Quiz 9 - 10 Questions on walking Stick

1. Which long term dictators, trademark was a leopard skin cap and a wooden walking stick, topped with an eagle, that allegedly took the strength of eight men to carry ?

2.In a walking stick, where the handle joins the shaft of the stick , a collar is fitted encircling the cane. This ringlet is of various widths and is made of various metals, horn, bone or ivory.. According to practice, what inscription is inscribed on this ring?

3. The credit for its invention ((perhaps invention is not a correct term here, but still lets go with it)  is given to James Biggs of Bristol .Ten years later in 1931 its use was popularised by BBC , Guilly d'Herbemont in France and Lions club International and today its use is adopted worldwide. what ?

4.A very long question- but interesting one. There is confusion in the medical community. The Rod of Asclepius shown below, which was a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine ...

.. is confused with caduceus the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. This symbol was traditionally used as a symbol of commerce, negotiations, alchemy and traders.

As you can see the major difference is between the number of serpents, the Asclepius has only one.
This confusion has percolated into symbols and many well know logos thus wrongly depict the caduceus. Below are some glaring examples

 






Some however have not fallen for the misconception and correctly used the right symbol

So the question. This erroneous use of the caduceus symbol was popularised largely as a result of the adoption of the caduceus as its insignia by an organisation in 1902 at the insistence of a single officer (though there are conflicting claims as to whether this was Capt. Frederick P. Reynolds or Col. John R. van Hoff). Which organisation ?

5. La canne is a light walking stick made of chestnut wood and slightly tapered. What is the main purpose for which this cane is designed?

6. Its invention is traditionally credited to a choir master of the Cologne Cathedral  during the 1670's and was designed to represent a shepherd's staff. The first historical reference of its use comes from America and goes back to 1847, when a German immigrant called August Imgard used it at his home. Its present day shape and colour was conceived only after 1900. What?

7.In the 1700's in England, a gentleman had to procure licenses for the privilege of carrying canes and had to abide by certain rules or risk losing the cane carrying privilege.Two of the three things a person carrying the walking stick was not supposed to do was, brandish it in the air and hang it on a button . What was the third rule that he had to follow as per the license?

8. The Fritz handle of a walking stick was developed in the 16th century, by a German Count. The design continues today and provides the  maximum comfort, support and style among all other handle designs,. For the sufferes of which disease was this handle first developed?

9. Which sport gets its name from ' crosier ', the staff with a hooked end like a shepherd’s crook, carried by Christian bishops, archbishops, or abbots, symbolizing their roles of caring for their congregations as shepherds tend flocks ?

10.  This person collected more than 200 exotically shaped walking sticks and never had to use a single only until his death. These are today housed in a museum, which has a separate section dedicated to them. Which museum ?

Quiz 8- 10 questions on Scratches- Answers

"I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches."-Alice Lee Longworth

1. If a doctor conducts a 'scratch test' on you, what is he doing?

Ans: Conducting a test for allergic susceptibility, by rubbing an extract of an allergy-producing substance into small breaks or scratches in the skin

2.For what innovation are DJ's 'Grandmaster Flash' and his apprentice  Grand wizzard Theodore best remembered in the world of music?

Ans: Both of the are credited for the technique of 'scratching', in which a record is spun back and forth beneath the needle of a turntable to create a scratchy sound.Today the sound is a standard in rap music.

 Wizzard

Flash

3.The term for this art technique is derived from an Italian word meaning “scratched.”The technique involves producing a design by incising or cutting through a surface layer of paint or plaster to reveal a contrasting undercoat. The technique was common in ancient Egyptian and Roman art and has been found in Pompeii and the Roman catacombs, the most famous of which is a caricature of Christ on the cross, found on the walls of the Domus Gelotiana on the Palatine Hill in Rome in 1856. The art has been a traditional folk art in Europe since the Middle Ages and was practiced as a fine art in 13th-century Germany. It has been recently revived in northern Europe.Which art form?

Ans: Sgraffito or Sgraffiti (plural form).

4.This disease, named after a south Indian city, results from inoculation into a scratch or abrasion of any of a number of fungi including Penicillium and Aspergillus (or even bacteria from the phylum Actinomycetes) .The disease also called mycetoma (Eumycetoma) fungus infection was first reported from the region around the city after which it is named and occurs most frequently in tropical and subtropical areas where people go barefoot. Which disease?

