Cool Zooms, Part VI Trivia Quiz

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to lead the First US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, popularly referred to as the "Rough Riders", in the Spanish-American War (1898). Colonel Roosevelt's charge up Kettle Hill during the Battle of San Juan Heights in Cuba earned him the Medal of Honor (Army) some 103 years later - not without some controversy. His son, BG Theodore Roosevelt III, received the same honor as the first general ashore during the Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944, one of only two father-son pairs to do so (the other is Arthur MacArthur Jr. and his better-known son, Douglas MacArthur). President Roosevelt (1901-09) won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the Treaty of Portsmouth which concluded the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05). What didn't "Teddy"/T.R. do? Not only was he the consummate soldier, politician, and statesman, he was also a respected conservationist, naturalist, and writer - and a true American original.

Question submitted by Humanist. I will resist signing-off in an "oh, so clever" way!

Answer: Borneo

The proboscis monkey is a smallish omnivore endemic to the jungles of Borneo. They are arboreal in habit but are also considered the most prolific of swimmers amongst the primates. The males use their oversize noses that give the species their name (and which the females do not develop) to attract a mate. Considered by some inhabitants of Borneo to be a delicacy, and threatened by loss of habitat, the species is under threat; however, it is hoped that as they are currently protected from hunting or capture in Borneo, the numbers will increase in due course.

This question was nosed out by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid, also a possessor of a formidable proboscis.

Answer: Adam Sandler

The movie was panned by critics and was labelled "the worst movie ever made". It won the Raspberries for Worst Movie, Worst Actor AND Actress (Sandler), Worst Supporting Actor (Al Pacino), and Worst Supporting Actress (David Spade playing Monica, a former schoolmate). It also won Worst Director, Screenplay, Couple, Ensemble, and the wonderfully named Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel.

This question scripted by ozzz2002, who likes raspberries (in a fruit salad).

Answer: Crème brûlée

Baked Alaska, Eton mess, and pavlova all contain meringue as a primary ingredient. Baked Alaska consists of cake and ice cream, covered in meringue and then baked till the meringue is coloured, but not so long that the ice cream melts. Eton mess is made from strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed meringue all mixed together. Pavlova is a dessert of fierce argument. It is composed of a meringue (marshmallowy OR chewy in the middle), whipped cream (just the right amount), and topped with fruit (MUST have passion fruit OR not). It is named for the famed ballerina Anna Pavlova and originated in Australia OR New Zealand - depending on who is telling you! Crème brûlée is a custard dessert with a toasted crunchy sugar topping.

This question is brought to you by smpdit sitting in Phoenix Rising's Naughty Corner surrounded by the debris of many desserts. All in the name of research.

Answer: Barcelona

There have been many claims that Gustave Eiffel and his company offered the tower design to Barcelona, over 640 miles (1,000 km) away before the Parisian World's Fair of 1889. However, despite all the claims, it has never been substantiated that the tower was meant to be built a year earlier at the Universal Exposition of Barcelona.

Early Parisians thought the world's most visited landmark (over seven million a year) was an eyesore and wanted it pulled down. It was only meant to be a temporary structure anyway. However, it was used for initial radio broadcasts and scientific experiments (encouraged by Gustave), so it stayed. It is 1,063 feet (324 m) tall, including the antenna at the top (984 ft or 300 m without the antenna). It was the world's tallest structure until 1930 when the Chrysler Building in New York was completed. There are three levels of viewing platforms, the highest being at 924 feet. There are five lifts but it is possible to walk up the stairs to the second viewing platform.

This question was assembled by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1 who may have decreased the visitor numbers down to 6,999,999 in 1996 if he had not visited the monument and ascended the stairs to the top viewing platform.

Answer: 1918 flu pandemic

Broadway has weathered wars, strikes, storms, and tragedies, a testament to New York resilience. In March 2020, recognizing a credible and serious threat to public health, New York enacted measures prohibiting large gatherings to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This action triggered a shutdown on Broadway lasting longer than any prior closure. Similar measures were not invoked over a century earlier during the 1918 flu pandemic known as the Spanish Flu (that pandemic resulted in a staggering loss of life - at least 17 million to over 50 million people died globally). In fact, the Department of Health decided to keep theaters open to help educate the public on prevention of transmission and to prevent the spread of hysteria. Of course, New York City then was a very different place in a very different time.

Incidentally, the so-called Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain. The three most plausible hypotheses trace the point of origin to northern China, a UK army base in France, and the state of Kansas in the US.

This question was produced and staged by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.

Answer: Aerosmith

The nickname relates to the songwriting pair of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. They combined to write an impressive list of songs, such as "Toys in the Attic" and "Walk This Way", that helped to propel their band, Aerosmith, to superstar status. However, their propensity for hard living, which involved a diet of drugs and alcohol, nearly derailed their careers and put their own lives at risk. Hence the nickname. Both have been, reportedly, clean for many years; however, some labels refuse to go away.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones have been christened the "Glimmer Twins"; Phil Collen and Steve Clark of Def Leppard, the "Terror Twins" (as are Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee from Motley Crue), and Bon Jovi's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora are known as the "Jersey Twins".

