And as the Lights Went Out... Quiz | Thematic Fun

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which story, by Arthur C. Clarke, ends with this line? "...overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."

Answer: The Nine Billion Names of God

Written in 1953, "The Nine Billion Names of God" is set in a Tibetan monastery. It is thought that Clarke was inspired by an old legend that says that Buddhist monks will play the 'Towers of Hanoi' puzzle game until the world ends as they finish.
The story won a Hugo Award, retrospectively, in 2004.

2. Which line completes these lyrics? "And the lights all went out in Massachusetts, The day I left...."

Answer: Her standing on her own

"Massachusetts" was released by the Bee Gees in the UK in 1967, and was their first number one hit. It spent seventeen weeks on the UK Singles Chart.

3. "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime." Which English politician and statesman uttered these famous words?

Answer: Sir Edward Grey

Sir Edward Grey was the 1st Viscount Fallodon, and the great great grandson of Charles, the first Earl Grey.
He served the longest 20th century tenure as Foreign Secretary in the British Parliament, when he served for exactly eleven years from 1905. He made his most famous statement in a speech about the outbreak of World War I, and it is for that one remark that he is most remembered.

4. Which song by Guns N' Roses has these lyrics? "Now I see the stars alright, I wanna reach right up and grab one for you, When the lights went down in your house, Yeah that made me happy"

Answer: So Fine

"So Fine" was released worldwide on the "Use Your Illusion II" album, in 1991. Along with the 'sister' album "Use Your Illusion I" they took both the number one and number two slots in the US Billboard Album Chart.
"So Fine" is one of the few Guns N' Roses songs not to feature Axl Rose on lead vocals; it was both written and sung by Duff McKagan.

5. This short story by Isaac Asimov tells of the population of a planet lit by six stars. Because of this, it is never dark, apart from once every 2000 years or so. During the time of darkness, the people react madly and light fires in a frenzy to create light, thus destroying their civilisation. Which story is this?

Answer: Nightfall

"Nightfall" was first published in 1941, in "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine. In 1990 Asimov collaborated with Robert Silverberg and turned it into a full length novel, and also updated some of the plot elements.

6. One way of saving energy and 'going green' is to turn out the lights in unoccupied rooms. Another tip is to fit low energy light bulbs. These use much less electricity over their life time, but have one drawback in that they contain a poisonous substance. What is this substance?

Answer: Mercury

Compact fluorescent bulbs or tubes can use as little as one tenth of the electricity of a regular bulb, and last up to eight times as long, under optimum operating conditions.
All fluorescent lamps contain a small amount of mercury, and if this is not disposed of properly, it can cause problems. Mercury bioaccumulates, or builds up in the body of someone who is exposed to it. It is also a poison if it gets into the environment, such as when the bulbs end up in a land fill site. Proper disposal of long life (and other fluorescent lamps) is essential to prevent mercury pollution.
Within the European Union, there is a legal requirement to ensure the bulbs are disposed of correctly.

7. The term "The Dark Ages" is no longer much used by academics, and when it is, it tends to refer to a specific period of the early Middle Ages in Europe, from about 400-500 to 1000 AD. Which 14th century scholar coined the phrase and wrote "Amidst the errors there shone forth men of genius, no less keen were their eyes, although they were surrounded by darkness and dense gloom."?

Answer: Petrarch

Petrarch, or Francesco Petrarca to use his full name, lived from 1304 - 1374. He was Italian by birth, and moved to France with his parents as a child, then as an adult travelled extensively in Europe. He is sometimes described as 'the first tourist' and the 'Father of Humanism'.
A team of researchers from the University of Padua opened Petrarch's tomb in 2003, and it was discovered that although various evidence made it likely the skeleton was his, the skull was not.

8. During World War II, in England, a blackout was enforced to ensure all the lights from towns and cities were hidden. This was to make it harder for enemy bombers to find their targets. Blackout regulations were enforced by ARP Wardens, who were all civilian volunteers. What did ARP stand for?

Answer: Air Raid Precautions

The ARP Wardens were given a tin helmet and an armband by way of their uniform, and as well as enforcing the blackout, their duties included firefighting and crowd control around the air raid shelters, and in the streets in the event of a raid/bombing.
They were often assisted by teenage (14-18 years old) volunteer message runners. These children would run or bicycle through the blackout to carry messages wherever they needed to go.

9. American radio show "Lights Out" was described by its creator, in "Variety" magazine, as "a midnight mystery serial to catch the attention of the listeners at the witching hour." Who was the creator and first presenter?

Answer: Wyllis Cooper

The first series' episodes of "Lights Out" were just fifteen minutes long and only aired on one small local station in 1934. The programme caught on and its popularity grew. It was eventually broadcast until 1947, on several different stations, and the episodes were lengthened to half an hour.
Later episodes, from 1942 onwards used the catchphrase "It is later than you think" spoken in a spooky voice.

10. The 1968 film "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?" starred Doris Day and Patrick O'Neal. It was set during the major blackout of 1965, when millions of people in the north east United States, and parts of Ontario, lost their electricity supplies. However, the film was actually based on a French play by Claude Magnier. Which play?

Answer: Monsieur Masure

Magnier wrote "Monsieur Masure" in 1956. The screen play for "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?" was written by Everett Freeman and Karl Tunberg.
Although there were numerous writers, Tunberg was the only one to be credited with working on "Ben Hur", and he was nominated for Academy Awards for two of his many screenplays.

Source: Author Rowena8482

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

And as the Lights Went Out... Trivia Quiz

Some instances of lights going out and blackouts from literature, film, history and music.

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