Ans: Madura foot or Maduromycosis.(Madurai was known as Madura until 1949)

5.The movie 'Polyester' released in 1981 was about a middle-class woman in Baltimore, trying to maintain her dignity in a chaotic atmosphere of tacky flamboyance. The movie was directed by John Waters and starred the transvestite Divine who played Francine Fishpaw, a housewife whose son is the notorious Baltimore Foot Stomper and whose husband runs a porno theater, the source of neighborhood protest and of the Fishpaws’ middle-class income. To make matters worse, Francine’s husband has an affair with his secretary, but soon Todd Tomorrow, a dashing heartthrob, comes to her rescue.Why were the audience to this movie given scratch cards?

The scents in order are: 1. Roses ; 2. Flatulence ; 3. Model Building Glue ; 4. Pizza 5. Gasoline ; 6.Skunk ; 7. Natural Gas ; 8; New Car Smell 9. Smelly Shoes 10. Air Freshener

6. “Itchy and Scratchy” on The Simpsons television show is a parody of which academy award winning film?

Ans: Tom and Jerry. Especially 'Mouse Trouble' . This short animated film released in 1944, has Tom following the advice of a book called How to Trap a Mouse and was the second Tom and Jerry film to win an Academy Award. Between 1940 to 1958. Tom and Jerry won seven Academy Awards for Animated Short Film,

7. Which animal gets its name from the native north american word for “he who scratches with his hands?”The name so given because of a very special behaviour of the animal.

Ans: Raccoon. Raccoon's appear to “wash” their food, exploring it with their nimble front paws, even in the absence of water. This behaviour was called as 'arakun' roughly “he who scratches with his hands.”

8.Reggae music producer, Perry Lee is nicknamed "Scratch" because his first album “The Chicken Scratch,” helped reshape reggae music.He pioneered the reggae instrumental form known as dub, in which sections of a rhythm track were removed and others emphasized through echo, distortion, repetition, and backward tape looping.Other than his own recordings he produced hits for Justin Hines and Delroy Wilson and played an important part in the early success of Jamaica's biggest group, the Wailers which included Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. What did Perry lee do to his finished master tapes to give them the proper “vibe?"

Ans :He blew marijuana smoke on his finished master tapes, which according to him gave them the proper "vibe."

9.In which sport will one come across a 'scratch player?'

Ans : Golf. A expert player of golf, who plays with a handicap of 0 is called so.

10. "May the enemies of Ireland never eat bread nor drink whisky, but be tormented with itching without benefit of scratching." If you were to here these words, what would you be doing?

Ans: Participating in the Traditional St. Patrick's Day toast

Did you know : The amount of wear and tear on fossil teeth provides a clue to diet. Through a scanning electron microscope  tiny pits and scratches on the surfaces of tooth enamel—called microwear patterns—can be observed. It has been observed that grasses leave linear scratches on the teeth, leaves produce apolished effect, and the bone crunching of carnivores gouges out tiny pits in the enamel.

Quiz 8- 10 questions on Scratches

"I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches."-Alice Lee Longworth

1. If a doctor conducts a 'scratch test' on you, what is he/she doing?

2.For what innovation are DJ's 'Grandmaster Flash' and his apprentice Grand wizzard Theodore best remembered in the world of music?

3.The term for this art technique is derived from an Italian word meaning “scratched.”The technique involves producing a design by incising or cutting through a surface layer of paint or plaster to reveal a contrasting undercoat. The technique was common in ancient Egyptian and Roman art and has been found in Pompeii and the Roman catacombs, the most famous of which is a caricature of Christ on the cross, found on the walls of the Domus Gelotiana on the Palatine Hill in Rome in 1856. The art has been a traditional folk art in Europe since the Middle Ages and was practiced as a fine art in 13th-century Germany. It has been recently revived in northern Europe.Which art form?

Caricature in Domus Gelotiana

The art form used in ceramics.

4.This disease, named after a south Indian city, results from inoculation into a scratch or abrasion of any of a number of fungi including Penicillium and Aspergillus (or even bacteria from the phylum Actinomycetes) .The disease also called mycetoma (Eumycetoma) fungus infection was first reported from the region around the city after which it is named and occurs most frequently in tropical and subtropical areas where people go barefoot. Which disease?