This question was constructed by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who, at one point, was caught in two minds as to how to put it together.

Answer: Urination

'Micturition' is a medical term for the body's expulsion of urine from the bladder. Apart from the obvious spelling difference, it is essentially synonymous with 'urination'. Micturition involves two stages - the filling of the bladder with urine, then the elimination of that urine through the urethra. The entire process, voluntary or involuntary, is controlled via the nervous system through "commands" from various parts of the brain. If you selected 'blinking', the medical term for this is 'nictitation'; so close!

MikeMaster99 got up three times during the night while writing and finishing this question!

Answer: Steepest in the world

The street, Baldwin St, has an incline of a 34.8 degrees, and is a popular tourist attraction. Because of its steepness, it does not have footpaths; instead, it has steps like a staircase for much of the climb. There are about 50 houses on the street.

In 2019, a street in Wales (Ffordd Pen Llech, in Harlech) tried to claim the title, and in fact made it into the "Guinness Book of World Records", but it was subsequently discovered that the measurements were in error.

This question brought to you by ozzz2002, who demonstrated his complete lack of fitness by only making it halfway up in 2015.

Answer: True Grit

True Grit is a military inspired obstacle run that has been based on Special Forces training and has been engineered to test both mental and physical strength and abilities. Generally, thirty obstacles are set up over a 10-12 kilometer (6-7.5 mile) course and the focus is on tackling the obstacles rather than endeavouring to run a marathon. Part of their charter is to raise funds to support Australian soldiers and their families.

"True Grit", the movie, is a 1969 film that stars John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. It earned Wayne his second Oscar nomination for Best Actor, the first being for "Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949), and it saw him walk away with the statuette on the night. A re-make of the film was released in 2010 with Jeff Bridges in the Cogburn role.

This question proved to be no obstacle for Phoenix Rising's pollucci19; hope it wasn't for you.

Answer: Minoan

The Minoan civilisation developed on the island of Crete during the Bronze Age (around 3000 BC) and was characterised by its wealthy and cultured society, fuelled by seafaring ability and wide trading networks. The main Minoan settlement was at Knossos and the archaeological remains discovered there (and in other smaller cities) have highlighted the quality of the Minoans' palatial buildings - both in terms of their decoration and innovative technology such as plumbing and heating systems. However, they also had to be rebuilt several times over the centuries due to earthquakes and volcanic activity. The Minoans' power eventually declined to the point that they were largely taken over by the Mycenaeans around 1400 BC, before both cultures died out around 1100 BC.

This question was unearthed by Phoenix Rising's Fifiona81, who would very much like a posh heated flooring system (although perhaps one a bit more modern than the Minoan version).

Answer: Flamingos

If flamboyance is defined as the quality of being bright, colourful, and very noticeable, then it is a very apt and alliterative name for a group of flamingos. I tip my hat to the person who first coined the phrase for a collective of these brightly coloured birds. 'Flamingo' comes from the Spanish or Portuguese word 'flamengo' which means "flame coloured".

The collective nouns for the other creatures above are a wisdom of wombats, a sleuth of bears, and a siege of herons.

This question is brought to you by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who definitely does not look pretty in pink.

Answer: Inside Out

"Inside Out" is set in the mind of a young girl named Riley Andersen as she deals with the upheaval of relocating from Minnesota to San Francisco. The story explores how her emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger personified) help her adjust to her new reality and ensure her well-being. "Inside Out" won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Dream Productions is in Thoughtwood inside Riley's mind. In one scene, Joy, Sadness, and Bing Bong (Riley's childhood imaginary friend), enter the studio to wake Riley from slumber. The trio pass three of the studio's feature films displayed prominently on giant posters, titled "I'm Falling for a Very Long Time into a Pit", "I Can Fly", and "Something's Chasing Me". They also encounter actress Rainbow Unicorn before infiltrating the currently rolling dream sequence. However, they are quickly apprehended by security and shoved into Subconscious. There they find and release Jangles, the (rather frightening) birthday clown, who destroys the set and consequently jars Riley awake.

Phoenix Rising team member JCSon experienced sadness, fear, disgust, and anger when his computer crashed while writing this question, then joy after finding it saved in recovery.

Answer: A game

Hnefatafl is a variant of Nordic mediaeval strategy board games that are collectively called tafl. Similar to chess, it is played with game pieces that are arranged on a game board. There are two opposing armies of unequal sizes. The attacking army's goal is to capture the opponent's king while the defending army's goal is to help their king escape. 'Hnefatafl' is derived from the words 'hnefi' and 'tafl', meaning "fist" and "table", respectively. The word 'hnefi' is believed to refer to the king-piece in the game.

