The Teensies' General Knowledge Quiz – Season 13 – Reese Riverson

[DaveRattlehead]

That was very, very close

I'll copy-paste the question here.

Question 25
Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous cyclists of history, and probably one of the biggest frauds. He won the Tour de France several times, but he was stripped of all his titles. How many times did he win the Tour de France?

[Greengoop]

5?

[Pirez]

It's actually 7.

The whole situation makes the movie Dodgeball even more hilarious.

[dr_st]

The whole situation makes the movie Dodgeball even more hilarious.

Maybe they could make a sequel and call it DOGEball.

[DaveRattlehead]

7 is correct! And now Pirez has a little advantage.

Leaderboard
Pirez - 7 points + Bonus question 1
Rsandee - 5 points
Greengoop - 2 points
The Jonster - 2 points
Hunchman801 - 2 points + Bonus (Q22)
dr_st - 2 points + Half of bonus (Q22)
PluMGMK - 1 point

Question 26
Making soap at home was quite common in the past, especially before commercial soap became widely available. Explain the elaboration process.

Look at this beautiful puppy... Pirez got two points in a row, so he must skip this question. If he doesn't, this puppy will get sad, and nobody wants that.

Code: Select all

Season 10 - History of questions

Question 1: Which metal is commonly used in traditional incandescent bulb filaments due to its high melting point and durability?
Answer: Tungsten. (The Jonster)

Question 2: Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most relevant people in French history. His occupation of Spain was quite particular, since it wasn’t a traditional military invasion. How did he do it?
Answer: Treaty of Fontainebleau. The invasion was never a traditional invasion, since Napoleon never declared war to Spain. Napoleon signed a secret agreement with Charles IV to invade Portugal. The French troops were supposed to simply pass through Spain, but instead they started occupying key cities with no resistance. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 3: The 24h of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. Although there’s an overall winner, the race is divided between several categories. Which was the last French manufacturer to win in the top category?
Answer: Peugeot, in 2009. (Pirez)

Question 4: What's the name of this painting (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11655&mode=view)? Who painted it?
Answer: Vitruvian man, by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Rsandee)

Question 5: Recently, Donald Trump has begun serving as president of the United States for the second time. However, his television appearances haven’t been solely for political reasons. Mention at least three appearances of Donald Trump on television (series/shows/movies).
Answer: The apprentice, Home Alone 2, Comedy Central roast. (Rsandee)

Question 6: Greenland is an autonomous territory that has appeared a lot in the news recently. Donald Trump has argued that it would be the best for the West if Greenland belonged to the United States and not Denmark. Which country (or union of countries) had the control of Greenland before Denmark had it exclusively?
Answer: Norway (check Treaty of Kiel for more information). (Hunchman801)

Question 7: Which country won the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup?
Answer: Pakistan. (dr_st)

Question 8: Which famous singer committed suicide in 1994?
Answer: Kurt Cobain. (Rsandee)

Question 9: Who was Laika? Why was she so important for science?
Answer: She's the first dog sent into orbit. Thanks to her, scientists could understand better what humans could experience in the conditions of a space travel. Four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human sent into space. (Pirez)

Question 10: This picture is from a specific movie. Which one is it? (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11686&mode=view)
Answer: Shutter Island. (Rsandee)

Question 11: Japan stands out for its large number of earthquakes because it lies in the boundary of different tectonic plates. This theory is more than studied and is the evolution of an earlier theory: the continental drift. Who developed this theory in detail and what does it consist of?
Answer: The continental drift is a scientific theory which exposes that Earth's continents move or drift relative to each other over geologic time. It was developed by Alfred Wegener. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 12: Japan is considered an enemy for North Korea, which shares border with South Korea, China and Russia. Which one is the last major Russian city before reaching the border with North Korea?
Answer: Vladivostok. (PluMGMK)

Question 13: What’s the best position the Russian Men's Basketball Team has achieved in a World Cup?
Answer: Second. (Pirez)

Question 14: During the COVID pandemic, Russia developed a vaccine (Sputnik V) parallel to the United States (Comirnaty). Sputnik V was based on a more “traditional” methodology, and Comirnaty was a fairly novel vaccine because it used “mRNA technology,” something that hadn’t been heard of much. In the context of biology, what is mRNA and what is its function?
Answer: Messenger RNA (mRNA) encodes what amino acids (and therefore what proteins) will be manufactured by the ribosomes in your body. It has the opposite genetic code of DNA upon transcription (A <-> T, C <-> G), with the caveat that Thymine (T) in mRNA is actually Uracil (U). (Rsandee)

Question 15: The structure of DNA is characterized by a double helix. The famous “Photograph 51” was extremely important for the description of this double helix. Who took that photo?
Answer: Rosalind Franklin/Raymond Gosling. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 16: In 1997 there was a movie about a dystopian future in which parents could select the best genes for their children to produce the strongest and most intelligent people. What's the name of this movie?
Answer: Gattaca. (Greengoop)

