1. QUIZZARDS OF THE OZ
A GENERAL QUIZ BY ANKUR SINHA
18 APRIL, THURSDAY
F-104
5:30 PM
2. POUNCE and BOUNCE:
Qs 1-20 Clockwise, 20-40 Anti-Clockwise
10/0 on BOUNCE
15/-5 on POUNCE
+10 for every pass
QM is 1st Year, hence high on insult.
QM is the creator and destroyer of the universe.
2
3. Q1
The phrase X is Yoruba for 'Life goes on'. X was also the title of a
1968 Beatles song written by Paul McCartney.
Here's what McCartney had to say about X, "I had a friend called
Jimmy Scott who was a Nigerian conga player, who I used to meet
in the clubs in London. He had a few expressions, one of which
was, 'X, life goes on'. I used to love this expression. He sounded like
a philosopher to me. "
The phrase X also featured in a popular song of a 1997 Hindi movie
Y.
What are X and Y?
3
6. Q2
The name of this team grew out of a conversation between the
founder Walter Brown and Howie McHugh, a member of the
publicity staff of the local arena, which was primarily used for
hockey. Both men suggested several nicknames, including
Whirlwinds, Unicorns and Olympics.
But it was Brown who suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, I've got it - the
Y. We'll call them the XY!" Brown excitedly went on, "The name
has a great basketball tradition from the old Original X in New
York. And, X is full of Irishmen. We'll put them in green uniforms
and call them the XY!“
Which team?
6
9. Q3
9
When X was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he
used one-letter-prefixes to number the reels of film and
the dialogue. On one occasion during the production, X
had dozed off while working on Y on the side.
Sound designer Walter Murch asked X for the second
dialogue of the second reel by saying _________. X woke
up and stated that it was a "great name" before going
back to sleep. _______ was later incorporated into Y.
ID X, Y and FITB.
11. ANSWER:
X - George Lucas
Y - Star Wars
Blank - Reel two, Dialogue two
which abbreviated to R2-D2, a name which surfaced in
the Lucas' film.
11
12. Q4
In 2001 , the word ___________ was added to the Oxford English
Dictionary.
The definition given is:
Expressing frustration at the realization that things have
turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just
said or done something foolish. Also (usu. mildly
derogatory):implying that another person has said or done
something foolish.
Which word?
12
15. Q5
X was an American artist, politician and businessman
remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding
the Bailey Circus. Although X was also an author, publisher,
philanthropist, and for some time a politician, he said of himself, "I
am a ______ by profession... and all the gilding shall make nothing
else of me".
X later collaborated with Ringling Bros., which then purchased
the “X and Bailey circus” brand following Bailey’s death in 1906.
X’s life story was captured by the musical drama Y, which was
released a few months ago.
ID X and Y.
15
18. Q6
This competition was the brainchild of acclaimed
Canadian writer Douglas Coupland, author of cult novel
Generation X. Out of 1,250 entries from 37 countries, an
actor named Daniel Baker from Dorset was chosen as the
winner. Baker, 35, won €5,000 and said he was "utterly
overwhelmed" that his "worn face" had been selected.
What was the competition all about?
18
22. Q7
Live Scenes from New York is a 3 disc live album by
progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater. The album
featured cover art depicting an alternate version of the
“flaming heart” symbol, which was inspired by another
cover from an earlier album titled Images and Words.
However, as soon as the album was released, it was
recalled and re-released a short time later with the
artwork being changed. Some copies with the original
artwork still exist, and are now a rare collectors item.
Why was the artwork changed?
(Image follows)
22
26. ANSWER:
The album released on
the same day as the 9/11
attacks. It featured the
New York skyline
(including the Twin
Towers) within the
flaming heart symbol.
26
27. Q8
This is a 2010 parody novel written by Ben Winters and is based
on a book first published in 1877. The novel is a mashup, adding
steampunk elements to the Russian 19th-century environment of
the original book. The book has the same main couples but the
society is high-tech, with servant-robots performing tasks all the
way from pest control to education of children; the robots love
their humans and are governed by the Iron Laws of Robot
Behaviour. American critic Jay Parini said the author of the
original would have been "horrified by the notion of changing his
work in absurd ways for the purposes of amusement". What is the
title of the parody novel?
(Image follows)
27
31. Q9
The pseudonym of this is Baldur Friggjar Óðinsson, which
is based on Norse mythology, referencing Baldur, his
mother Frigg, and his father Odin.
Today, it is one of the most talked about topics in
technology.
What is being talked about?
31
35. Q10
In the Ecole Nationale Institute in France, a group of
students created a software X. While they did so, other
members used to go out to the streets of Paris and
collect Y from the streets. By the time the software was
done, they had hundreds of Ys. Hence the logo of X
became Y.
Identify X & Y.
35
38. Q11
In a Pottermore article about the Sword of Gryffindor, J K
Rowling admitted that she drew inspiration from the
real-world legend of the X.
There are some striking similarities between the two -
only a true Gryffindor can draw the sword out of the
Sorting Hat, and in Deathly Hallows, the sword is
retrieved from a frozen forest lake by Harry.
What is X?
38
41. Q12
Competitive table tennis players grip their rackets in a variety of
ways. The manner in which players grip their rackets can be
classified into two major families of styles, with the names of
these styles based on the way the players hold the rackets. What
are these two styles called?
41
44. Q13
Soaked in Bleach is an American docudrama directed by
Benjamin Statler which courted controversy after a woman had
sent cease and desist letters against theaters screening the film.
The letters stated, "A false accusation of criminal behavior is
defamatory … which entitles Ms. ______ to both actual and
presumed damages". The producers of the film responded to the
letters by stating that the lady's "uninformed accusations and
efforts to discredit the film are totally off base."
What was the premise of this film?
44
48. Q14
MasterClass is a San Francisco-based online education
platform that has lured some of the most talented
professionals in their respective fields to teach $90
classes online. Each class includes extensive pre-
recorded video content, a class workbook, interactive
assignments, and community activities.
Who takes classes for:
a) Film Scoring? b) Screenwriting?
48
53. Q15
The word X derives from the French word 'le Y' or the youngest of
the family. This appears to be the origin of the speculative theory
that French military 'Y's carried certain sporting equipment for
the royalty in France.
X became used for a porter or errand boy in Scottish towns. The
first named X in this sporting context was Andrew Dickson who
did so for the Duke of York as a boy in 1681 on Leith Links.
X and Y?
53
56. Q16
Sayyid Muhammed Shah, better known by his title Jan Fishan
Khan was a 19th-century Afghan warlord whose family had
historically claimed descent from Ali-ar-Ridha, the eighth Imam.
He participated in the First Anglo-Afghan War and the
subsequent Indian Rebellion of 1857, both times on the British
side.
Exiled from Kabul ever since the British retreat from Afghanistan,
Jan Fishan Khan eventually came to settle in a town near Meerut
in Uttar Pradesh, and was given the hereditary title of nawab in
recognition of his services.
His descendants include a famous Indian actor and an English
cricketer of Pakistani origin. Identify both.
56
60. Q17
In May 2016, about 125 people at the Hyde Park Senior Facility in
Cincinnati who witnessed this historic event. Just before 7 p.m.,
something happened to 85 year old Patty Ris and caused
considerable alarm. However, a 96-year-old resident in the room
intervened and dealt with the situation.
One witness stated that while residents were discouraged from
personally assisting in emergencies involving other residents,
they couldn't stop the man considering his stature. "At his age,
that's a very physical type of activity. To see him do it is a
fascinating thing. The whole room, you could hear a needle drop.“
WHO WAS HE? (OR) HOW DID HE INTERVENE?
60
63. Q18
In August 2017, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC)
announced that X, was the new global face of their upcoming
international tourism campaign. PRTC will launch the
destination’s campaign with tagline Y showcasing that “the
longer you stay, the better it gets” by taking things slow as there
are many wonders to discover and experience on the Island.
ID X and Y.
63
66. Q19
From east to west, they were –
1. Amon Dîn
2. Eilenach
3. Nardol
4. Erelas
5. Min-Rimmon
6. Calenhad
7. Amon Anwar (or Halifirien)
However in the film adaptations, one was shown to exist
directly above Minas Tirith.
What are we talking about?
66
69. Q20
Stephen Marks, who started this business in 1969 as the Stephen
Marks brand, established AB in 1972 – around a year or two after
the film of the same name was released. He said the name came
about because he managed to acquire a large shipment of Indian
cheesecloth shirts – via a French contact – that could be resold in
the British Isles at a large profit. The business expanded into
menswear in 1976.
Which company ABCD?
69
72. Q21
This gadget from Parse error makes cloud and creates
thunderstorms in a lamp which are synced to a certain
activity/event in real time. Which event.
Hint: This activity is usually regularly( unnecessarily) done by a
certain person. What Activity?
*image follows
72
76. Q22
One of the most famous studies was conducted by four French
scientists -- Guillaume Dupeux, Anne Le Goff, David Quere and
Christophe Clanet -- and published in the New Journal of Physics
in September 2010. In this study, the physicists conducted a series
of experiments and analyses, which result in an equation that
explains the ball's trajectory and all the forces that were in action
at that precise moment.
They concluded that the amount of power and the longer
distance(35 yards) was crucial for that miraculous event taking
place around 13 years before. What?
76
79. Q23
The Przewalski's horse nearly went extinct, but in an effort to
save the species it was introduced into an area near the Pripyat
River in 1998 and to other reserves worldwide. Without humans
living in the area, the horse population has been increasing. Also,
several other mammals have been spotted recently and the flora
and fauna are expanding since.
Some experts have been saying that the old said effects of X
aren’t as harmful as they are deemed. Others say that it’s just the
effect of lesser human interruptions.
ID the location X.
Image follows.
79
83. Q24
The Wall In September 2017, Israel went public with a sensor-
equipped wall being planted on its side of the 37 mile- (60 km)
long border, a counter-measure developed after Hamas fighters
blindsided the Israeli troops during the war using certain secret
passages.