Hnefatafl, or Viking Chess as it is known today, was so popular in mediaeval Scandinavia that it made its way into several Norse sagas. Apart from that, however, few records exist on how the game was played or if dice were involved.

This question was strategically placed by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: "The Dark Side of the Moon", "Thriller"

"The Dark Side of the Moon" was released on 1 March 1973 to critical acclaim and, unusual for a progressive rock album, sold over an estimated 45 million copies with themes such as conflict, greed, time, death, and mental illness, the latter being a nod to departed member Syd Barrett. It charted for 950 weeks on the Billboard 200 Chart.

"Bat Out of Hell" was the debut studio album by American Meat Loaf, but composer Jim Steinman and producer Todd Rundgren played an enormous part in its success. The album was released on 21 October 1977. With claimed sales exceeding 43 million copies, it stayed on the UK Album charts for 522 weeks. "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked it at number 343 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

"Back in Black" was the biggest selling AC/DC album and was released only four months after lead singer Bon Scott died in February 1980. The album's simple all-black cover was created as a "sign of mourning" for Scott. Ironically, the group's previous album, 1979's "Highway to Hell", was their international breakthrough album. In 2019, this album was certified 25x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Thriller" was released in November 1982 and spawned seven singles: "The Girl Is Mine", "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?", "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", and "Thriller". They all reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" reaching number one. The album sold 32 million copies worldwide by the end of 1983, just over 13 months after release. In 1984 the album won eight Grammy Awards (a record number), including Album of the Year, while "Beat It" won Record of the Year.

This question was composed by Phoenix Rising team member and audiophile 1nn1 who still retains (and plays) original vinyl copies of all four albums.

Answer: Lapis lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a metamorphic rock, long prized for its intense blue colour. Lapis lazuli was found in Tutankhamun's funeral mask, dated circa 1341-1323 BCE, but it has also been associated with the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300-1900 BCE). The main source of lapis lazuli is the mines in Afghanistan and has been exported since Neolithic times. While mainly used in jewellery and as a decorative addition to ornaments and mosaics, lapis is often ground down to form the pigment ultramarine.

This question was mined and polished by Leith90.

Answer: Range

The mean is the mathematical average, or the sum of all values in a set divided by the amount of values in a set. In our case, the mean is 3 (1+2+2+3+3+3+4+4+5/9 = 27/9).

The median is the value in the middle of an ordered set. When the set contains an even number of values, the median is the mean of the two middle values. In our case, the median is 3 (the 5th value in our set of 9 values was 3).

The mode is the number with the most recurrences in a set. It is possible for a data set to be multimodal (i.e. have more than one mode). In our case, the mode is 3 (the only value to appear more than twice).

The range is the difference between the first and last values in an ordered set. In our case, the range is 4 (5-1).

Since no other question in this quiz deals with statistics, Phoenix Rising member JCSon thinks this one qualifies as a standard deviation.

Answer: Turned her invisible

"Possum Magic" is a much-loved children's picture book written by Australian author Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas. It is about the adventures of two possums, Grandma Poss and Hush, as they travel around Australia searching for the cure to Hush's invisibility. Grandma Poss had turned Hush invisible to protect her from danger, but Hush wanted to be visible again.

The story was first written by Mem Fox as an assignment for a course in Children's Literature and was originally called "Hush the Invisible Mouse". The lecturer loved the story and suggested she attempt to get it published. After nine rejections over five years and a change of animal, the book was finally published in 1983. "Possum Magic" is the best-selling picture book ever in Australia.

If you want to know what made Hush visible again, you will have to read the book for yourself - no spoilers here.

Phoenix Rising member lg549, who hopes she never turns invisible as she does not like to eat the food that is the cure, navigated this question into the quiz.

Answer: Liverpool

People from the city of Liverpool in north-west England are commonly known as "Scousers" and for speaking with a Scouse accent. The city is home to two major football clubs - Liverpool and Everton - but it is at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium where the football chant "We're not English, we are Scouse" would be heard. It reflects the loyalty that many people from Liverpool feel for their home city, but more specifically refers to the loyalty of Liverpool FC's fans for their team. The fans' pride in their club is definitely not misplaced as it is one of the country's most successful teams, having won numerous League titles, League Cups, FA Cups, European titles (including the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup), and the FIFA Club World Cup.

People from Manchester are Mancunian, those from Birmingham are known as Brummies, and Newcastle upon Tyne is home to Geordies.

This question was posed by Fifiona81, who didn't chant "I am English, I'm not Scouse" on the one occasion she set foot inside Anfield.

Answer: Chortle

Lewis Carroll coined many new words in his poem, "Jabberwocky". Some of them, such as 'chortle' and 'galumphing', have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary. 'Chortle', now defined as "laugh", was first used in the sixth verse of Carroll's poem, as follows:

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

This question was neologised by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.