Click here to view an image ; Note image is very graphic. 

5.The movie 'Polyester' released in 1981 was about a middle-class woman in Baltimore, trying to maintain her dignity in a chaotic atmosphere of tacky flamboyance. The movie was directed by John Waters and starred the transvestite Divine who played Francine Fishpaw, a housewife whose son is the notorious Baltimore Foot Stomper and whose husband runs a porno theater, the source of neighborhood protest and of the Fishpaws’ middle-class income. To make matters worse, Francine’s husband has an affair with his secretary, but soon Todd Tomorrow, a dashing heartthrob, comes to her rescue.Why were the audience to this movie given scratch cards?

Trailer of the movie (certain parts have been edited out. If you are unable to watch the movie- It's ok )

6. “Itchy and Scratchy” on The Simpsons television show is a parody of which academy award winning film/ short film ?

7. Which animal gets its name from the native north american word for “he who scratches with his hands?”The name so given because of a very special behaviour of the animal.

8.Reggae music producer, Perry Lee is nicknamed "Scratch" because his first album “The Chicken Scratch,” helped reshape reggae music.He pioneered the reggae instrumental form known as dub, in which sections of a rhythm track were removed and others emphasized through echo, distortion, repetition, and backward tape looping.Other than his own recordings he produced hits for Justin Hines and Delroy Wilson and played an important part in the early success of Jamaica's biggest group, the Wailers which included Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. What did Perry lee do to his finished master tapes to give them the proper “vibe?"

9.In which sport will one come across a 'scratch player?'

10. "May the enemies of Ireland never eat bread nor drink whisky, but be tormented with itching without benefit of scratching." If you were to here these words, what would you be doing?

Quiz 7- 10 Questions on 'Events in the Bathtub' - Answers

A man complained to Alfred Hitchcock  that because his wife had seen the film, she refused to bathe or shower. He wanted suggestions as to what he could do and Hitchcock replied, "Sir, have you ever considered sending your wife to the dry cleaner?"

1. When Napoleon Bonaparte was taking bath one morning, his brothers Joseph and Lucien rushed in filled with rage, because of a certain decision taken by Napoleon. His brothers were angry because he refused to consult the legislature about it and they warned Napoleon that he will be exiled if he carried out his plans. Hearing this Napoleon fell back angrily in the tub, splashing water all over Joseph and Napoleon's valet, who was standing by with hot towels over his arm, crashed to the floor in a dead faint. Which action by Napoleon were the brothers protesting?

Ans: Napoleon's plan to sell Louisiana to America

2.He is supposedly the first person to import a bathtub into America. He improved its design and carried much of his correspondence and reading while being soaked in the tub. Which well known personality?

Ans: Benjamin Franklin

3.In Greek mythology, after his returned from the Trojan war, who was murdered by his wife , Clytemnestra who struck him twice with an axe while he was relaxing in the tub?

Ans:Agamemnon

4. Below is a PETA advertisement featuring a pregnant Marisa Miller. Against whom were they protesting ?

Ans: Seaworld . To bring awareness about mother orcas who are separated from their calves, which are taken to separate parks and ultimately confined to tanks.

5.While composing his last opera, 'Parsifal',  this composer soaked himself in a tub scented with vast quantities of Milk of Iris perfume for several hours every day. He insisted that the water be kept hot and heavily perfumed so that he could smell it as he sat at his desk, clad in outlandish silk and fur dressing gowns and surrounded by vials and sachets of exotic scents. Who?

Ans: Richard Wagner.

6. The city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada, hosts which famous annual event during mid-July?

Ans: International Bathtub Race during which participants race in motorized bathtubs across the Georgia strait to Vancouver

7. This name was coined by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in a bathtub.  On the morning of 1 January 1942, Churchill, who was staying in the White House,over the New Year's holiday, was taking a bath when Roosevelt knocked  on the door, was wheeled into the bathroom, and proposed he proposed the name.Churchill instantly liked the name and accepted it.Which Name?