Question 17: John McEnroe is a very popular former tennis player who had a very controversial behaviour on-court. How many Roland Garros tournaments has John McEnroe won?
Answer: 0. (Pirez)

Question 18: You're going to listen 30 seconds of a very famous song. What's its name? Who's the author? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1WBgP0FXKc)
Answer: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (🔴 Withdrawn – Rule violation)

Question 19: Which river is the longest in Europe?
Answer: Volga. (Greengoop)

Question 20: The symbol by which mercury is represented is Hg (hydrargyrum, from the Greek word “hydrargyros”, meaning “water” and “silver”). Why is it called mercury?
Answer: The metal was given this name because of its quick movement, as it is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature and moves rapidly, resembling the speed and agility of the god Mercury. (The Jonster)

Question 21: Who is the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury?
Answer: Hermes. (Pirez)

Question 22: Complete the sequence: 1 – 2 – 5 – 1 - 0.2 - 1.2 - ? - ?
Answer: (-199/5) and (-1199/5). (Hunchman801)

Question 23: Monaco isn’t the only micro-state. Name 5 more.
Answer: The Vatican, Andorra, San marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. (dr_st)

Question 24: You're going to listen to a very famous song. You have to tell me the movie (or saga) where it appears. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5t7Mgk_Jg)
Answer: The Matrix. (Pirez)

Question 25: Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous cyclists of history, and probably one of the biggest frauds. He won the Tour de France several times, but he was stripped of all his titles. How many times did he win the Tour de France?
Answer: 7. (Pirez)

[Rsandee]

You can take fat (any fat, as long as it has the glycerine component) and put it in a basic solution (like NaOH) to split the fat into an alcohol and a fatty acid (the soap).

[DaveRattlehead]

It's a very simplified answer, but I'll take it.

Leaderboard
Pirez - 7 points + Bonus question 1
Rsandee - 6 points
Greengoop - 2 points
The Jonster - 2 points
Hunchman801 - 2 points + Bonus (Q22)
dr_st - 2 points + Half of bonus (Q22)
PluMGMK - 1 point

Question 27
Here is a selection of photos from different iconic moments of the Football World Cup. Order them from the oldest to the most recent.

Pirez can rejoin the game

And it's time for the second (and last) bonus question of this season!
So, the mathematical sequence was silly, right? Then let's get to "serious" business

Bonus question 2
A point M located on one side of a street, which is 6 meters wide, needs to be connected to a point N located on the other side of the street, 18 meters further down, using two straight cables: one from M to a point P, located on the other side of the street, and another from point P to point N.

The street was represented in a Cartesian coordinate system, and it was found that M=(0,6), P=(x,0) and N=(18,0).
The cable MP costs 10€/m, and the cable PN costs 5€/m.

Calculate and justify:
a) The total cost C of both cables as a function of x, where 0<x<18.
b) The value of x, within 0<x<18, that minimizes the total cost C.
c) The minimum total cost.

Code: Select all

Season 10 - History of questions

Question 1: Which metal is commonly used in traditional incandescent bulb filaments due to its high melting point and durability?
Answer: Tungsten. (The Jonster)

Question 2: Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most relevant people in French history. His occupation of Spain was quite particular, since it wasn’t a traditional military invasion. How did he do it?
Answer: Treaty of Fontainebleau. The invasion was never a traditional invasion, since Napoleon never declared war to Spain. Napoleon signed a secret agreement with Charles IV to invade Portugal. The French troops were supposed to simply pass through Spain, but instead they started occupying key cities with no resistance. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 3: The 24h of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. Although there’s an overall winner, the race is divided between several categories. Which was the last French manufacturer to win in the top category?
Answer: Peugeot, in 2009. (Pirez)

Question 4: What's the name of this painting (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11655&mode=view)? Who painted it?
Answer: Vitruvian man, by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Rsandee)

Question 5: Recently, Donald Trump has begun serving as president of the United States for the second time. However, his television appearances haven’t been solely for political reasons. Mention at least three appearances of Donald Trump on television (series/shows/movies).
Answer: The apprentice, Home Alone 2, Comedy Central roast. (Rsandee)

Question 6: Greenland is an autonomous territory that has appeared a lot in the news recently. Donald Trump has argued that it would be the best for the West if Greenland belonged to the United States and not Denmark. Which country (or union of countries) had the control of Greenland before Denmark had it exclusively?
Answer: Norway (check Treaty of Kiel for more information). (Hunchman801)

Question 7: Which country won the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup?
Answer: Pakistan. (dr_st)

Question 8: Which famous singer committed suicide in 1994?
Answer: Kurt Cobain. (Rsandee)

