Tough Trivia, 6/15/21

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Today’s Tough Trivia question about the Arts:

In the history of western classical music, there have been several styles or periods – and within them trends or schools – which build on and transform those that came before. If I list them for you in alphabetical order, can you arrange them in chronological order?

The periods: Baroque, Classical, Contemporary, Galant, Medieval, Modernism, Renaissance, and Romantic.

The trends or schools within those periods: Ars antiqua, Ars nova, Ars subtilior, Empfindsamkeit. Expressionism, Impressionism, Mannheim school, Minimalism, Neoclassicism, Postminimalism, Postmodernism, Serialism, and Sturm und Drang.

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Yesterday’s question:

When we measure human life spans, we talk about decades. When we measure the lives of countries, we talk about centuries. But when we talk about the history of the planet, we’re talking about geologic time. We divide geologic time into Eons, which are subdivided into eras, which are themselves subdivided into Periods. The cruel questioner in me wants to say “name the Periods,” but I have some mercy. I’m going to give you the Eons, Eras, and Periods. Your job is to put the Periods in the correct Eras (with bonus points for listing them in order).

The Phanerozoic Eon is broken into the Cenozoic (current), Mesozoic, and Paleozoic Eras. The Proterozoic Eon was broken into the Neoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Paleoproterozoic Eras). Before the Proterozoic was the Archean Eon, broken into the Neoarchean, Mesoarchean, Paleoarchean,and Eoarchean Eras, but we don’t divide that Eon into Periods, so you can ignore it.

Here are the Periods in alphabetical order (some of which we subdivide into Epochs): Calymmian, Cambrian, Carboniferous (Mississippian and Pennsylvanian), Cretaceous, Cryogenian, Ectasian, Ediacaran, Jurassic, Neogene (Miocene and Pliocene), Devonian, Ordovician, Orosirian, Paleogene (Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene), Permian, Quaternary (Pleistocene and Holocene), Rhyacian, Siderian, Silurian, Statherian, Stenian, Tonian, and Triassic.

The answer, from most recent to earliest:

Phanerozoic Eon, Cenozoic Era: Quaternary (from the present to 2.588 million years ago [MYA])

Neogene (2.588 to 23.03 MYA)

Paleogene (23.03 to 66.0 MYA)

Mesozoic Era: Cretaceous (66.0 to 145.5 MYA)

Jurassic (145.0 to 201.3 MYA)

Triassic (201.3 to 252.17 MYA)

Paleozoic Era: Permian (252.17 to 298.9 MYA)

Carboniferous (298.9 to 358.9 MYA)

Devonian (358.9 to 419.2 MYA)

Silurian (419.2 to 443.4 MYA)

Ordovician (443.4 to 485.4 MYA)

Cambrian (485.4 to 541.0 MYA)

Proterozoic Eon, Neoproterozoic Era: Edicaran (from 541 to 635 MYA)

Cryogenian (635 to 850 MYA)

Tonian (850 to 1,000 MYA)

Mesoproterozoic: Stenian (1,000 to 1,200 MYA)

Ectasian (1,200 to 1,400 MYA)

Calymmian (1,400 to 1,600 MYA)Paleoproterozoic: Statherian (1,600 to 1,800 MYA)

Orosirian (1,800 to 2,050 MYA)

Rhyacian (2,050 to 2,300 MYA)

Siderian (2,300 to 2,500 MYA)

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/14/21

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Today’s Tough Trivia question is History, deep history:

When we measure human life spans, we talk about decades. When we measure the lives of countries, we talk about centuries. But when we talk about the history of the planet, we’re talking about geologic time. We divide geologic time into Eons, which are subdivided into eras, which are themselves subdivided into Periods. The cruel questioner in me wants to say “name the Periods,” but I have some mercy. I’m going to give you the Eons, Eras, and Periods. Your job is to put the Periods in the correct Eras (with bonus points for listing them in order).

The Phanerozoic Eon is broken into the Cenozoic (current), Mesozoic, and Paleozoic Eras. The Proterozoic Eon was broken into the Neoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Paleoproterozoic Eras). Before the Proterozoic was the Archean Eon, broken into the Neoarchean, Mesoarchean, Paleoarchean,and Eoarchean Eras, but we don’t divide that Eon into Periods, so you can ignore it.

Here are the Periods in alphabetical order (some of which we subdivide into Epochs): Calymmian, Cambrian, Carboniferous (Mississippian and Pennsylvanian), Cretaceous, Cryogenian, Ectasian, Ediacaran, Jurassic, Neogene (Miocene and Pliocene), Devonian, Ordovician, Orosirian, Paleogene (Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene), Permian, Quaternary (Pleistocene and Holocene), Rhyacian, Siderian, Silurian, Statherian, Stenian, Tonian, and Triassic.