Ans:United Nations. He got the name from Byron's Childe Harold:
   Here, where the sword United Nations drew,
   Our countrymen were warring on that day!
   And this is much--and all--which will not pass away

8. Jean-Paul Marat, who played an active role in the French revolution was assassinated by Charlotte Corday in 1793 . She killed him with a butchers knife while he was taking bath in his bathtub. This Event was made into a drama in 1963 by Peter Weiss and was later made into a movie directed by Peter Brook. The 1963 drama is about an imaginary play featuring inmates of  the historical Charenton Asylum in the early 1800s and centers around the assassination. In the drama, which historic character, who spent 13 years in the Charenton Asylum directs the play ?

Ans:  Marquis de Sade, from whose name the word sadism originates. The drama titles 'The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.', in the drama the actors are supposed to be the actual inmates performing the play, and the audience is supposed to be the 18th-century nobility watching them. This idea pulls the audience into the play itself, rather than allowing it to be passively entertained

9. Keith Relf the lead vocalist of the group 'The Yardbirds' died in his bathtub in 1976. What was he doing that killed him?

Ans: He was electrocuted while playing his improperly earthed electric-guitar in the bathtub.

10. This colorful personality often told people that he was one of a set of identical twins. No one could tell them apart because they were so similar. One day one of the twins drowned in bathtub, but no one ever knew which twin it was. he would then continue telling , "That was the tragedy. Everyone thought I was the one that lived, but I wasn't. It was my brother who lived. I was the one that was drowned!" Who?

Ans: Mark Twain.

Quiz 7- 10 Questions on 'Events in the Bathtub'

The discovery of Archimedes principle is the one famous event that happened in the bathtub, but history is full of such events, some famous some not so well known, here are some of them

1. When Napoleon Bonaparte was taking bath one morning, his brothers Joseph and Lucien rushed in filled with rage because of a certain decision taken by Napoleon. His brothers were angry because he refused to consult the legislature about it and they warned Napoleon that he will be exiled if he carried out his plans. Hearing this Napoleon fell back angrily in the tub, splashing water all over Joseph and Napoleon's valet who was standing by with hot towels over his arm and the valet crashed to the floor in a dead faint. Which action by Napoleon were the brothers protesting?

2.He is supposedly the first person to import a bathtub into America. He improved its design and carried much of his correspondence and reading while being soaked in the tub. Which well known personality?

3.In Greek mythology, after his returned from the Trojan war, who was murdered by his wife , Clytemnestra who struck him twice with an axe while he was relaxing in the tub?

4. Below is a PETA advertisement featuring a pregnant Marisa Miller. Against whom were they protesting ?

5.While composing his last opera, 'Parsifal',  this composer soaked himself in a tub scented with vast quantities of Milk of Iris perfume for several hours every day. He insisted that the water be kept hot and heavily perfumed so that he could smell it as he sat at his desk, clad in outlandish silk and fur dressing gowns and surrounded by vials and sachets of exotic scents. Who?

6. The city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Canada, hosts which famous annual event during mid-July?

7. This name was coined by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in a bathtub.  On the morning of 1 January 1942, Churchill, who was staying in the White House,over the New Year's holiday, was taking a bath when Roosevelt knocked  on the door, was wheeled into the bathroom, and he proposed the name.Churchill instantly liked the name and accepted it.Which Name?

8. Jean-Paul Marat, who played an active role in the French revolution was assassinated by Charlotte Corday in 1793 . She killed him with a butchers knife while he was taking bath in his bathtub. This Event was made into a drama in 1963 by Peter Weiss and was later made into a movie directed by Peter Brook. The 1963 drama is about an imaginary play featuring inmates of  the historical Charenton Asylum in the early 1800s and centers around the assassination. In the drama, which historic character, who spent 13 years in the Charenton Asylum directs the play ?

9. Keith Relf the lead vocalist of the group 'The Yardbirds' died in his bathtub in 1976. What was he doing that killed him?

The Yardbirds, 1966. From left: Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Chris Dreja, Keith Relf and Jim McCarty.

10.This colorful personality often told people that he was one of a set of identical twins. No one could tell them apart because they were so similar. One day one of the twins drowned in bathtub, but no one ever knew which twin it was. he would then continue telling , "That was the tragedy. Everyone thought I was the one that lived, but I wasn't. It was my brother who lived. I was the one that was drowned!" Who?