Question 9: Who was Laika? Why was she so important for science?
Answer: She's the first dog sent into orbit. Thanks to her, scientists could understand better what humans could experience in the conditions of a space travel. Four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human sent into space. (Pirez)

Question 10: This picture is from a specific movie. Which one is it? (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11686&mode=view)
Answer: Shutter Island. (Rsandee)

Question 11: Japan stands out for its large number of earthquakes because it lies in the boundary of different tectonic plates. This theory is more than studied and is the evolution of an earlier theory: the continental drift. Who developed this theory in detail and what does it consist of?
Answer: The continental drift is a scientific theory which exposes that Earth's continents move or drift relative to each other over geologic time. It was developed by Alfred Wegener. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 12: Japan is considered an enemy for North Korea, which shares border with South Korea, China and Russia. Which one is the last major Russian city before reaching the border with North Korea?
Answer: Vladivostok. (PluMGMK)

Question 13: What’s the best position the Russian Men's Basketball Team has achieved in a World Cup?
Answer: Second. (Pirez)

Question 14: During the COVID pandemic, Russia developed a vaccine (Sputnik V) parallel to the United States (Comirnaty). Sputnik V was based on a more “traditional” methodology, and Comirnaty was a fairly novel vaccine because it used “mRNA technology,” something that hadn’t been heard of much. In the context of biology, what is mRNA and what is its function?
Answer: Messenger RNA (mRNA) encodes what amino acids (and therefore what proteins) will be manufactured by the ribosomes in your body. It has the opposite genetic code of DNA upon transcription (A <-> T, C <-> G), with the caveat that Thymine (T) in mRNA is actually Uracil (U). (Rsandee)

Question 15: The structure of DNA is characterized by a double helix. The famous “Photograph 51” was extremely important for the description of this double helix. Who took that photo?
Answer: Rosalind Franklin/Raymond Gosling. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 16: In 1997 there was a movie about a dystopian future in which parents could select the best genes for their children to produce the strongest and most intelligent people. What's the name of this movie?
Answer: Gattaca. (Greengoop)

Question 17: John McEnroe is a very popular former tennis player who had a very controversial behaviour on-court. How many Roland Garros tournaments has John McEnroe won?
Answer: 0. (Pirez)

Question 18: You're going to listen 30 seconds of a very famous song. What's its name? Who's the author? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1WBgP0FXKc)
Answer: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (🔴 Withdrawn – Rule violation)

Question 19: Which river is the longest in Europe?
Answer: Volga. (Greengoop)

Question 20: The symbol by which mercury is represented is Hg (hydrargyrum, from the Greek word “hydrargyros”, meaning “water” and “silver”). Why is it called mercury?
Answer: The metal was given this name because of its quick movement, as it is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature and moves rapidly, resembling the speed and agility of the god Mercury. (The Jonster)

Question 21: Who is the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury?
Answer: Hermes. (Pirez)

Question 22: Complete the sequence: 1 – 2 – 5 – 1 - 0.2 - 1.2 - ? - ?
Answer: (-199/5) and (-1199/5). (Hunchman801)

Question 23: Monaco isn’t the only micro-state. Name 5 more.
Answer: The Vatican, Andorra, San marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. (dr_st)

Question 24: You're going to listen to a very famous song. You have to tell me the movie (or saga) where it appears. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5t7Mgk_Jg)
Answer: The Matrix. (Pirez)

Question 25: Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous cyclists of history, and probably one of the biggest frauds. He won the Tour de France several times, but he was stripped of all his titles. How many times did he win the Tour de France?
Answer: 7. (Pirez)

Question 26: Making soap at home was quite common in the past, especially before commercial soap became widely available. Explain the elaboration process.
Answer: You need a fat or oil (lard, tallow, olive oil...), water and lye (NaOH, a base). The fat/oil is added to the lye solution and after continous stirring and heating, you'll get the soap. (Rsandee)

[dr_st]

Question 27
Here is a selection of photos from different iconic moments of the Football World Cup. Order them from the oldest to the most recent.

1-4-5-6-3-2 (86-94-98-02-06-10)

The goal at #5 I consider, to date, the best goal in the history of the World Cup.

Bonus question 2
A point M located on one side of a street, which is 6 meters wide, needs to be connected to a point N located on the other side of the street, 18 meters further down, using two straight cables: one from M to a point P, located on the other side of the street, and another from point P to point N.

The street was represented in a Cartesian coordinate system, and it was found that M=(0,6), P=(x,0) and N=(18,0).
The cable MP costs 10€/m, and the cable PN costs 5€/m.

Calculate and justify:
a) The total cost C of both cables as a function of x, where 0<x<18.
b) The value of x, within 0<x<18, that minimizes the total cost C.
c) The minimum total cost.

(a) 5 * (18-x) + 10 * sqrt (x^2 + 36)

(b) to find the local extremum, differentiate to get:
-5 + 2x*10 / (2 * sqrt(x^2+36)) = 0

Divide by 5 for simplicity:
2x/sqrt(x^2+36) -1 = 0

2x = sqrt(x^2+36) ==> 4x^2 = x^2 + 36 ==> 3x^2 = 36 ==> x = sqrt(12)

To prove that it's a minimum and not a maximum, prove that the second derivative is positive.
Scale doesn't matter so let's check the sign of:

d ( x/sqrt(x^2 + 36) ) / dx = [ 1 * sqrt(x^2+36) + x / (2 * sqrt(x^2+36)) ] / [ x^2 + 36]

For x = sqrt(12) everything here is obviously positive.

(c) The answer is 5 * (18-√12) + 10 * √48 ≈ 141.96

[Rsandee]

The distance of PM is x meters long in the x-axis and 6 meters long in the y axis. Using Pythagoras' theorem we can get the line (let's call it the z side): z = sqrt(x^2 + 6^2) = sqrt(x^2+36). I cannot simplify this further because x + 6 only holds true for x = 0. The distance PN is simply 18-x meters long. The total cost of C is thus: sqrt(x^2+36)*10€ + (18-x)*5€ with 0<x<18.

The value that minimizes this cost? Let's take the slope of this graph, I take the previous formula and tweak it a bit: C = 10(x^2 + 36)^0.5 + 90-5x
dC/dx = 2x * 0.5 * 10(x^2 +36)^-0.5 + -5
Now we find the minimum by setting dC/dx = 0: 2x * 0.5 * 10(x^2 + 36)^-0.5 + -5 = 0
10x/((x^2 + 36)^0.5) - 5 = 0
10x/((x^2 + 36)^0.5) = 5
2x = (x^2 + 36)^-0.5
4x^2 = x^2 + 36
3x^2 = 36
x^2 = 12
x = sqrt(12) = sqrt(3*4) = sqrt(3) * sqrt(4) = 2sqrt(3)
The value of x within 0<x<18 that minimizes the total cost C is equal to 2sqrt(3) meters.

The minimum total cost is then: C = 10((3sqrt(2))^2 + 36)^0.5 + 90-5(3sqrt(2))
C = 10(3^2 * 2 + 36)^0.5 + 90-15sqrt(2)
C = 10(18 + 36)^0.5 + 90-15sqrt(2)
C = 10(54)^0.5 + 90-15sqrt(2)
C = 10(9*6)^0.5 + 90-15sqrt(2)
C = 10(3sqrt(6)) + 90 - 15sqrt(2)
C = 90 + 30sqrt(6) - 15sqrt(2)
At this point I can't simplify it further so this is my final answer: the minimum total cost of C is equal to 90 + 30sqrt(6) - 15sqrt(2).

[DaveRattlehead]

1-4-5-6-3-2 (86-94-98-02-06-10)

The goal at #5 I consider, to date, the best goal in the history of the World Cup.

Nice, that's correct
This wasn't required to get the point, but I'll just put some context for those who aren't familiar with football.

• 1986: The hand of God. Maradona scores the first goal against England in a very tense match due to the Falklands war, which happened four years before this match.
• 1994: Roberto Baggio misses his penalty in the shootout. His miss made Brazil win the World Cup.
• 1998: Dennis Bergkamp scores against Argentina. The Netherlands won this match and qualified for the semifinals. This one is considered one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup.
• 2002: Ronaldo scores the first goal against Germany in the final. Brazil won that match 2-0 and its 5th World Cup.
• 2006: Zidane hits Materazzi, the Italian defender, in the final. It was his last match as a professional player. He recieved a red card and France lost the final against Italy on penalties.
• 2010: It was the third final for the Netherlands, and the first one for Spain. Xabi Alonso recieves a brutal kick from De Jong. The Netherlands extended their curse losing finals after being beaten 1-0.

(a) 5 * (18-x) + 10 * sqrt (x^2 + 36)

(b) to find the local extremum, differentiate to get:
-5 + 2x*10 / (2 * sqrt(x^2+36)) = 0

Divide by 5 for simplicity:
2x/sqrt(x^2+36) -1 = 0

2x = sqrt(x^2+36) ==> 4x^2 = x^2 + 36 ==> 3x^2 = 36 ==> x = sqrt(12)

To prove that it's a minimum and not a maximum, prove that the second derivative is positive.
Scale doesn't matter so let's check the sign of:

d ( x/sqrt(x^2 + 36) ) / dx = [ 1 * sqrt(x^2+36) + x / (2 * sqrt(x^2+36)) ] / [ x^2 + 36]

For x = sqrt(12) everything here is obviously positive.

