also remember reading about them in plays like "Macbeth".

(Question provided by zorba_scank)

Answer: Aztecs

Tezcatlipoca was the main Aztec god. His name meant "smoking mirror". He was sometimes drawn with an obsidian mirror in place of his right foot; other times he was shown wearing a large obsidian mirror on chest and another in his headdress. Aztecs polished pieces of obsidian until they were shiny and reflected images. The mirrors were symbols of power and were believed to be a way to see and move between worlds.

(Question provided by pitegny)

Answer: A vintage car

The Model T, produced from 1908 to 1926 was the world's first mass produced car. It was sold over 15 million times. From 1915 to 1925, it was produced only in black because that color allowed the fastest production - the black paint dried faster. More than ten thousand Model T still exist today.

(Question provided by WesleyCrusher)