High Hopes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai certainly loves its tall buildings. The Burj Khalifa is the record-setter, at an amazing height of 828 m (2717 feet). Including the Burj Khalifa, the city of Dubai has an incredible 7 of the 40 tallest buildings in the world. I've never been, but I imagine the cityscape there is awe-inspiring.

Answer: The Dubai Fountain

The Dubai Fountain, the largest fountain on earth, is located near the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The fountain shoots up to 83250 liters (22000 gallons) of water as far as 150 meters (500 feet) into the air--the water itself reaches the height of a 50-story building! There are many performances done by and with the fountain, often as a "dancing fountain" with a light show and synchronized to music.

Answer: The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid (or Pyramid of Cheops, or Pyramid of Khufu) was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 4000 years, until it was finally surpassed in the 1300s by Lincoln Cathedral in England.

Answer: Roller coaster

Kingda Ka is a Six Flags roller coaster that reaches 139 meters (456 feet) at its apex. It launches to a speed of 206 km/h (128 mph).

Kingda Ka was opened to the public in May of 2005, but has unfortunately been plagued by mechanical difficulties (thankfully, appropriate safety precautions uncovered all problems without passengers aboard) and has spent significant time under repair. It initially had a problem involving the launch cable and brake fins, and later on, the ride was seriously damaged by a lightning strike. It was repaired and running smoothly again by the end of the 2009 season.

Answer: Lego

The world's record for the tallest Lego tower was broken at Lego Land in Windsor, England. To build it required a crane, 465,000 Lego bricks, 8 supporting wires to hold its parts in place, and reportedly a lot of patience.

Answer: Snow

During the middle of a miserable winter, with fuel costs high, loads of snow, and temperatures low, residents of this Maine town got together and built an amazing snow-woman, complete with arms made of 8-meter (27-foot) evergreen trees, a 30-meter (100-foot) red scarf, and giant wreaths for eyes.

My favorite statistic about Olympia is that she was just about 9 meters (30 feet) shorter than the Statue of Liberty - but to me, the whole story is a great one.

Answer: Tajikistan

The Nurek Dam was completed in 1980 by the Soviet Union, at which point Tajikistan was one of the USSR's republics. It is located in the Vakhsh River, and indeed produces enough electricty to sustain 98-99% of the country.

Interestingly, another dam in the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan (the Rokun Dam) has been proposed and is under construction, which could end up surpassing the Nurek in height. The plans for the Rokun Dam, however, are surrounded by controversy and mired in politics, so it is unclear at this point in 2010 which dam will be the tallest in the world. That said, either way, Tajikistan will hold the title.

Answer: St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)

St. Peter's Basilica, designed by Michelangelo, reaches a maximum internal height of 118 meters, which is the tallest in the world. I find it fascinating how many buildings that have high religious significance are capped by a dome, but I certainly can't give a reason for this. They are beautiful buildings though.

Answer: High heels

That's right--Guinness has a category for "highest high heels," (available for commercial purchase). And high they are--40.5 cm (16 inches) with a 28 cm (11 inch) platform. I can imagine elegant ladies everywhere strolling (stumbling, falling) out for a night on the town in those puppies.

Answer: The Lighthouse of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt (destroyed)

The amazing Lighthouse of Alexandria, ancient Wonder of the World, was the tallest lighthouse built for many years. Its exact height is unknown, but estimates range from 120 to 140 meters (393-450 feet). It was, sadly, destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century.

Each of the other lighthouses listed is the tallest in its respective country. The Yokohama Marine Tower is the tallest standing in the world, at 106 meters (348 feet). It is an unusual-looking steel structure, that originally had green and red lighting up the steel shaft (the lighting has since been changed to all white).

The tallest "traditional" (i.e., made of stone) lighthouse in the world is Ile Vierge, in Plouguerneau, France. It stands an impressive 82 meters (269 feet) tall.