***

Friday’s question was:

800px-Dennis_Tito
Dennis Tito in 2003.

There is one specific feature or quality that puts these people on the same list, these people and only these people. What is that thing which brings them together? Bonus points if you can also list them in the proper order of their placement on this list (rather than the simple alphabetical order in which they are presented here). Anousheh Ansari, Richard Garriott, Guy Laliberte, Gregory Olsen, Mark Shuttleworth, Charles Simonyi, and Dennis Tito.

The answer is:

They are all the people who have paid to be and then actually travelled into space:

Dennis Tito (April 28–May 6, 2001)

Mark Shuttleworth (April 25–May 5, 2002)

Gregory Olsen (October 1–10, 2002)

Anousheh Ansari (September 20–29, 2006)

Charles Simonyi (April 7–21, 2007)

Richard Garriott (October 12–24, 2008)

Charles Simonyi (second flight, March 26–April 8, 2009)

Guy Laliberte (September 30–October 11, 2009)

As of the date of this writing, there are at least 11 more space tourists scheduled to fly, starting in September.

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/11/21

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Today’s Grab Bag Tough Trivia question is:

There is one specific feature or quality that puts these people on the same list, these people and only these people. What is that thing which brings them together? Bonus points if you can also list them in the proper order of their placement on this list (rather than the simple alphabetical order in which they are presented here). Anousheh Ansari, Richard Garriott, Guy Laliberte, Gregory Olsen, Mark Shuttleworth, Charles Simonyi, and Dennis Tito.

***

1024px-Star_wars2.svgYesterday’s question was:

Popular movies make money. Very popular movies spawn sequels. Incredibly popular movies become franchises. How many movies have been made in each of the following franchises?

The answers are:

The Fast and the Furious: 9 (starting in 2001)

Harry Potter: 10 (starting in 2001 with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

Indiana Jones: 4 (starting with 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark)

James Bond: 25 Eon Productions films (starting with 1962’s Dr. No) plus two non-canon films (1967’s Casino Royale and 1983’s Never Say Never Again)

Jurassic Park: 5 (starting in 1993)

Middle-earth: 6 (starting with 2001’s The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring)

Pirates of the Caribbean: 5 (starting in 2003)

Planet of the Apes: 9 (starting in 1968)

Rocky: 8 (starting in 1976)

Star Trek: 13 (starting with 1979’s Star Trek the Motion Picture)

Star Wars: 11 (starting with 1977’s Star Wars, later subtitled “A New Hope”)

X-Men: 12 (starting in 2000)

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/10/21

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Jurassic_Park_(franchise_logo)Today’s Tough Trivia is an Entertainment question: Popular movies make money. Very popular movies spawn sequels. Incredibly popular movies become franchises. How many movies have been made in each of the following franchises?

The Fast and the Furious

Harry Potter

Indiana Jones

James Bond

Jurassic Park

Middle-earth

Pirates of the Caribbean

Planet of the Apes

Rocky

Star Trek

Star Wars

X-Men

***

Yesterday’s question was: A unit prefix is a specifier that gos on the front of a unit of measurement to indicate multiples (1, 10, 100, etc.) or fractions (1/10, 1/100, 1/1000) of the unit. Some of those common prefixes are kilo, milli, mega, nano, etc. So your job is to come up with as many of those prefixes as you can, and the numbers they refer to (put them in order; it’s easier that way).

The answers are:

From smallest to largest, they are:

yocto: 10^-24 (0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001)

zepto: 10^-21

atto: 10^-18

femto: 10^-15

pico: 10^-12

nano: 10^-9

micro: 10^-6

milli: 10^-3

centi: 10^-2

deci: 10^-1

deca or deka: 10^1

hecto: 10^2

kilo: 10^3

mega: 10^6

giga: 10^9

tera: 10^12

peta: 10^15

exa: 10^18

zetta: 10^21

yotta: 10^24

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

 

Tough Trivia, 6/9/21

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Today’s Tough Trivia question category is Science: A unit prefix is a specifier that gos on the front of a unit of measurement to indicate multiples (1, 10, 100, etc.) or fractions (1/10, 1/100, 1/1000) of the unit. Some of those common prefixes are kilo, milli, mega, nano, etc. So your job is to come up with as many of those prefixes as you can, and the numbers they refer to (put them in order; it’s easier that way).

***

Grant_Wood_-_American_Gothic_-_Google_Art_ProjectYesterday’s question: There are some artists who have become household names. And there are some works of art whose titles are equally famous. Given this alphabetical list of oil paintings, can you name the proper artist for each? Bonus points if you can put them in order of their creation.

