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Potpourri Trivia Quiz

Very random, but fairly interesting knowledge I've picked up through the course of my life.

A multiple-choice quiz by papovik. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
papovik

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
171,316

Updated
Sep 23 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
885

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. On which continent have the most meteors been found? Hint

Africa

Antarctica

Europe

Asia

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Question 2 of 10

2. What term is used to describe summertime hibernation? Hint

estivation

thanatation

summer hibernation

kaltication

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Question 3 of 10

3. For those who enjoy science...What was the original name given to electrons by J.J. Thomson? Hint

positrons

corpuscles

hadryon

boson

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who was the first chess champion? He lost his title eventually to Emmanuel Lasker. Hint

Jose Raul Capablanca

Mikhail Botvinnik

Robert Fischer

Wilhelm Steinitz

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Question 5 of 10

5. Who was the first person to be assassinated on live national television? Hint

John F. Kennedy

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Lee Harvey Oswald

Charles' Lindbergh's baby

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Question 6 of 10

6. Humans can suffer from a disease called "Mad Cow Disease".

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the densest element? Hint

Iridium

Uranium

Osmium

Plutonium

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Question 8 of 10

8. Most people know that the word 'zenith' means 'the highest point, acme, climax', but not as many know the opposite term to 'zenith' that means 'the lowest point'. What is it? Hint

nadir

fetid

acme

trice

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Question 9 of 10

9. During what war did Great Britain gain control of Hong Kong? Hint

Seven Years War

Soccer War

Crimean War

Opium War

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Question 10 of 10

10. What other famous author was a childhood friend and confidant to Harper Lee? Hint

Truman Capote

John Steinbeck

Ernest Hemingway

Gertrude Stein

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On which continent have the most meteors been found?

Answer: Antarctica

Antarctica is a glacial ice zone and so meteorites that fall there will be preserved. Meteorites have a tendency to fall toward the equatorial regions, but because of glaciers ability to preserve meteorites more are found there than any other place. Zones where these meteorites are found are called 'stranding surfaces'.

2. What term is used to describe summertime hibernation?

Answer: estivation

estivate: be dormant in summer: to be dormant during the summer or during months of drought (refers to animals, especially some amphibians, reptiles, and insects).

3. For those who enjoy science...What was the original name given to electrons by J.J. Thomson?

Answer: corpuscles

The word "electron" was coined by G. Johnstone Stoney in 1891. Thomson presented three hypotheses from his 1897 experiment on cathode ray tubes:1. cathode ray tubes are charged particles 2.these corpuscles are constituents of the atom 3. corpuscles are the only constituents of the atom.

The first two were accurate while the third turned out to be false. Positrons are the anti-particle to electrons.

4. Who was the first chess champion? He lost his title eventually to Emmanuel Lasker.

Answer: Wilhelm Steinitz

Steinitz was born in Prague, Bohemia (now Czech Republic). He is considered the first person to have a systematic approach to positional chess.

5. Who was the first person to be assassinated on live national television?

Answer: Lee Harvey Oswald

I read this in Uncle John's Bathroom reader...a great book for trivia lovers! As was pointed out to me, Kennedy's assassination was filmed, but not on national television. Oswald was shot on national television.

6. Humans can suffer from a disease called "Mad Cow Disease".

Answer: False

Cows get mad cow disease. Humans contract CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease).

7. What is the densest element?

Answer: Osmium

22.5 g/ml. The second densest is Iridium and it is very close to Osmium.

8. Most people know that the word 'zenith' means 'the highest point, acme, climax', but not as many know the opposite term to 'zenith' that means 'the lowest point'. What is it?

Answer: nadir

Acme is a synonym of zenith and means climax. Fetid means unsavory, and trice means moment or instant.

9. During what war did Great Britain gain control of Hong Kong?

Answer: Opium War

The Chinese sent letters to the British asking them to stop, but you can't stop the British when they smell profits. The Seven Years War is what we Americans call the French and Indian war. The Crimean War was fought between Russia, and basically the rest of Europe and Turkey, and the Soccer War was the second shortest war (next to the Zanzibar-English conflict, between El Salvador and Honduras.

As can be deduced it was fought over a World Cup soccer game between the two countries in the playoffs.

10. What other famous author was a childhood friend and confidant to Harper Lee?

Answer: Truman Capote

Capote was Lee's next door neighbor from 1928 to 1933. They travelled together in 1959 to research the Clutter family murders for Capote's novel 'In Cold Blood'. Capote dedicated the book to Lee.

Source: Author papovik

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
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