(c) The answer is 5 * (18-√12) + 10 * √48 ≈ 141.96

And this is correct too
Really sorry for Rsandee because he got it right too (and very well explained too), but dr_st was faster this time!

A fun fact about this bonus question... Eight years ago I had to solve this same problem, with this same data, in the university admission test. Of course, I got it right, if that wasn't the case I wouldn't have included it here. A bit stupid to post something I can't even solve, right?

Leaderboard
Pirez - 7 points + Bonus question 1
Rsandee - 6 points + Half of bonus question 2
dr_st - 3 points + Half of bonus (Q22) + Bonus question 2
Greengoop - 2 points
The Jonster - 2 points
Hunchman801 - 2 points + Bonus (Q22)
PluMGMK - 1 point

Question 28
Which famous music video was shot at this location?

Code: Select all

Season 10 - History of questions

Question 1: Which metal is commonly used in traditional incandescent bulb filaments due to its high melting point and durability?
Answer: Tungsten. (The Jonster)

Question 2: Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most relevant people in French history. His occupation of Spain was quite particular, since it wasn’t a traditional military invasion. How did he do it?
Answer: Treaty of Fontainebleau. The invasion was never a traditional invasion, since Napoleon never declared war to Spain. Napoleon signed a secret agreement with Charles IV to invade Portugal. The French troops were supposed to simply pass through Spain, but instead they started occupying key cities with no resistance. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 3: The 24h of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. Although there’s an overall winner, the race is divided between several categories. Which was the last French manufacturer to win in the top category?
Answer: Peugeot, in 2009. (Pirez)

Question 4: What's the name of this painting (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11655&mode=view)? Who painted it?
Answer: Vitruvian man, by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Rsandee)

Question 5: Recently, Donald Trump has begun serving as president of the United States for the second time. However, his television appearances haven’t been solely for political reasons. Mention at least three appearances of Donald Trump on television (series/shows/movies).
Answer: The apprentice, Home Alone 2, Comedy Central roast. (Rsandee)

Question 6: Greenland is an autonomous territory that has appeared a lot in the news recently. Donald Trump has argued that it would be the best for the West if Greenland belonged to the United States and not Denmark. Which country (or union of countries) had the control of Greenland before Denmark had it exclusively?
Answer: Norway (check Treaty of Kiel for more information). (Hunchman801)

Question 7: Which country won the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup?
Answer: Pakistan. (dr_st)

Question 8: Which famous singer committed suicide in 1994?
Answer: Kurt Cobain. (Rsandee)

Question 9: Who was Laika? Why was she so important for science?
Answer: She's the first dog sent into orbit. Thanks to her, scientists could understand better what humans could experience in the conditions of a space travel. Four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human sent into space. (Pirez)

Question 10: This picture is from a specific movie. Which one is it? (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11686&mode=view)
Answer: Shutter Island. (Rsandee)

Question 11: Japan stands out for its large number of earthquakes because it lies in the boundary of different tectonic plates. This theory is more than studied and is the evolution of an earlier theory: the continental drift. Who developed this theory in detail and what does it consist of?
Answer: The continental drift is a scientific theory which exposes that Earth's continents move or drift relative to each other over geologic time. It was developed by Alfred Wegener. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 12: Japan is considered an enemy for North Korea, which shares border with South Korea, China and Russia. Which one is the last major Russian city before reaching the border with North Korea?
Answer: Vladivostok. (PluMGMK)

Question 13: What’s the best position the Russian Men's Basketball Team has achieved in a World Cup?
Answer: Second. (Pirez)

Question 14: During the COVID pandemic, Russia developed a vaccine (Sputnik V) parallel to the United States (Comirnaty). Sputnik V was based on a more “traditional” methodology, and Comirnaty was a fairly novel vaccine because it used “mRNA technology,” something that hadn’t been heard of much. In the context of biology, what is mRNA and what is its function?
Answer: Messenger RNA (mRNA) encodes what amino acids (and therefore what proteins) will be manufactured by the ribosomes in your body. It has the opposite genetic code of DNA upon transcription (A <-> T, C <-> G), with the caveat that Thymine (T) in mRNA is actually Uracil (U). (Rsandee)

Question 15: The structure of DNA is characterized by a double helix. The famous “Photograph 51” was extremely important for the description of this double helix. Who took that photo?
Answer: Rosalind Franklin/Raymond Gosling. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 16: In 1997 there was a movie about a dystopian future in which parents could select the best genes for their children to produce the strongest and most intelligent people. What's the name of this movie?
Answer: Gattaca. (Greengoop)

Question 17: John McEnroe is a very popular former tennis player who had a very controversial behaviour on-court. How many Roland Garros tournaments has John McEnroe won?
Answer: 0. (Pirez)

Question 18: You're going to listen 30 seconds of a very famous song. What's its name? Who's the author? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1WBgP0FXKc)
Answer: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (🔴 Withdrawn – Rule violation)

