Are You a Genius? VII Trivia Quiz

Answer: Millennium Tower

The name is already outdated, Foster's tower was meant to be completed by the year 2000, but the project hasn't been entirely abandoned. Rumor has it that the project has once again seen new light, this time as a magnificent construct in Hong Kong Harbour.

It could take 10 years to build. The 800-meter high structure would be conical in shape and would contain everything from apartments to movie theaters, and would be nearly twice the height of the tallest buildings in the world.

Answer: Excited growth in young plants

Gibberellins are one of five classes of plant growth hormones, and are chemically related to terpines. They particularly work on stem growth and flowering in plants, you can thank them for your asparagus spears!

Answer: Genro

Old oligarchs such as Ito Hirobumi and Aritomo Yamagata pulled the strings behind the scenes, leaving the Meiji Emperor as a symbolic figurehead for the Japanese people. The success of the Meiji period reforms allowed Japan to become a 'first world' nation within several decades, but alas the militarists grabbed control of the national polity and drove Japan towards its disastrous World War II defeat.

Answer: Blizzard

The word 'monsoon' was originally derived from Arabic and means 'season', while 'tornado' is from the Spanish for 'thunderstorm'. The word Typhoon has two, alternate origins...one Greek (meaning 'violent storm') and one Chinese (meaning 'big wind). The specific origin of the word 'blizzard' is unknown, but it is known that the word came into general use around 1870 in the United States...and hence is considered a native of American English.

Some suggest that the word is onomatopoeic...the sound of a violent snow storm buzzing across ones ears, while others think it could possibly have come from the German word 'blizz' (fast), the same root used for the word 'blitzkrieg'.

Answer: The frenetic dance of Honeybees

Karl von Frisch was a Nobel Laureate in Medicine (1973) who specialized in the study of human and animal behavior. One of his most fascinating studies was that of honeybees. Worker bees who have successfully located a substantial food source will 'dance' as a way of communicating to their cohabitants in order to give them directions and distance...a spectacular form of insect communication!

Answer: Tanzania

Yes, I was surprised by this too! I always thought Turkey was larger than Tanzania, but the figures are, by area (sq. miles/sq. kilometers): Tanzania - 364,900/945,087, Turkey - 300,868/779,452, Thailand - 198,062/513,115, and Turkmenistan - 188,400/488,100.

Other, smaller 'T' countries include (in order of size): Tunisia, Tajikistan, Togo, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

Answer: Pope Joan

Pope Joan was said to have sat upon the papal throne for a little over two years, disguised as an Englishman named John Anglicus (John VIII) around the time that Benedict III held the position (855-858). Her true identity was betrayed one day when she gave birth to a child and she was subsequently stoned to death. Though the controversy as to whether Joan truly existed continues on, most experts believe it to be false...and substantial evidence has been presented backing this case.

Answer: Balzac

French novelist Honoré de Balzac, who wrote 'La Comédie Humaine', among other works, apparently couldn't get enough coffee...he drank it night and day. Well, perhaps he did get enough of it in retrospect...much more than enough! He seemingly didn't subscribe to the ancient Greek maxim, 'nothing in excess'.

Answer: Statue of Liberty

Anything constructed of copper and left to the elements will eventually develop a green incrustation, caused by oxidation. For the most part, in sculpture, a patina is seen as something attractive...and the Statue of Liberty's green appearance is no exception. While the Statue of Liberty is made of copper, the St. Louis Arch was constructed of stainless steel, hence it will never incur patination. Mt. Rushmore and the Washington Monument are both constructed of stone, and hence will certainly not develop patinas.

Answer: True

Some ancient Greeks of Athens, being the arrogant chaps that they were, considered all other languages to be nonsensical gibberish, a series of 'bars', so to speak. Thus the term 'barbarian' was bestowed upon the non-Attic Greek speaking peoples to generally identify them...and yes, the word had the same negative connotation it has today. Okay...I hope you enjoyed the quiz. If you did so, please feel free to have a look at my other mixed quizzes, which are very similar in nature. Thanks!