So What's the Problem? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Faulty accelerator pedals

The trouble began for Toyota when accelerator pedals began to stick on some models. The cars affected had been manufactured between March 2009 and January 2010. Millions of cars were involved, among them over 12 million in the USA and 75 million in China. A number of deaths were blamed on the fault.

Answer: Ruptured oxygen tank

Launched on April 11th 1970, Apollo 13 was meant to land on the Moon. However, two days after launch, an explosion in the service module caused a loss of electrical power and damaged oxygen tanks. The crew reduced all consumption of oxygen to a bare minimum and, despite fears for their lives, managed to return to earth safely on April 17th.

Answer: She was on the run from the law

As a child, Homer was told that his mother, Mona, had died. In fact she was a 1960s radical who had gone on the run after she was implicated in a raid on the biological weapons laboratory run by Montgomery Burns. It was not until he was a father three times over that Homer met his mother and they had a joyful reunion. Montgomery Burns was not one to give up a grudge easily, though, and Mona had to go on the run again.

Answer: The car kept getting airborne

The Bloodhound SSC aimed at beating the world landspeed record, however its streamlined shape generated huge amounts of lift to the rear. "...we've had some big issues. We've had lift as high as 12 tonnes, and when you consider the car is six-and-a-half tonnes at its heaviest - that amount of lift is enough to make the car fly," John Piper, Bloodhound's technical director, told BBC News.

At the time Bloodhound's tests started, it needed to beat 763mph (1,228km/h) set by the Thrust SuperSonic Car in 1997.

Answer: Poor wi-fi reception

The first iPads could only connect to the Internet by wi-fi. Like many notebooks, the iPads had very small aerials to pick up wi-fi signals. Other (larger) computers managed fine on the same networks.

Answer: The computers crashed on start-up

Since we already have an Apple question in this quiz, it seemed only fair to include a Microsoft one. Millions of users found that when they logged on to their new Windows 7 computers, they saw only the "black screen of death" and the machine crashed.

Some experts believed that changes in the operating system's lockdown of registry keys was to blame. (Don't ask me what that means - I use an Apple, and, no, I was not one of those early iPad buyers.)

Answer: He got the words of the oath in the wrong order

What Obama should have said was: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
What he actually said was "...I will execute the office of President of the United States faithfully...."
To be fair, he was repeating a mistake made by Chief Justice John Roberts. In order to head-off any legal challenge, Obama later retook the oath in private - and got it word perfect that time.

Answer: Ash from an Icelandic volcano

On March 21st 2010, a volcano that had been dormant for 200 years erupted in Iceland sending plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. The prevailing winds carried the ash towards the British Isles and Europe. Since volcanic ash can cause jet engines to malfunction, no-fly zones were imposed. Millions of passengers had their holidays ruined. Either they could not get out of the UK or Ireland, or they could not get back.

The flight ban cost airlines and holiday companies millions of £s. In May 2010, more ash plumes caused further delays, with warnings that the situation could occur on and off for 15 months.

Answer: It wobbled

The Millennium Bridge was 325 metres (1,081) feet long and cost £18.2 million to build. When it opened, what the experts called "lateral vibration" caused it to sway when in use. In the parlance of ordinary people "it wobbled". Dampeners were hurriedly fitted to cure the problem.

Answer: Struck by one of her own torpedoes

The USS Tang was launched on 17th August 1943 and was sunk by one of her own torpedoes off Taiwan on 25th October 1944. On that fateful day, Tang surfaced to attack a Japanese convoy. A number of torpedoes were launched and several targets were hit.

However, the final torpedo broached on the surface and began to turn in a circle, Tang tried to escape, but 20 seconds after the torpedo was launched, it struck the sub and she sank. Seventy-four crew members died. Some who escaped the sinking were picked up by a Japanese ship and were tortured before spending the rest of the war in a POW camp.