Question 19: Which river is the longest in Europe?
Answer: Volga. (Greengoop)

Question 20: The symbol by which mercury is represented is Hg (hydrargyrum, from the Greek word “hydrargyros”, meaning “water” and “silver”). Why is it called mercury?
Answer: The metal was given this name because of its quick movement, as it is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature and moves rapidly, resembling the speed and agility of the god Mercury. (The Jonster)

Question 21: Who is the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury?
Answer: Hermes. (Pirez)

Question 22: Complete the sequence: 1 – 2 – 5 – 1 - 0.2 - 1.2 - ? - ?
Answer: (-199/5) and (-1199/5). (Hunchman801)

Question 23: Monaco isn’t the only micro-state. Name 5 more.
Answer: The Vatican, Andorra, San marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. (dr_st)

Question 24: You're going to listen to a very famous song. You have to tell me the movie (or saga) where it appears. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5t7Mgk_Jg)
Answer: The Matrix. (Pirez)

Question 25: Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous cyclists of history, and probably one of the biggest frauds. He won the Tour de France several times, but he was stripped of all his titles. How many times did he win the Tour de France?
Answer: 7. (Pirez)

Question 26: Making soap at home was quite common in the past, especially before commercial soap became widely available. Explain the elaboration process.
Answer: You need a fat or oil (lard, tallow, olive oil...), water and lye (NaOH, a base). The fat/oil is added to the lye solution and after continous stirring and heating, you'll get the soap. (Rsandee)

Question 27: Here is a selection of photos from different iconic moments of the Football World Cup. Order them from the oldest to the most recent. (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11829&mode=view)
Answer: 1-4-5-6-3-2 (86-94-98-02-06-10). (dr_st)

[Rsandee]

I'm not going to disagree with the quizmaster's decision, but I will argue that my answer was exact and that dr_st's answer was an approximation.
I'm arguing this from a purely mathematical perspective, so like I said I'm not disagreeing with the decision.
Could I get half a bonus point?

[DaveRattlehead]

I'm not going to disagree with the quizmaster's decision, but I will argue that my answer was exact and that dr_st's answer was an approximation.
I'm arguing this from a purely mathematical perspective, so like I said I'm not disagreeing with the decision.

That's right, dr_st has proposed 141.96 as an answer. Is 141.96 a 100% accurate answer? No, it is not. The exact answer is 30·(3+√3) (watch out, you started simplifying with 3√2, not 2√3!). This expression gives us 141.9615242. Given such a small deviation and since we are talking about a numerical amount of money, I think it's fair to stick with an approximate result with two decimal numbers.

Could I get half a bonus point?

Fair enough.

[Rsandee]

I'm not going to disagree with the quizmaster's decision, but I will argue that my answer was exact and that dr_st's answer was an approximation.
I'm arguing this from a purely mathematical perspective, so like I said I'm not disagreeing with the decision.

That's right, dr_st has proposed 141.96 as an answer. Is 141.96 a 100% accurate answer? No, it is not. The exact answer is 30·(3+√3) (watch out, you started simplifying with 3√2, not 2√3!). This expression gives us 141.9615242. Given such a small deviation and since we are talking about a numerical amount of money, I think it's fair to stick with an approximate result with two decimal numbers.

Could I get half a bonus point?

Fair enough.

Oh shoot I didn't realise! And ah yes I didn't think about the practical application.
Thanks for the bonus!

[*]2010: It was the third final for the Netherlands, and the first one for Spain. Xabi Alonso recieves a brutal kick from De Jong. The Netherlands extended their curse losing finals after being beaten 1-0.

I will never forget the day!

[Greengoop]

I have a gut feeling it’s an Eminem song of sorts

[Pirez]

I'll try Straight Outta Compton because I have to try. My lead is shrinking. Even though we're talking about rap and I don't know anything about it.

Also team cat.

[dr_st]

• 1986: The hand of God. Maradona scores the first goal against England in a very tense match due to the Falklands war, which happened four years before this match.
• 1994: Dennis Bergkamp scores against Argentina. The Netherlands won this match and qualified for the semifinals. This one is considered one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup.
• 1998: Roberto Baggio misses his penalty in the shootout. His miss made Brazil win the World Cup.
• 2002: Ronaldo scores the first goal against Germany in the final. Brazil won that match 3-0 and its 5th World Cup.
• 2006: Zidane hits Materazzi, the Italian defender, in the final. It was his last match as a professional player. He recieved a red card and France lost the final against Italy on penalties.
• 2010: It was the third final for the Netherlands, and the first one for Spain. Xabi Alonso recieves a brutal kick from De Jong. The Netherlands extended their curse losing finals after being beaten 1-0.

You mixed 1994 and 1998, and in 2002 the final score was 2-0, but yeah.

