Four Minutes Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

The official video for Madonna's "Four Minutes" is 4:05. That is a whole five seconds over our limit, which is a pity as the lyrics tell us that we only have four minutes to save the world.

This song was written after Madonna's visit to Africa where she saw the suffering due to poverty. As she has stated in interviews, the lyrics are more about a sense of urgency rather than to be taken as fact. The world needs to act sooner rather than later to prevent a disaster.

Answer: Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson was president from 1913 to 1921. The "Four Minute Men" were organized to make speeches about the American war efforts. The "Four Minute" length was imposed due to that being the time between reels of film in movie theatres at the time (1917).

Answer: Tabata

The principle of Tabata is twenty seconds of 100% effort followed by ten seconds of resting, repeated eight times. Full details can be found in many different places online.

In 1996, Dr. Izumi Tabata conducted an experiment, based on this idea, that started with speed skaters. The resulting exercise program was named for him. There are several similar routines to be found online, but I like this one. One thing though, it would take me longer to get into my exercise clothes than to do the routine!

Answer: Fall in love/lust

Various psychologist have stated that the initial stage of falling in love can take between ninety seconds and "Four Minutes".

First impressions do matter and are hard to overcome, and not just in matters of the heart. The first "Four Minutes" of an interview for a job are important too. You need to start off in a positive way or you will still be trying to get to a good position when the interview is over.

If you want to read more on the subject of flirting, I suggest the BBC Science: The Human Body series. When I read "The Science of Flirting" it explained some of the mistakes that I made in the past.

Answer: Do not play your instrument

Although many consider the piece to be 4:33 of silence, it is actually 4:33 of the sound of the environment. This is too subtle distinction for many to understand. John Cage believed that music was made up of sounds, no matter how they were produced.

John Cage (1912 to 1992) used music as a means of communication and continued to experiment throughout his life. One example is his 1942 composition, "The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs", which was for voice and closed piano. An online search will find John Cage performing his own composition "Water Walk", so named because it involved water and walking! (It also involved several electrical devices and a vase of roses among other things.)

Answer: Hacked into 70,000 Obamacare enrollee records

David Kennedy used what he called passive reconnaissance to hack into the website. He described it as being similar to a car that has been left unlocked with the windows open; everything is on display and you do not need to open the car door to get something out.

Answer: Every day

The day on Earth is the time it takes to rotate completely. It is also determined by the amount of time for Earth makes a circle around the Sun. The difference between these two measurements is just under "Four Minutes" which is why we have Leap Years.

A "Synodic Period" is the time taken for the Earth to complete a circuit of the Sun and takes twenty-four hours.

A "Sidereal Period" is the time taken for the Earth to complete one rotation and takes twenty-three hours, fifty-six minutes and 4.1 seconds.

Answer: Mark Owen

Gary Barlow was the other member of Take That.

Mark Owen's song is slightly longer than "Four Minutes". It is based on the British Government's plan for warnings during the Cold War and the consequences of an attack.

Answer: True

Elvis Presley (1935 to 1977) was known for producing rather short records, but his 1969 version of "Suspicious Minds" was 4:22 long. The Fine Young Cannibals version was 3:58.

"Suspicious Minds" was written and recorded by Mark James (born 1940) in 1968. It is the story of a man insisting on his innocence in the face of his wife's suspicions that he is straying.

Answer: Ran a mile

The four minute mile was a barrier that many athletes wanted to break, but Bannister was the first ever to do it under official rules. Along with two friends who helped as pace setters and three unnamed athletes from a rival university, the barrier was broken at an official track meeting at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford.