Why Are "Y's" Only Sometimes Wise? Quiz

Answer: Yellow Jackets

Both Vespula and Dolichovespula, closely related, are members of the wasp family. Most have distinctive black and yellow coloring from where they get their name. Various species of yellow jacket can be found in most places worldwide. Despite being deadly primarily just to those with allergies, a yellow jacket's sting can be quite inconvenient, and it would be wise to leave their nests alone.

Answer: Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful geyser is arguably the most iconic figure of Yellowstone National Park, the oldest national park in the United States. Yellowstone, in Northwestern Wyoming and parts of Idaho and Montana, is a geothermal hotspot containing hundreds of geysers, more than anywhere else in the world. Sitting on top of one of the world's only known supervolcanoes, when the ground underneath Yellowstone eventually blows out, it could cover the majority of the United States in ash and cause devastating consequences worldwide.

The region was discovered in 1807 by John Colter, who had parted ways from the Lewis and Clark Expedition a year earlier.

Answer: Joseph Stalin

It is easy through the veil of history to criticize an alliance with Stalin as being unwise, who by most accounts caused tens of millions to die either directly or indirectly as a result of his policies. But at the time he was fighting Hitler on the Eastern Front, so Stalin was the enemy of the enemy, and hence an ally of the United States and Britain.

At the Yalta Conference, the partitioning of Germany was discussed, which led to the eventual isolation of West Berlin inside communist East Germany. Additionally, it was unwisely agreed upon that Soviet citizens displaced by the war would be forced to return to the USSR. Most freed Soviet POWs, once back in Russia, were sent to the gulag under suspicion of leaking information while in captivity.

Answer: Sourdough

Yeast is considered a leavening agent for bread, and is also used in the fermentation of beer and wine. Sourdough bread contains a relatively high amount of yeast, which working together with lactic acid bacteria gives it the bubbly texture and sour taste. Unleavened bread is that which contains no leavening agent such as yeast. Tortillas are an unleavened staple in Mexican cuisine and in the American Southwest. Unleavened bread can hold religious significance, such as the matzo eaten at the Jewish Passover and the Christian Eucharist. Also known as roti, chapatti is an unleavened bread found in India and South Asia.

Answer: Episode IV: A New Hope

Roughly 900 years old, Yoda was a wise Jedi of unknown species. He was first introduced to audiences in the 1980 film "The Empire Strikes Back", when Luke Skywalker seeks council from the exiled sage on Dagobah. Yoda was voiced by the great puppeteer Frank Oz. It was a traumatic moment in cinematic history when Yoda died in "Return of the Jedi", disappearing to become one with The Force.

Answer: Taoism

In the familiar yin-yang symbol, yang, symbolic of light, is represented by the white side of the circle with the black dot. Yin, symbolic of shadow, is the black side with the white dot. The two are intertwined. Taoism, or Daoism, is traditionally regarded as being founded by the wise philosopher Laozi in 4th century BC China.

The yin-yang concept is also taught as a tenet of Confucianism.

Answer: Transition metal

Also known as a Rare Earth Mineral, yttrium has multiple technological uses, from high quality spark plugs to lasers to superconductors. It is commonly found in several ores, edible plants, and even lunar rock samples. Though it serves no known biological function, the average human can contain around five mg of yttrium.

It was discovered in the late 18th century by Carl Axel Arrhenius, and named after the town of Ytterby, Sweden, which is also the namesake of elements ytterbium, erbium, and terbium.

Answer: Boston Red Sox

Commonly known as "Yaz", Carl Yastrzemski played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961-1983, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1989 on the first ballot. The year he won the Batting Triple Crown, Yastrzemski hit 44 home runs, 139 RBIs, and had a .330 batting average.

He was the first player in the American League to retire with both over 400 home runs, at 452, and 3,000 hits, at 3,419. After the great Ted Williams retired from the Red Sox following the 1960 season after 21 years, Yastrzemski took over his spot in left field as a rookie, and as they say, the rest is history.

Answer: Lisa Simpson

Yeardley Smith was born in Paris in 1964 and moved with her family to Washington, DC two years later. Smith joined the voiceover cast of "The Simpsons" in 1987 as the intelligent and wise middle daughter, Lisa Simpson. Many of the voice actors on the show portray multiple characters, yet besides the occasional squeak from youngest daughter Maggie, Lisa is primarily Smith's only role. Yeardley Smith has also landed acting roles in several films, including 1991's "City Slickers" and 1997's "As Good As It Gets".

Answer: Thomas Jefferson

Yale University, the third oldest university in the United States, was founded in 1701 and named after a benefactor, British merchant Elihu Yale. George W. Bush graduated with a B.A. in History in 1968. After receiving degrees from Georgetown and Oxford, Bill Clinton graduated with his law degree from Yale in 1973.

It was there that he met his future wife Hillary. Gerald Ford graduated with his law degree from Yale in 1941. Presidents George H.W. Bush and William H. Taft are also Yale alumni. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, attended the College of William and Mary, the second oldest university in the United States, and founded the University of Virginia.