Some more personal anecdotes. I was watching the 2006 final in a bar with some friends. During the shootout when Trezeguet approached the ball, I got this
"feeling" that made me want to yell out "hits the crossbar!" Surely enough, that's exactly what happened, and that single miss determined the fate of the cup. Of course, the bar was so loud, that only our table and the table next to us heard my yell.

That itself was a replay of a similar moment in the Euro 2004 final two years prior, when I received a similar 'feeling' just as the Greek player was approaching the ball to take the corner kick, which led to the only goal in the match. Back then it was in my parents' home and we were watching the match with them and our neighbors.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to reproduce my success as a football psychic beyond those two situations.

I'm not going to disagree with the quizmaster's decision, but I will argue that my answer was exact and that dr_st's answer was an approximation.

Uhm, I believe I wrote:

5 * (18-√12) + 10 * √48 ≈ 141.96

Only the last part is an approximation, which is evident by usage of the ≈ sign. The expression before it is the exact answer. Yes, it's not simplified as yours, but simplification wasn't part of the question.

I do have one error in my write-up - the quotient formula I used for the second derivative was wrong. It's [f ' * g MINUS g' * f] / g^2 . That's what I get for doing it so close to midnight. So I should have actually gone through the trouble to prove that the value is positive. But, I think you didn't even do that part in your solution. Not to mention that you simplified the wrong number.

But, of course, your math is good, so you totally deserve that bonus point.

Question 28
Which famous music video was shot at this location?

Wasn't it "Bad" by Michael Jackson? And, by extension, "Fat" by Weird Al Yankovic?

[Hunchman801]

I must post only to say that I approve of this mention of "Fat".

[Pirez]

The association of the words "bad" and "fat" made me chuckle a bit, I'd even add.

[DaveRattlehead]

I do have one error in my write-up - the quotient formula I used for the second derivative was wrong. It's [f ' * g MINUS g' * f] / g^2 . That's what I get for doing it so close to midnight. So I should have actually gone through the trouble to prove that the value is positive.

To be honest, I didn't realize, I just saw your value was correct and I assumed all the rest was fine.

Even if it isn't really that hard, it's very easy to make a mistake derivating again if you don't pay attention (and even more here, which isn't that serious at all), or under tense situations (like an admission test ). To avoid these kind of mistakes, I remember that I used to substitute with a number lower and higher than the solution (in this case, 2√3) in C(x). For example:
-C(2) ≈ 143.25
-C(2√3) ≈ 141.96
-C(5) ≈ 143.10
Since C(x) (being x higher or lower than the solution) has a higher value than C(2√3), we can confirm it's a minimum value in this mathematical function.

Wasn't it "Bad" by Michael Jackson? And, by extension, "Fat" by Weird Al Yankovic?

Leaderboard
Pirez - 7 points + Bonus question 1
Rsandee - 6 points + Half of bonus question 2
dr_st - 4 points + Half of bonus (Q22) + Bonus question 2
Greengoop - 2 points
The Jonster - 2 points
Hunchman801 - 2 points + Bonus (Q22)
PluMGMK - 1 point

Question 29
What was the political and territorial arrangement known as the "Prisoner in the Vatican" and how was it resolved?

These puppies are playing happily. dr_st shouldn't disturb them, so he should skip this question.

Code: Select all

Season 10 - History of questions

Question 1: Which metal is commonly used in traditional incandescent bulb filaments due to its high melting point and durability?
Answer: Tungsten. (The Jonster)

Question 2: Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most relevant people in French history. His occupation of Spain was quite particular, since it wasn’t a traditional military invasion. How did he do it?
Answer: Treaty of Fontainebleau. The invasion was never a traditional invasion, since Napoleon never declared war to Spain. Napoleon signed a secret agreement with Charles IV to invade Portugal. The French troops were supposed to simply pass through Spain, but instead they started occupying key cities with no resistance. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 3: The 24h of Le Mans is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. Although there’s an overall winner, the race is divided between several categories. Which was the last French manufacturer to win in the top category?
Answer: Peugeot, in 2009. (Pirez)

Question 4: What's the name of this painting (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11655&mode=view)? Who painted it?
Answer: Vitruvian man, by Leonardo Da Vinci. (Rsandee)

Question 5: Recently, Donald Trump has begun serving as president of the United States for the second time. However, his television appearances haven’t been solely for political reasons. Mention at least three appearances of Donald Trump on television (series/shows/movies).
Answer: The apprentice, Home Alone 2, Comedy Central roast. (Rsandee)

Question 6: Greenland is an autonomous territory that has appeared a lot in the news recently. Donald Trump has argued that it would be the best for the West if Greenland belonged to the United States and not Denmark. Which country (or union of countries) had the control of Greenland before Denmark had it exclusively?
Answer: Norway (check Treaty of Kiel for more information). (Hunchman801)