The answers:

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, aka Whistler’s Mother by James McNeill Whistler (1871)

The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassatt (1893)

American Gothic by Grant Wood (1930)

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali (1931)

Horse’s Skull with Pink Rose by George

Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1937)

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird by Frida Kahlo (1940)

Nighthawks by Edward Hopper (1942)

The Old Checkered House in Cambridge Valley by Grandma Moses (1943)

Number 17A by Jackson Pollock (1948)

Le Grand Cirque by Marc Chagall (1956)

Le_Grand_Cirque_(1956)***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/8/21

~ ianrandalstrock ~ 1 Comment

The_Persistence_of_MemoryToday’s Tough Trivia question is an Art question: There are some artists who have become household names. And there are some works of art whose titles are equally famous. Given this alphabetical list of oil paintings, can you name the proper artist for each? Bonus points if you can put them in order of their creation.

American Gothic

Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1

The Child’s Bath

Le Grand Cirque

Guernica

Horses’s Skull with Pink Rose

Nighthawks

Number 17A

The Old Checkered House in Cambridge Valley

The Persistence of Memory

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird

***

Yesterday’s question was: In Canada, it’s Canada Day. In the USA, it’s Independence Day. In France, it’s Bastille Day. Whatever the locals call it, it’s their national day of celebration. Can you list the dates these countries celebrate their national days? And the harder part: can you name the countries they’re celebrating their independence from? (They’re listed here in alphabetical order, not that that’s a hint as to which date is which.)

The answers are:

Brazil: September 7, 1822, Portugal

Canada: July 1, 1867, UK (actually, they celebrate the establishment of the Dominion of Canada)

France: July 14, 1789 (overthrow of the French monarchy)

Greece: March 25, 1821, Ottoman Empire

India: August 15, 1947, UK

Israel: Iyar 5, 1948, UK / British Mandate (since the date is set on the Hebrew calendar, it falls somewhere between April 15 and May 15 on the Gregorian calendar)

Liberia: July 26, 1847, USA

Mexico: September 16, 1810, Spain

Singapore: August 9, 1965, Malaysia

USA: July 4, 1776, UK

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/7/21

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Today’s Tough Trivia question category is History:

In Canada, it’s Canada Day. In the USA, it’s Independence Day. In France, it’s Bastille Day. Whatever the locals call it, it’s their national day of celebration. Can you list the dates these countries celebrate their national days? And the harder part: can you name the countries they’re celebrating their independence from? (They’re listed here in alphabetical order, not that that’s a hint as to which date is which.)

Brazil

Canada

France

Greece

India

Israel

Liberia

Mexico

Singapore

USA

***

Friday’s question: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) administers presidential libraries, but not all presidents have libraries in the system. Actually they only start with Herbert Hoover’s Presidential Library and Museum, which was dedicated in 1962 (though two of his successors’ libraries pre-date his). Can you name the locations of the NARA presidential libraries?

The answers:

IMG_3809
Ian Randal Strock at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, May 8, 2016.

Herbert Hoover: West Branch, Iowa

Franklin D. Roosevelt: Hyde Park, New York

Harry S Truman: Independence, Missouri

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Abilene, Kansas

John F. Kennedy: Boston, Massachusetts

Lyndon B. Johnson: Austin, Texas

Richard Nixon: Yorba Linda, California

Gerald Ford: Ann Arbor, Michigan (though his Presidential Museum is a separate site, in Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Jimmy Carter: Atlanta, Georgia

Ronald Reagan: Simi Valley, California

George H.W. Bush: College Station, Texas

Bill Clinton: Little Rock, Arkansas

George W. Bush: Dallas, Texas

Barack Obama: Chicago, Illinois (they expect to break ground for the building this year)

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/4/21

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2019_Macy's_Parade_-_Santa's_sleigh_and_reindeerToday’s Grab Bag question: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) administers presidential libraries, but not all presidents have libraries in the system. Actually they only start with Herbert Hoover’s Presidential Library and Museum, which was dedicated in 1962 (though two of his successors’ libraries pre-date his). Can you name the locations of the NARA presidential libraries?

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Walt_Disney_Snow_white_1937_trailer_screenshot_(13)
Walt Disney with models of the seven dwarfs in 1937.

Yesterday’s question: Monomynous people: so cool that they only need one name. Some of them, however, we only know because of the groups to which they belong. So today, your challenge is to name the members of these groups: Santa’s eight (or nine) reindeer, Snow White’s seven dwarfs, the five Spice Girls, and the three Powerpuff Girls. Bonus points if you can name them in alphabetical order.

