Cool Zooms, Part LIII Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1940s

The Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) was founded in 1946 as the International Film Festival, officially adopting the newer name in 2002. It is held annually (usually in May) in the French Riviera city of Cannes at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès convention centre.

The event is by invitation only and is regarded as one of the "Big Five" film festivals, alongside Venice, Berlin, Toronto and the Sundance. The Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded, while the Grand Prix (Grand Prize of the Festival) is the second-most prestigious. The Cannes Film Festival is seen as important for showcasing European films.

Some 56 films were officially selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival which was initially postponed and then cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No awards were made in 2020. Previously, just three films had won both the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture: "The Lost Weekend" (1945), "Marty" (1955) and "Parasite" (2019).

Lights, camera, action! Phoenix Rising's psnz screened all the available information before producing and directing this question into the quiz.

Answer: Crossing bridges

Gephyrophobia is the fear of bridges. Some believe it is the fear of crossing a bridge but that is not the derivation. Nevertheless, people with this anxiety related fear show symptoms of light-headedness, dizziness, a racing heart: typical symptoms of a panic attack.
Some bridges in the US offer a service for the gephyrophobic by driving their car across the bridge for them.
Some famous people suffer from this order: In 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas", Lucy diagnosed Charlie Brown has having this disorder.

Question submitted by Phoenix Rising's resident gephyrophilatist who has been known to drive hundreds of kilometres off-course to view and cross bridges with architectural merit.

Answer: Sir Winston Churchill

The BBC commissioned the poll in which over 30,000 people put forward their nomination for the Greatest Briton of all-time for a 2002 television series entitled "100 Greatest Britons". The series included documentaries about the lives of those that made it into the top ten and viewers then voted after each one to determine the final order of that group. Sir Winston Churchill, the prime minister who led the country through World War Two as well as earning a Nobel Prize in Literature, received over 450,000 votes, around 50,000 clear of second-placed Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Third place went to Diana, Princess of Wales. The remainder of the top ten were an eclectic mix consisting of Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, Sir Isaac Newton, Queen Elizabeth I, John Lennon, Admiral Lord Nelson and Oliver Cromwell.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81, who is a Briton but sadly failed to make this illustrious list.

Answer: Germany

Kissinger was born in 1923 to a Jewish-German family in Furth, Bavaria in what was then the Weimar Republic. His family fled Germany in 1938 due to Nazi persecution, emigrating to the United States after a few months in London. He became a naturalized American citizen at the age of 20 after joining the US Army. Kissinger would later return to Germany as a counterintelligence operative with the charge of tracking down Gestapo officers and de-Nazification activities. After the war, he studied political science at Harvard, from whence he also subsequently obtained his MA and PhD degrees.

Kissinger would become a prominent figure in US foreign policy. He served as foreign policy advisor for the Nelson Rockefeller presidential campaigns of 1960, 1964, and 1968. Between 1969 and 1977, he served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford.

This question written up by Phoenix Rising's JCSon, who shares a love of the board game "Diplomacy" with Mr. Kissinger.

Answer: Dew

A drosometer measures the quantity of dew formed in a unit of time per unit area of surface. Dew is water droplets that condense from the water vapour in the air, onto cool surfaces, generally overnight, leaving grass and other surfaces with a layer of moisture. There is a temperature, called the 'dew point', at which this occurs.

Friction force is measured by a tribometer, fluid flow velocity by pitot tube and electric current by a galvanometer

Phoenix Rising member smpdit wondered if she had seen this question before but it was only deja 'dew'.

Answer: Bratislava

Bratislava is one of the newest national capitals. When Czechoslovakia split into two in during the Velvet Revolution in 1993 it became the national capital of Slovakia. It is not a new city though as it can trace its history back to 907 AD. It straddles the Danube River and is only 30km from the Hungarian border to the south and 6km from the city centre to the Austrian border in the west. Vienna, Austria's capital, is 70km away.

This question was floated into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who once had aspirations to be become the Minister for Tourism.

Answer: Larry

Named after Boston Celtics' power forward and Basketball Hall of Fame legend Larry Bird, Twitter's "Larry the Bird" is its signature blue logo.

Originally, the microblogging and social networking service just used "Twitter" as its original logo at the 2006 launch. Co-founder Biz Stone redesigned the logo several times with help from graphic artist Philip Pazcuzzo. It's no coincidence that Stone, who hails from Massachusetts, is a Boston Celtics supporter.

Phoenix Rising's psnz dribbled with this question before dunking it into the quiz.