Question 7: Which country won the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup?
Answer: Pakistan. (dr_st)

Question 8: Which famous singer committed suicide in 1994?
Answer: Kurt Cobain. (Rsandee)

Question 9: Who was Laika? Why was she so important for science?
Answer: She's the first dog sent into orbit. Thanks to her, scientists could understand better what humans could experience in the conditions of a space travel. Four years later, Yuri Gagarin was the first human sent into space. (Pirez)

Question 10: This picture is from a specific movie. Which one is it? (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11686&mode=view)
Answer: Shutter Island. (Rsandee)

Question 11: Japan stands out for its large number of earthquakes because it lies in the boundary of different tectonic plates. This theory is more than studied and is the evolution of an earlier theory: the continental drift. Who developed this theory in detail and what does it consist of?
Answer: The continental drift is a scientific theory which exposes that Earth's continents move or drift relative to each other over geologic time. It was developed by Alfred Wegener. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 12: Japan is considered an enemy for North Korea, which shares border with South Korea, China and Russia. Which one is the last major Russian city before reaching the border with North Korea?
Answer: Vladivostok. (PluMGMK)

Question 13: What’s the best position the Russian Men's Basketball Team has achieved in a World Cup?
Answer: Second. (Pirez)

Question 14: During the COVID pandemic, Russia developed a vaccine (Sputnik V) parallel to the United States (Comirnaty). Sputnik V was based on a more “traditional” methodology, and Comirnaty was a fairly novel vaccine because it used “mRNA technology,” something that hadn’t been heard of much. In the context of biology, what is mRNA and what is its function?
Answer: Messenger RNA (mRNA) encodes what amino acids (and therefore what proteins) will be manufactured by the ribosomes in your body. It has the opposite genetic code of DNA upon transcription (A <-> T, C <-> G), with the caveat that Thymine (T) in mRNA is actually Uracil (U). (Rsandee)

Question 15: The structure of DNA is characterized by a double helix. The famous “Photograph 51” was extremely important for the description of this double helix. Who took that photo?
Answer: Rosalind Franklin/Raymond Gosling. (🟡 Withdrawn – No correct answers)

Question 16: In 1997 there was a movie about a dystopian future in which parents could select the best genes for their children to produce the strongest and most intelligent people. What's the name of this movie?
Answer: Gattaca. (Greengoop)

Question 17: John McEnroe is a very popular former tennis player who had a very controversial behaviour on-court. How many Roland Garros tournaments has John McEnroe won?
Answer: 0. (Pirez)

Question 18: You're going to listen 30 seconds of a very famous song. What's its name? Who's the author? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1WBgP0FXKc)
Answer: Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (🔴 Withdrawn – Rule violation)

Question 19: Which river is the longest in Europe?
Answer: Volga. (Greengoop)

Question 20: The symbol by which mercury is represented is Hg (hydrargyrum, from the Greek word “hydrargyros”, meaning “water” and “silver”). Why is it called mercury?
Answer: The metal was given this name because of its quick movement, as it is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature and moves rapidly, resembling the speed and agility of the god Mercury. (The Jonster)

Question 21: Who is the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mercury?
Answer: Hermes. (Pirez)

Question 22: Complete the sequence: 1 – 2 – 5 – 1 - 0.2 - 1.2 - ? - ?
Answer: (-199/5) and (-1199/5). (Hunchman801)

Question 23: Monaco isn’t the only micro-state. Name 5 more.
Answer: The Vatican, Andorra, San marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. (dr_st)

Question 24: You're going to listen to a very famous song. You have to tell me the movie (or saga) where it appears. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5t7Mgk_Jg)
Answer: The Matrix. (Pirez)

Question 25: Lance Armstrong is one of the most famous cyclists of history, and probably one of the biggest frauds. He won the Tour de France several times, but he was stripped of all his titles. How many times did he win the Tour de France?
Answer: 7. (Pirez)

Question 26: Making soap at home was quite common in the past, especially before commercial soap became widely available. Explain the elaboration process.
Answer: You need a fat or oil (lard, tallow, olive oil...), water and lye (NaOH, a base). The fat/oil is added to the lye solution and after continous stirring and heating, you'll get the soap. (Rsandee)

Question 27: Here is a selection of photos from different iconic moments of the Football World Cup. Order them from the oldest to the most recent. (https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11829&mode=view)
Answer: 1-4-5-6-3-2 (86-94-98-02-06-10). (dr_st)

Question 28: Which famous music video was shot at this location? https://raymanpc.com/forum/download/file.php?id=11832&mode=view
Answer: Bad, by Michael Jackson. (dr_st)

[Greengoop]

Maybe it was about how much of Rome the Vatican would be able to own, and it was settled by mass genocide?