Quiz 6 : 10 Questions on Smells and Aromas - Answers

1. What connects the following odours - camphorlike, musky, floral, peppermintlike, ethereal (dry-cleaning fluid, for example), pungent (vinegarlike), and putrid ?

Ans: They are the seven basic odours , corresponding to the seven types of smell receptors in the olfactory-cell hairs

2. What is the common name for Halitosis ?

Ans: Bad breath or foul-smelling breath.

3. In Indian mythology, Sage Vyasa's mother always smelt of fish since she was born of a Nymph, cursed to be a fish. Later however, due to a blessing received from a wandering sage named Parashara, her smell changed to musk. What was her name ?

Ans : Satyavati, Also Matsyagandhi, Yojanagandha and Gandhavati  accepted.


4. The perfume 'Attar Mitti' made in perfume hubs like Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh and have a "Petrichor" aroma to it. In simpler terms, what does it smell like?

Ans: Smell of the earth at the time of first rains of monsoon.

5. Which compound has its origins in the Greek word for " to smell" ?

Ans: Ozone, from Greek ozein ‘to smell’. Now this was the answer that I was expecting until Annie gave the answer of Osmium, which too has the same etymology. However Osmium is not a compound and strictly speaking neither is Ozone (which is an allotropic form of Oxygen) hence the word 'compound' in the question can be misleading- In view of this points will be given to any substance that has the origin in the Greek word "to smell"

6. The cells of this plants have a chemical called alliin. When the cells are ruptured by cutting they release an enzyme called allinaise, which changes the inherent alliin  to allicin, a sulphur-containing molecule. This  results in which characteristically distinctive smell ?

Ans: The smell of Garlic

7.  In 1775 an English watchmaker named Alexander Cummings improved the design of the  flush toilet originally developed by  Sir John Harington  for Queen Elizabeth I. Which important innovation was added by Cummings to his design?

Ans: It  was the first toilet to include a water trap (S- type trap) in the exiting pipe that stopped odors from backing into the toilet room.  It survives in today's plumbing modified as a U- or J-shaped pipe trap located below or within a plumbing fixture.

8. Identify the artist.

Ans: Andy Warhol.

9. Which class of organic compounds are responsible for the disagreeable odor of flatulence, the characteristic smell of coffee and is added to the odourless LPG so that any leaks can be detected ?

Ans: Mercaptans or Thiol

10. They can be trained to sniff out  explosive materials including TNT, Semtex, C-4 and Uranium as well as gunpowder and propellants. Also they can detect early signs of fungal disease on crops, cancers and TB. No not sniffer dogs, these can be trained in less than five minutes and are increasingly being used world over for their smelling ability, which is more powerful than that of a sniffer dog. What creatures belonging to the Hymenoptera family am I talking about ?

Wasps and Bees. Sniffer wasps and Sniffer bees are being increasingly used these days. A device called the Wasp Hound odor detector, uses this very principle in its working.

Quiz 6 : 10 Questions on Smells and Aromas

Intro: An onion, apple and potato all have the same taste. The differences in flavour are caused by their smell.  Most sensations that appear introspectively as tastes are really smells


1. What connects the following odours - camphorlike, musky, floral, peppermintlike, ethereal (dry-cleaning fluid, for example), pungent (vinegarlike), and putrid ?

2. What is the common name for Halitosis ?

3. In Indian mythology Sage Vyasa's mother always smelt of fish, since she was born of a Nymph, cursed to be a fish. Later however due to a blessing received from a wandering sage named Parashara her smell changed to musk. What was her name ?

 

In a Raja Ravi Verma painting. 

4.The perfume 'Mitti Attar' made in perfume hubs like Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh and have a "Petrichor" aroma to it. In simpler terms, what does it smell like?

5. Which compound has its origins in the Greek word for " to smell" ?

6. The cells of this plants have a chemical called alliin. When the cells are ruptured by cutting they release an enzyme called allinaise, which changes the inherent alliin  to allicin, a sulphur-containing molecule. This  results in which characteristically distinctive smell ?

7.  In 1775 an English watchmaker named Alexander Cummings improved the design of the  flush toilet originally developed by  Sir John Harington  for Queen Elizabeth I. What important innovation was added by Cummings to his design?

