Honey, I Shrunk the Quiz

Answer: Head

It has been difficult to know with certainty when or where the practice of shrinking heads began. Some historians cite it as being as far back as 2000 years ago. South America is pointed as the primary location, but Africa, Borneo and the ancient Celts were also known to practice this preserving of heads.

The process was lengthy, and involved severing the head and removing the flesh and skin from inside the head, and sewing the mouth and eyes shut. The head is then boiled, and several herbs were used; as was charcoal ash, rubbed over the face during the final stages, to prevent the avenging soul from escaping.

In 1981 the well-known auctioneers 'Christies' sold a shrunken head to a company called 'Arte Primitivo'. For the life of me, I can't find out how much it sold for, but I bet it looks great on the mantelpiece. Not at all creepy.

QUOTE ABOUT ENEMIES:
"The face of the enemy frightens me only when I see how much it resembles me" - Anonymous

Answer: Pluto

Pluto was discovered in 1930 and was considered one of the nine planets of our solar system. However, in 2006, it was decided that an official classification for 'planet' had to be determined. There were three criteria that had to be met. They were:
1. A planet must orbit around the sun.
2. A planet must be big enough to have its own gravitational pull.
3. A planet must clear its orbital path over time. That is, its gravitational pull must either make smaller bodies travel with it or make them disburse to other orbits.

It is this third criteria that Pluto does not meet, and so on September 13 2006, Pluto was officially classified as a minor, or dwarf, planet. Reaction to Pluto's downgrading was mixed, with some people refusing to acknowledge that Pluto is a minor planet.

QUOTE ABOUT PLANETS:
"Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find" - Anonymous

Answer: Heat from both can cause your clothes to shrink

When your clothes have been heated to a temperature that is too much for the fibers in your clothes to stand, they will likely shrink. Linen, cotton and wool are the worst culprits, I have found.

The best way of avoiding any 'shrinkage' is to always read the labels on your clothes before washing them. When buying new clothes, check the labels, and if you feel you can't wash them as instructed, it's better to move on to others. Washing any and all things on a cold wash, and using a low heat in the dryer (or hanging them out to dry), will not only prevent most things from shrinking, but is better for the environment too.

QUOTE ABOUT LAUNDRY:
"Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains - a pretty violent image there. I think if you've got a T-shirt with a bloodstain all over it, maybe laundry isn't your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the body before you do the wash." - Jerry Seinfeld

Answer: Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is where bone is broken down and not enough is replaced. Older people are more likely to develop osteoporosis, causing them to become stooped. Smoking and drinking can exacerbate this.

Gravity can also have an effect over time, causing compression in the vertebrae and making a person lose a little height. Calcium, Vitamin D, good diet and regular exercise could all help us keep our inches in the long run.

QUOTE ABOUT GRAVITY:
"It's a good thing we have gravity, or else when birds died they'd just stay right up there. Hunters would be all confused." - Stephen Wright

Answer: The Wicked Witch of the West (from "The Wizard of Oz")

Actress Margaret Hamilton played the terrifying Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film adaptation of L Frank Baum's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Margaret Hamilton had been a huge fan of the book, and according to IMDB, when she heard she was being considered for a role in the film, she called her agent and asked which role she was being considered for. Her agent replied, "The Witch. Who else?" Margaret Hamilton was so scary in the film, that reportedly many of her scenes were cut.

QUOTE ABOUT A BUCKET:
"Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water." - Swedish proverb

Answer: Maeve Binchy

"Light a Penny Candle" is one of my favorite books. Set during and after World War II in London and Ireland, it is the epic story of two girls: shy and genteel Elizabeth White, and her friend, the boisterous and brazen Aisling O'Connor. For me, the joy of a Maeve Binchy novel is that it is not full of overly dramatic plots that aren't believable and the fact that she manages to write characters so well. Not just the main protagonists, but every minor character is so enjoyable. Her novels are sagas that I could read forever. One critic wrote that reading a Binchy novel was like "pulling up a seat in a cafe with your best friend". "Light a Penny Candle" was Binchy's first major novel, published in 1982. Two of her novels - "Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road" - have been made into movies.

QUOTE FROM MAEVE BINCHY:
"The whole art of life is knowing the right time to say things." - Maeve Binchy

Answer: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" was a huge commercial success. The filmed opened in June 1989, and a sequel - "Honey, I Blew Up the Kids" - was released in 1992. It tells the story of an eccentric scientist (played by Rick Moranis) who accidentally shrinks his kids and then throws them out with the trash. They spend the movie trying to get back to the house, and face all sorts of troubles as they do. The answers are not real movies.

In the Disney theme parks, you can see a 3D cinema experience called "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience". The special effects are incredible, and include effects that make you, the audience, feel like you've shrunk, had rats run all over you, and been sneezed all over by a dog! What's not to love?

QUOTE ABOUT SCIENTISTS:
"Scientists are complaining that the new dinosaur movie shows dinosaurs with lemurs, who didn't evolve for another million years. They're afraid the movie will give kids a mistaken impression. What about the fact that the dinosaurs are singing and dancing?" - Jay Leno

Answer: They can all be factors in shrinking your brain

Dr Holly Taylor, a researcher at a Boston university, led a study on the impact of low-carb and no-carb diets. The study found that people who cut out carbs performed worse in tasks involving attention and memory, and that the relationship between our mental health and what we eat is connected.

Insufficient quantities of vitamin B12 have been linked to Alzheimer's, depression, osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke. Our bodies need a lot of B12, and it doesn't absorb it easily either; but as it is water soluble, you can take a lot. Vegetarians and vegans especially should take it. Enough vitamin B12 has also been reported to help in losing weight.

Old age, chronic pain, high blood pressure, major depression, and alcohol can also be factors in shrinking your brain. For more information see the link at the bottom of this quiz.

Certain foods, such as nuts, berries and avocado, are said to improve your brain function. Keeps your brain working as well; the good news is that crosswords and quizzes are two of the things that can help keep your brain ticking over!

A QUOTE ABOUT BRAINS:
"I not only use all the brains I have but all I can borrow." - Woodrow T. Wilson

Answer: True

The poem "I" was written by Charles Ghigna. It simply contains one single word: "Why?" It appears to be about the unanswerable question of man's existence, and the never-ending discussion of how and "Why?".

Ghigna, born in 1946, has written many books of poetry, a large amount for children, and other more serious volumes for adults. He has authored more than 5000 poems and is commonly known as "Father Goose".

Before the poem "I", the world's shortest poem in the English language was considered to be one called "Fleas". It read:

"Adam
Had 'em!".

QUOTE ABOUT POETRY:
"There's no money in poetry; but then there's no poetry in money, either." - Robert Graves

Answer: Psychiatrist

A psychiatrist is someone who diagnoses and treats disorders such as depression, substance abuse, mental disabilities and sexual dysfunction. Interestingly, the term 'shrink' apparently came from the tribal people who used to shrink heads (see question one). They were called 'headshrinkers', and the name became associated with psychiatrists around the 1950s, because they 'mess with your head'. The term is slightly derogatory.

A pediatrician is someone who specializes in the care of children. A neurologist deals with the nervous system. The term "shrink in fear" came about due to the fact that a person often cowers and stoops when they're scared, thereby 'shrinking' in size.

A QUOTE ABOUT PSYCHIATRISTS:
"I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet." - Rodney Dangerfield