The answers are:

Reindeer: Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder (or Donner), Prancer, Rudolph, and Vixen.

Dwarfs: Bashful, Doc, Dopey Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.

1024px-Spice_Girls_2008_01_croppedSpice Girls: Baby, Ginger, Posh, Scary, and Sporty.

Powerpuff Girls: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup.

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

Powerpuff_girls_charactersAnd if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Financial support in the form of tips is very much appreciated: paypal.me/ianrandalstrock

Tough Trivia, 6/3/21

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Today’s Entertainment question is about monomynous people: so cool that they only need one name. Some of them, however, we only know because of the groups to which they belong. So today, your challenge is to name the members of these groups: Santa’s eight (or nine) reindeer, Snow White’s seven dwarves, the five Spice Girls, and the three Powerpuff Girls. Bonus points if you can name them in alphabetical order.

***

Yesterday’s question: Light, or visible light, is no different from radio waves, x-rays, or any other part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The only difference is that this portion of the spectrum can be perceived by the human eye. The spectrum ranges from gamma rays, with wavelengths of 10^-16 meters (that is, ten to the negative 16th power) or frequency of 10^24 Hertz (ten to the positive 24th power), out to long radio waves (wavelengths of 10^8 meters, frequency at 1 Hertz). The colors of visible light are determined by their wavelengths (or frequencies). Can you list them from shortest to longest wavelength? Even better, can you list their wavelengths?

The answers:

Violet: 380 to 450 nanometers
Blue: 450 to 495 nm
Green: 495 to 570 nm
Yellow: 570 to 590 nm
Orange: 590 to 620 nm
Red: 620 to 750 nm

Linear_visible_spectrum.svg

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Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.

Tough Trivia, 6/2/21

~ ianrandalstrock ~ Leave a comment

Today’s Science question: Light, or visible light, is no different from radio waves, x-rays, or any other part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The only difference is that this portion of the spectrum can be perceived by the human eye. The spectrum ranges from gamma rays, with wavelengths of 10^-16 meters (that is, ten to the negative 16th power) or frequency of 10^24 Hertz (ten to the positive 24th power), out to long radio waves (wavelengths of 10^8 meters, frequency at 1 Hertz). The colors of visible light are determined by their wavelengths (or frequencies). Can you list them from shortest to longest wavelength? Even better, can you list their wavelengths?

***

Gilbert-GS-Big
W.S. GIlbert

Yesterday’s question: Gilbert and Sullivan are one of the most famous duos of theatrical creators. Dramatist W.S. Gilbert (1836–1911) wrote the libretti, and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) wrote the music. Together, they created enduring entertainment that to this day is the inspiration of theatrical companies still performing their works, fan clubs and societies worldwide, and even the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. But how many of their collaborations can you name? Bonus points for listing them in chronological order.

The answer:

Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on fourteen operas:
Thespis (1871): a Christmas entertainment
Trial by Jury (1875): a short opera spoofing the law
The Sorcerer (1877): English light opera
H.M.S. Pinafore (1878): their first international hit, a satire of the Royal Navy and social status

Sir_Arthur_Seymour_Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan

The Pirates of Penzance (New Year’s Eve, 1879): a comic look at duty, obligation, and respectability
Patience (1881): a satire of the aesthetic movement
Iolanthe (1882): a satire of the law, the House of Lords, and the war between the sexes
Princess Ida (1884): a spoof of women’s education and male chauvinism, based on Tennyson’s poem The Princess: A Medley
The Mikado (1885): their longest-running hit (672 performances in its original production), a satire of English bureaucracy, thinly disguised by a Japanese setting
Ruddigore (1887): an upside look at Victorian melodrama (originally called Ruddygore)
The Yeoman of the Guard (1888): their only joint work with a serious ending, concern a pair of strolling players caught in a risky intrigue at the Tower of London in the 1500s
The Gondoliers (1889): a satire of class distinctions
Utopia, Limited (1893): a satire of business and the Joint Stock Company Act
The Grand Duke (1896): their only financial failure, and their last collaboration, it concerns a troupe of actors taking political power

***

Ian’s Tough Trivia is a daily feature of this blog (Monday’s category is History; Tuesday is Arts; Wednesday is Science; Thursday is Entertainment; and Friday is Grab Bag). Each day, I post a tough question, as well as the answer to the previous day’s question. Simply comment on this post with your answer. I’ll approve the comments after the next question is posted. Sure, you can probably find the answers by searching the web, but what’s the fun in that?

And if you’ve got a favorite trivia question—or even just a topic for which you’d like to see a question—let me know! Reader participation is warmly encouraged.