8. Identify the artist.

9. Which class of organic compounds are responsible for the disagreeable odor of flatulence, the characteristic smell of coffee and is added to the odourless LPG so that any leaks can be detected ?

10. They can be trained to sniff out  explosive materials including TNT, Semtex, C-4 and Uranium as well as gunpowder and propellants. Also they can detect early signs of fungal disease on crops, cancers and TB. No not sniffer dogs, these can be trained in less than five minutes and are increasingly being used world over for their smelling ability, which is more powerful than that of a sniffer dog. What creatures belonging to the Hymenoptera family am I talking about ?

Quiz 5 - 10 Questions on people who died of starvation. Answers.

1.Robert O’Hara Burke, was the first explorer  to cross this country from south to north.He started his expedition with a pack of camels and horses in August 1860 with 18 men. The party was split into two groups,with an advance party leading and a main party trailing. By mid October Burke’s advance party reached Cooper Creek and in the arid heart of the country they established a supply depot. The rest of the party stayed at the depot while Burke and fellow explorers John King, Charles Gray and Wills, headed for the Gulf of Carpentaria ,but they could not penetrate the swamps and jungle scrub that lay between them and the Gulf of Carpentaria. On their return journey in February 1861 they faced constant rain and their rations were fast dwindling. Gray died four days before reaching the supply depot and when Burke, Wills, and King reached the depot they found that the party at the depot had left only hours before. Although they received help from local people Burke and Wills died at the end of June of starvation and exhaustion. Which country were they exploring?

Ans: Australia. They were appointed by the government to forge a route for the overland telegraph.

2. Which Indian king abdicated in favour of his son, became a monk and while in voluntary exile in the south of India, committed suicide by fasting to death ?

Ans: Chandragupta Maurya

3. This Greek mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and poet, was the first person to have calculated the Earth's circumference. He also measured the obliquity of the ecliptic and created a catalog  of 675 fixed stars.He became the head of the library at Alexandria and after becoming blind, he died in Alexandria of voluntary starvation. Who?

Ans:Eratosthenes

4. Pausanias ,the Spartan regent and general, the nephew of king Leonidas I, of Sparta, commanded the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea and  totally routed and expelled the Persians. But his adoption of Persian ways aroused suspicion among his fellow Greeks and was accused of treason but was acquitted. When a scheme to overthrow the Spartan government was uncovered Pausanias was recalled to Sparta and was killed. How did the Spartans kill Pausanias ?

Ans: Pausanias was forced to seek refuge in the temple of the goddess Athena to escape arrest. The Spartans walled in the sanctuary and starved him to death.

5. She was the daughter of Marcus Agrippa and Julia, the daughter of the emperor Augustus, married the Roman general Germanicus Caesar . After the death of her husband for reasons of succession she was exiled by Tiberius where she starved herself to death. Of her nine children , one son and three daughters survived her. The son suceeded Tiberius as the emperor Gaius Caligula one of her daughters became, the mother of the emperor Nero. Which virtuous and heroic women ?

Ans: Agrippina the Elder. Her daughter Agrippina the younger became Nero's mom.

Agrippina landing at Brundisium with the ashes of Germanicus, (1768, Benjamin West, oil on canvas). In art, Agrippina has served as a symbol of marital devotion and fidelity.

6. In the lineage of Popes, three well known Popes have died of starvation. Two of them were Pope John XIV who was imprisoned by Antipope Boniface VII and Pope John I who was later honoured as a martyr. Name the third Pope whose father Saint Hormisdas was also a Pope ?

Ans: Saint Silverius. Silverius was born to the future pope St. Hormisdas before Hormisdas had entered priesthood. Silverius was banished to the desolate island Palmarola (part of the Pontine Islands), where he starved to death a few months later.

7. George Washington De Long's attempt to reach the North Pole failed and his ship was trapped in ice east of Wrangel Island. The ship then drifted for 21 months before sinking and De Long and 13 of his crew died of starvation. The wreckage of the ship was found three years later on an ice floe off Greenland. Although the attempt ended in a disaster which theory was proved by the accident?

Ans: The drifting of the wreck supported and proved the theory of transarctic ice drift

De Long's Grave. 