Answer: Botswana

Tswana (or Batswana) are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group of Southern Africa. Bechuanaland was the name for the 'country of the Tswana'. Historically, this region was divided into the northern Bechuanaland Protectorate (established March 31, 1885) and the southern Crown Colony of British Bechuanaland (established September 30, 1885), so organized to limit the expansionism of Germany and Portugal and advancements by the Boers. British Bechuanaland was annexed a decade later by the Cape Colony and is now part of South Africa, while Bechuanaland Protectorate achieved independence to become the Republic of Botswana on September 30, 1966.

This question administered by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.

Answer: The Wrestler

"The Wrestler" introduces us to Randy, a faded wrestling star played by Mickey Rourke, trying to confront a life outside of the only workplace that he'd ever known, the ring. Marisa Tomei is Cassidy, a stripper who is in a similar situation to Randy, well past her prime. They form a bond but the relationship and their romance is difficult. Rated one of the best films of the year by numerous critics, it sparked a re-invigoration of Rourke's acting career and provided Tomei with her third Oscar nomination.

This question was pinned to the canvas by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Johnson assumed the presidency after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The oath was administered by U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes on Air Force One. It was also the first time a US President was sworn in on a plane. Over two dozen people, including Lady Bird Johnson and Jackie Kennedy, were crammed into the plane's stateroom as the engines were being powered up.

The days following JFK's assassination were indeed a sad time for much of the world - Phoenix Rising's mike32768, who provided this question, was just a lad at the time and can only recall seeing the procession with the caisson carrying the president's casket as he watched on a small black-and-white television.

Answer: 17th

King William III desperately needed money (over 1 million pounds) to fortify England's naval fleet after losing the Battle of Beachy Head to the French in 1690. The Bank of England was created in 1694 to overcome the inability to source funds elsewhere. Originally in Walbrook Street in London, the bank moved to its famous location in Threadneedle Street in 1734. The bank was nationalised by Clement Atlee's Labour Government in 1946 (a numerical anagram of its founding year!). The oldest recorded bank is Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena in Italy (1472) and the oldest in the UK is Child & Co (1664).

This question was deposited with hopefully some interest by MikeMaster99 who presumes that as the warden of the Royal Mint from 1696, Newton must have had some dealings with the nascent Bank of England.

Answer: Coriander

Part of the herb family Apiaceae, Chinese parsley is also known as coriander or cilantro. All parts of the plant can be eaten; however, the seeds, which are normally dried and roasted before use, are best ground fresh as the flavour can diminish when pre-ground. Coriander is used raw or added to food prior to serving as the leaves lose their flavour quickly once removed from the plant. The stalks and roots have a stronger flavour and are used in more robust cooking, especially in Thailand where they are ground to a paste for use in soups or curries.
The taste of the coriander leaves has a citrus tang, however some people have likened it to soap.
In the USA, the seeds of the plant are called coriander, the leaves are called cilantro.

Phoenix Rising's leith90, who has tasted soap in her misspent youth, plucked this question from the pile and tossed it into the quiz at the last minute.

Answer: Charlie Brown

Song-writing team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote "Charlie Brown" which was a top-ten hit for American vocal group The Coasters in 1959. In the film "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), students mock the surname of new teacher Richard Dadier (Glenn Ford), and it is thought that the line "Who calls the English teacher 'Daddy-o'?" is derived from this.

"Who walks in the classroom, cool and slow?
Who calls the English teacher Daddy-O?
Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown
He's a clown, that Charlie Brown
He's gonna get caught; just you wait and see
(Why's everybody always pickin' on me?)"

Retired teacher and Phoenix Rising member psnz is pleased that he never smelt smoke in the auditorium.

Answer: Jonathan Pryce

"Evita" is a musical that arose from the 1978 stage play of the same name which, in turn, was sparked by a concept album (1976) created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It focuses on the rise to fame of Eva Peron, her political career and her early death at the age of 33. Whilst Pryce was Juan Peron, Eva, his wife, was portrayed by Madonna. The film met with mixed critical responses.

For the Bond fans; Jonathan Pryce was Elliot Carver in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997), Mathieu Amalric was Dominic Greene in "Quantum of Solace" (2008), Jarvier Bardem was Raoul Silva in "Skyfall" (2012) and Mads Mikkelsen was Le Chiffre in "Casino Royale" (2006).

Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 was stirred, not shaken, into putting this question together.

