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The Beauty of Science Trivia Quiz

Science can be a beautiful thing. Whether the symmetry of mathematical shapes, the awe of a newly discovered fossil, or the simplicity of a rainbow beauty is all around us, and science helps us explain it.

A multiple-choice quiz by mrmiss. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
mrmiss

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
330,573

Updated
Jun 18 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2691

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Rainbows have a simple beauty. What scientific phenomena best explains where the colors of a rainbow come from? Hint

reflection

refraction

induction

radiation

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Question 2 of 10

2. Fractals are represented as geometric designs that, when examined closely, seem to mimic the approximate shape of the design as a whole. Which of the following would NOT be an example of a fractal found in nature? Hint

frost patterns

clouds formations

a Mandelbrot set

coral reefs

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Question 3 of 10

3. Many artists throughout history have been scientists and inventors as well. The most famous of all of these is perhaps Leonardo DaVinci. Which of the following was NOT first conceived of by the original Renaissance man? Hint

the skateboard

the tank

the parachute

the helicopter

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Question 4 of 10

4. Nothing is more beautiful than discovering a long lost relative. Homo floresiensis was discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. What literary name has become the "nickname" of this possible new species? Hint

Hobbit

Lilliputian

Munchkin

Goblin

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Question 5 of 10

5. Sometimes you can not see the beauty in something without a microscope. Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is a molecule that is comprised of 60 carbon atoms arranged in what geometric shape? Hint

Square

Star

Pyramid

Sphere

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Question 6 of 10

6. To look at anything beautiful on a computer, you have to use an RGB display. What does RGB stand for? Hint

Ranging Glass Buffer

Regular Grain Blankscreen

Red, Green, Blue

Reading Glaze, Backlit

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Question 7 of 10

7. There are few things more beautiful than a starry night. Our ancestors saw patterns in the sky and called them constellations. The following constellations were named by the ancient Greeks (by Ptolemy), except which one? Hint

Andromeda "the chained woman"

Musca "the fly"

Aquila "the eagle"

Serpens "the serpent"

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Question 8 of 10

8. The movement of the earth's crust is a beautiful thing. The continents were once entirely connected. What is the name given to this supercontinent? Hint

Pangaea, meaning "entire Earth" in Greek

Unido, meaning "united" in Spanish

Unaterra, meaning "land together" in Latin

Tous, meaning "all" in French

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Question 9 of 10

9. There is little as beautiful as a simple theory. In 1859 Charles Darwin forwarded the theory of evolution through natural selection. What does natural selection propose? Hint

That the traits that are most advantageous to an organism will be the ones to be retained.

That when natural products are chosen by the parents it will help the offspring fit in better.

That the traits that are passed on to the offspring are chosen by the parents.

That what happens to your offspring is chosen by nature to move an organism toward perfection.

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Question 10 of 10

10. One of the most beautiful parts of the human body is its DNA. What does the DNA molecule look like? Hint

A cloverleaf

A cross

A figure eight

A twisted ladder

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Rainbows have a simple beauty. What scientific phenomena best explains where the colors of a rainbow come from?

Answer: refraction

Rainbows occur when sunlight enters water droplets (usually rain) and is refracted, or bent. Each wavelength is bent at a slightly different angle making the colors appear separately and creating a rainbow.

Answer: a Mandelbrot set

The Mandelbrot set is man made, perhaps the most famous fractal of all. Other examples of fractals found in nature include plant root systems, sunflowers, peacock feathers, and river deltas.

Answer: the skateboard

None of these were known to have been built in DaVinci's time, they merely appeared in his myriad notebooks. It would not surprise me if some day a notebook surfaces that contains a rudimentary skateboard.

Answer: Hobbit

It is not yet determined, as of 2010, if Homo floresiensis is a new species unto itself or is a subspecies of Homo sapiens. Either way it is an exciting discovery.

5. Sometimes you can not see the beauty in something without a microscope. Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is a molecule that is comprised of 60 carbon atoms arranged in what geometric shape?

Answer: Sphere

Sometimes called Bucky balls, buckminterfullerene is named after Richard Buckminster Fuller, the man who named the geodesic dome (think Epcot center) which the C60 molecule resembles.

6. To look at anything beautiful on a computer, you have to use an RGB display. What does RGB stand for?

Answer: Red, Green, Blue

While red, blue, and yellow are primary colors for pigments, red, green, and blue are primary colors for light. Some new monitors are including yellow (RGBY), it supposedly allows for sharper yellows.

Answer: Musca "the fly"

Of these Musca is the only one in the southern hemisphere and could not have been seen by the ancient Greeks.

8. The movement of the earth's crust is a beautiful thing. The continents were once entirely connected. What is the name given to this supercontinent?

Answer: Pangaea, meaning "entire Earth" in Greek

The mid-Atlantic ridge is spreading at the rate of about 2.5cm (about 1 inch) per year. This movement, while not much, is enough to build up the energy that is released through all the worldwide earthquakes throughout the year.

9. There is little as beautiful as a simple theory. In 1859 Charles Darwin forwarded the theory of evolution through natural selection. What does natural selection propose?

Answer: That the traits that are most advantageous to an organism will be the ones to be retained.

The fact that all living organisms came from a common ancestor is still a controversial one in some circles. But, the theory of evolution has stood the test of time to only become more solidified and will not be going away any time soon.

10. One of the most beautiful parts of the human body is its DNA. What does the DNA molecule look like?

Answer: A twisted ladder

The shape of the DNA molecule is called a double helix. It looks like a ladder that has been twisted around the center of its rungs. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid and consists of the four bases of Adenine, Cytocine, Guanine, and Thymine.

Source: Author mrmiss

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