8.This innovative documentary was made by Robert Flaherty, about the daily life of an Inuit family who lived on the shores of Canada’s Hudson Bay in the 1920s. The movie, follows an Inuit man as he hunts, builds a shelter, and struggles to survive in the harsh northern climate. unlike other nonfiction motion pictures of his time which  looked on foreign lands and peoples from a great distance, Flaherty got closer to his subjects and captured a way of life that no longer exists. He was also the first to add a narrative story line to a documentary. The main character of the movie after whom the movie was named died a few years later  of starvation. Which award winning documentary?

Ans:  Nanook of the North, the character's name was Nanook.

9. Referred by his followers as Ganga Putra he was a Hindu monk, who went on a hunger strike on 19 February 2011 to save the river Ganges from pollution caused by illegal mining in the river bed. He died on 13 June, the 115th day of his fast. Many believe that he was killed, but official reports suggest death by starvation and dehydration. Who? 

Ans: Nigamanand Saraswati  born as Swaroopam Kumar Jha "Girish"

10. The death due to fasting of Potti Sreeramulu, gave impetus to the formation of which Indian State? 

Ans: Andhra Pradesh. 

Quiz 5- 10 Questions on People who died of starvation

"Hunger is the best sauce..."

1.Robert O’Hara Burke, was the first explorer  to cross this country from south to north.He started his expedition with a pack of camels and horses in August 1860 with 18 men. The party was split into two groups,with an advance party leading and a main party trailing. By mid October Burke’s advance party reached Cooper Creek and in the arid heart of the country they established a supply depot. The rest of the party stayed at the depot while Burke and fellow explorers John King, Charles Gray and Wills, headed for the Gulf of Carpentaria ,but they could not penetrate the swamps and jungle scrub that lay between them and the Gulf of Carpentaria. On their return journey in February 1861 they faced constant rain and their rations were fast dwindling. Gray died four days before reaching the supply depot and when Burke, Wills, and King reached the depot they found that the party at the depot had left only hours before. Although they received help from local people Burke and Wills died at the end of June of starvation and exhaustion. Which country were they exploring?

2. Which Indian king abdicated in favour of his son, became a monk and while in voluntary exile in the south of India, committed suicide by fasting to death ?

3. This Greek mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and poet, was the first person to have calculated the Earth's circumference. He also measured the obliquity of the ecliptic and created a catalog  of 675 fixed stars.He became the head of the library at Alexandria and after becoming blind, he died in Alexandria of voluntary starvation. Who?

4. Pausanias ,the Spartan regent and general, the nephew of king Leonidas I, of Sparta, commanded the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea and  totally routed and expelled the Persians. But his adoption of Persian ways aroused suspicion among his fellow Greeks and was accused of treason but was acquitted. When a scheme to overthrow the Spartan government was uncovered Pausanias was recalled to Sparta and was killed. How did the Spartans kill Pausanias ?
(Starved him is not a good enough answer)

5. She was the daughter of Marcus Agrippa and Julia, the daughter of the emperor Augustus. She married the Roman general Germanicus Caesar . After the death of her husband for reasons of succession she was exiled by Tiberius where she starved herself to death. Of her nine children , one son and three daughters survived her. The son suceeded Tiberius as the emperor Gaius Caligula one of her daughters became, the mother of the emperor Nero. Which virtuous and heroic women ?

6. In the lineage of Popes, three well known Popes have died of starvation. Two of them were Pope John XIV who was imprisoned by Antipope Boniface VII and Pope John I who was later honoured as a martyr. Name the third Pope whose father Saint Hormisdas was also a Pope ?

7. George Washington De Long's attempt to reach the North Pole failed and his ship was trapped in ice east of Wrangel Island in Chukchi Sea. The ship then drifted for 21 months before sinking and De Long and 13 of his crew died of starvation. The wreckage of the ship was found three years later on an ice floe off Greenland. Although the attempt ended in a disaster which theory was proved by the accident?

Fact: The De Long Islands of Russia are named after him.

The ill fated USS Jeannette, that got ice-crushed.

8.This innovative documentary was made by Robert Flaherty, about the daily life of an Inuit family who lived on the shores of Canada’s Hudson Bay in the 1920s. The movie, follows an Inuit man as he hunts, builds a shelter, and struggles to survive in the harsh northern climate. unlike other nonfiction motion pictures of his time which  looked on foreign lands and peoples from a great distance, Flaherty got closer to his subjects and captured a way of life that no longer exists. He was also the first to add a narrative story line to a documentary. The main character of the movie after whom the movie was named died a few years later  of starvation. Which award winning documentary?