Answer: USA

The National Tennis Championships of the USA was the precursor to the US Open. It was designated a 'Major' in 1924 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation. The event started in 1881 at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island and it has had a history of using different venues. In its early days it was also a fractured event which meant men's and women's tournaments were played at different venues in the same year. The Germantown Cricket Club is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This question was hit for six by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Baldrick

"Blackadder" was a sitcom that first aired between 1983 and 1989. There were four series made, each one set in a different historical period. The first series, "The Black Adder", was set in the medieval period during the reign of a fictional King Richard IV; "Blackadder II" took place at the court of Queen Elizabeth I; "Blackadder the Third" was set in the Regency period at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries; and "Blackadder Goes Forth" covered the First World War. The only two cast members to play the 'same' character in all four series were Rowan Atkinson as the titular Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as his servant Baldrick - who was best known for regularly pronouncing "I have a cunning plan". Other regular cast members who portrayed various different characters included Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Tim McInnerny.

Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 had the cunning plan to include this question in the quiz, with Fifiona81 just left with the job of implementing it.

Answer: Provenance

Provenance, as an English word, came into use in the 1780s and comes from the same word in French which means origin, production. Although it was originally used to describe the documentation needed to prove the origins and chain of custody of a work of art or historical object, it has now broadened to be used in archaeology, palaeontology, archives, manuscripts, printed books, science, and computing. The monetary value of a work of art is very much dependent on proving who the author, painter, sculptor, or artist was. The historical value of an object is very much dependent on proving where it came from, who made it, and during what time period it was made. In both cases provenance is used to describe the documentation used to prove these things.

Provenance became especially important after WWII when many paintings and other works of art were looted by the Nazis. Tracking down the rightful owners and the authenticity of a work became an extremely important task. Today the provenance of art is very important in dealing with objects coming from Iraq, Syria, and Africa after being looted during the wars in these places. Provenance also plays a role in Native American artifacts in both North and South America as well as many parts of Asia.

Providence means divine guidance, provender is food or victuals, and provident means prudent or frugal.

This question was carefully researched by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619 who then submitted a detailed provenance for the information provided.

Answer: Cayenne pepper

While Cayenne is the capital city of French Guiana, (a department of France in South America), it's not the national capital. It is the prefecture, the place in which administrative matters occur, and French Guiana itself is part of the European Union.

Cayenne pepper also misses out because it is classified as a fruit, not a vegetable - any seed-containing part of a plant is its fruit, and typical of other members of the capsicum genus, the seeds are contained within the edible pod. It ranks 30,000-50,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville scale - moderately hot. The word 'cayenne' is thought to derive from the Old Tupi (a language once spoken in Brazil) word 'kyynha', meaning 'capsicum'.

The lima bean's name comes from the Peruvian capital, Lima, with its origins thought to have been in the jungles of Guatemala. The first mention of Brussels sprouts, originally called 'Belgium cabbage', was in the mid-16th century. This small cabbage had been known for thousands of years however, and likely came from the Mediterranean region. Jerusalem artichokes are native to the central regions of North America and are in fact a sunflower variety. It was a staple food for North American pilgrims. Its name was thus thought of as a food in a 'new Jerusalem'; alternately, its name could be a corruption of the name of Ter-Heusen, Holland. A local farmer was known to have distributed his 'artichoke apples' throughout Europe.

This question about vegetables was appropriately picked from the bunch by Phoenix Rising member, VegemiteKid.

Answer: Nylon

Nylon is a synthetic polymer that is a thermoplastic in that it becomes pliable at an elevated temperature and then it sets when it is cooled. Nylon was first synthesized by Wallace Hume Carothers in 1935 at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. Shortly after nylon became used in clothing, particularly women's stockings, and during World War II nylon was used to make parachutes.

The company DuPont had originally intended to name their new polymer 'No-Run' but this name was scrapped as inevitably the product would run or unravel at some point. The company then came up with names that included the suffix 'on' to mirror other fibres like cotton and rayon. Eventually the name nylon was decided on after 'nuron' and 'nilon' were proposed.

There are at least two unsubstantiated urban legends regarding the origin of the name of nylon. One is that the name was coined by two chemists traveling from New York to London who then blended the cities' names to produce 'nylon'. The other is that the name is an acronym 'Now You've Lost, Old Nippon' as a jab at the Japanese.

This question was woven into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member Triviaballer who wonders if cotton was named as a blending of Cotswolds and Tonga.

Answer: Seychelles

The Seychelles (population: 98,000), is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1500km off East Africa. It was uninhabited prior to European settlement in the 16th century. The largest island, Mahé, contains the country's capital, Victoria. Seychelles currently (as of 2021) boasts the highest per capita GDP of any African nation. It is one of only two African countries classified as a "high-income economy" by the World Bank (the other being Mauritius).

Two of the other islands listed, Comoros (population 770,000) and Mauritius (1,286,000), are also in the Indian Ocean while Cape Verde (525,000) is in the mid-Atlantic.

Phoenix Rising's mike32768 often sees a guy selling flags down by the ocean. I wonder if that vendor sells Seychelles by the sea shore?