Mass transportation

An astronaut whose mass is 55 kg (121 lb) travels to the Moon. What is her approximate mass now?

A) Zero
B) 9 kg (20 lb)
C) 18 kg (40 lb)
D) 55 kg (121 lb)

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A breath of fresh, mixed gases

The two most abundant constituents of the Earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen (78.1% by volume) and oxygen (20.9%). What comes third?

A) Argon
B) Helium
C) Hydrogen
D) Methane

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Seeing the big picture

September 1953 saw the first release of a Hollywood film shot with the wide-screen Cinemascope™ process. What was its name?

A) Becky Sharp
B) How to Marry a Millionaire
C) The Robe
D) White Christmas

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A ball for Bucky

What is a “buckyball”?

A) A baseball pitch in which the ball dips suddenly
B) A heavy exercise ball
C) A sweet, sticky candy
D) A type of carbon molecule

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Scotch broth

What is the meaning of the “scotch” in “hopscotch”?

A) From Scotland, where the game originated
B) Scotch whisky, because it resembles a drunken frolic
C) The old word scotch meaning to make an incision
D) The schottische, a lively dance

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Supernova

What is a supernova?

A) Any very recent astronomical discovery
B) A collision between high-energy stars
C) An exploding star that can outshine an entire galaxy
D) The massive eruption from a star crashing into a black hole

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From the jargon bin

Which of the following would be likeliest to use the phrase “Gardez la reine!” in the course of a busy day?

A) A ballet master
B) A chess player
C) A kidney surgeon
D) A weather forecaster

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One in a million

The prefix micro means one millionth. A century is 100 years. Quick now, about how long is a microcentury?

A) 59 seconds
B) 53 minutes
C) 47 hours
D) 41 days

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The height of flight

The record for the highest-flying bird was set when:

A) A vulture was sucked into a jet engine at 11,550 m (37,900 ft.)
B) Geese were seen above Mt. Everest at over 8,840 m (29,000 ft.)
C) A duck collided with an airplane at 6,400 m (21,000 ft.)
D) A black-poll warbler flock was observed at 4,880 m (16,000 ft.)

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No small achievement

One of the seven “wonders of the ancient world” was the Colossus of Rhodes, an enormous bronze statue of a male figure. Whom did the figure represent?

A) Alexander the Great of Macedonia
B) Helios, the Greek sun-god
C) Socrates, the Athenian philosopher
D) Xerxes, ruler of the Persian Empire

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