The main character in the documentary.

9. Referred by his followers as Ganga Putra he was a Hindu monk, who went on a hunger strike on 19 February 2011 to save the river Ganges from pollution caused by illegal mining in the river bed. He died on 13 June, the 115th day of his fast. Many believe that he was killed, but official reports suggest death by starvation and dehydration. Who?

10.The death due to fasting of Potti Sreeramulu, gave impetus to the formation of which Indian State?

And as they say in Haiti: " Hunger will make a monkey eat pepper "
Happy Quizzing and have fun.

Quiz 4- 10 Questions on Footprints - Answers

1. Shrines called Qadam Rasul are found  Delhi, Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Gaur (Malda), Murshidabad in West Bengal, Cuttak. What are they exclusively believed to contain?

Ans: They contain or contained the Footprints of Prophet Mohammed.

2.On February 6th 1971, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews sent an urgent telegram. It read thus "Before leaving a bunker, a player should fill up and smooth over the footprints he has made". To whom was it sent?

Ans: To Alan Shepard, after he played the famous golf shot on the moon. The lines were a reminder of golfing etiquette.

3.In Chinese folklore what was invented by the legendary inventor Ts'ang Chieh (Cangjie) and got his ideas from observing animals' footprints and birds' claw marks on the sand?

Ans: Chinese writing / Chinese Characters.
He started to work out simple images from what he conceived as representing different objects such as those that are given below:

4. At which place in Hollywood, California will you find the footprints, handprints and signatures of stars since 1920 ?

Ans: TCL Chinese Theater

5. Where will you find this ?

Ans: Gandhi Smriti, in New Delhi, former Birla house, the place where Gandhi was assassinated. The footsteps retrace the final steps of Gandhi.  The footprints lead to the 'Martyr's Column'

6.Which English word meaning a footprint, originates from the Hindi word with the same meaning ?

Ans: Pug, as in pugmark from the Hindi word Pag meaning foot or footprint.

7. . In the Buddhist tradition it symbolizes the feet, or the footprints, of the Buddha. It is often placed at the beginning and end of inscriptions, and modern Tibetan Buddhists use it as a clothing decoration. With the spread of Buddhism, it has passed into the iconography of China and Japan, where it has been used to denote plurality, abundance, prosperity, and long life.What?

Ans: Swastika 

8. This large, hairy human like creature has been variably described by many as a primate ranging from 6 to 15 feet tall. Its Footprints have measured up to 24 inches in length and 8 inches in width. The credit for the discovery of its first set of footprints is attributed to British explorer David Thompson and hundreds of alleged prints have been adduced since then. Visual sightings and even alleged photographs and filming notably by Roger Patterson in 1967 have also contributed to the legend, though none of the purported evidence has been verified and the creature still remains elusive. Which creature?

Ans: No, it's not the Yeti. It is the 'Sasquatch' also called Bigfoot, the North American counterpart of the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti.

9. This peak in the local language is called 'Samanhela'. The peak contains a depression about 1.5 m long by about 76 cm wide that is shaped like a human footprint.Buddhist believe that it is the footprint left by Buddha, while for the Hindus it is the footprint of lord Shiva. But it is the muslim belief that gives this peak its English name. Ibn Battutah climbed the peak in 1345 to see the footprint. Which peak ?

Ans: Adam's Peak, Sri Pada. According to Muslim tradition, the summit was the scene of the penance of Adam (after his expulsion from Paradise), during which he stood on one foot for a thousand years.

10. Cacus, an ancient Roman fire god and son of Vulcan, another Roman god of fire inhabited a cave on Mount Aventine, and plundered the surrounding country.When Hercules came to Italy with the cattle of Geryon, a three-headed monster, Cacus stole some of the cattle and took them to his cave.What stratagem did Cacus use to prevent the footprint of the cattle from showing where they were taken ?

Ans: He dragged them backward by their tails to his cave; so their tracks all seemed to show that they had gone in the opposite direction.But the noise of the cattle betrayed their whereabouts, and Hercules found the thief and killed him.