The wall is however very different from what Trump plans to
make, but with the same purpose : to keep the intruders out. How
is it different ?
How does it keep the Hamas fighters away?
83
86. Q25
Vietnamese cybersecurity firm Bkav, has claimed to bypass X’s
new feature Y, using a special mask. The mask is made to trick Y's
depth mapping and the result is a kind of creepy hybrid monster
head with realistic cutouts for the eyes, nose and mouth. Bkav
says the mask is crafted through a combination of 3D printing,
makeup, and 2D images.
There's also some "special processing done on the cheeks and
around the face" where there are large areas of skin, and the nose
is created from silicone. Also, the mask costs 150$ and was
released just a week after the release of Y on November
5th,dismissing the claims by X that it cannot be broken into by
photos or masks.
ID X and Y.
86
90. Q26
In the year 1996, when the company X was rebranded and split
from AT&T, it's new logo was widely criticised.
X's logo, also called the "Innovation ring" was designed by Landor
Associates, a prominent San Francisco-based branding
consultancy. One source inside X said that the logo is actually a
Zen Buddhist symbol for "eternal truth". Another source said it
represents the mythic Ouroboros, a snake holding its tail in its
mouth. X's logo also has been said to represent constant re-
creating and re-thinking.
X's logo was compared in the media to the ring a coffee mug
leaves on paper. This Dilbert comic strip is parodying this
particular speculation (image on next slide).
Id X.
90
94. Q27
What are we talking about? Rene Laennec, in 1816, to
overcome a common problem of the age, came up with
the device on the right, which was given out free, with
his book which taught people the technique of
auscultation.
What am I talking about?
(image follows)
94
98. Q28
In 2015, Leon Gatys, Alexander Ecker and Matthias Bethge
presented a research paper titled "A Neural Algorithm of Artistic
Style” at the premier machine learning conference: Neural
Information Processing Systems (NIPS).
In 2016, Justin Johnson, Alexandre Alahi and Li Fei-Fei, three
researchers working at Stanford University published a research
paper titled - "Perceptual Losses for Real-Time Style Transfer and
Super-Resolution”.
These two research papers are believed to be the technology
used behind X.
Id X.
98
101. Q29
After leaving school at Eton, X, always looking for adventure ,
briefly considered joining the Indian Army . Eventually he joined
the Territorial Army and served as a reservist with the 21st SAS
regiment till 1997 . In 1998, at the age of 23 , he climbed Mount
Everest .
Id X.
101
104. Q30
This is an emoticon which people use all across Europe. It
became popular in 2013. This emoticon is based on a
gesture which has been given various names like - “X
Rhombus”, “X Diamond” and “Triangle of Power”.
Who is the inspiration behind this emoticon?
104
107. Q31
The lady in this picture is X (next slide), an American
novelist, dancer, and socialite. X was the wife of the
famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1986, while working
on a project, Y did something to pay tribute to X as he
thought that her name sounded "pleasant and
significant”.
How did Y immortalise X in the world of tech?
107
111. Q32
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were creatures, who lured nearby
sailors with their enchanting music and singing voices to
shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed
them on some small islands called Sirenum scopuli. In some later,
rationalized traditions, the literal geography of the "flowery"
island of Anthemoessa, or Anthemusa, is fixed: sometimes on
Cape Pelorum and at others in the islands known as the Sirenuse,
near Paestum, or in Capreae. All such locations were surrounded
by cliffs and rocks.
Basing on the above, X, decided to use a Siren as its logo. It claims
that just like sirens used to lure sailors after enchanting them by
its voice, their caffeinated products will lure you back, again and
again.
111
114. Q33
Orthocarbonic acid (methanetetrol) is the name given to a
hypothetical compound with the chemical formula H4CO4 or
C(OH)4. Its molecular structure consists of a single carbon atom
bonded to four hydroxyl groups. It would be therefore a fourfold
alcohol. In theory it could lose four protons to give the
hypothetical oxocarbon anion CO4−4 (orthocarbonate), and is
therefore considered an oxoacid of carbon. In concentrated
amounts, the acid can be quite harmful.
Whom is the acid named after?
114
121. Q35
These are the supposed outcomes of what?
1. Pyrrhic Victory for Valinor
2. Final Death of Morgoth
3. Rekindling of the Two Trees
4. Destruction and remaking of Arda.
121
124. Q36
Fan theories suggest that Margaret of Anjou, the consort of Henry
VI of England, is the inspiration for the character X. The two
indeed bear some eerie similarities: just like X, Margaret was
married off to create a political alliance, with her betrothal to
Henry VI making temporary peace between England and France.
Margaret ruled England in Henry's stead on many occasions, and
she also had to silence rumours about the legitimacy of her
violent son Edward, who was born when Henry was in the midst
of one of his frequent bouts of insanity.
Identify X.
124
127. Q37
FITB
In a rare display of friendship between Elves and Dwarves,
________ was built sometime between S.A. 750 and 1500 by the
Elven smith Celebrimbor and the dwarf Narvi.
These were the days before the years of Sauron's dominion in
Middle-earth, and the _________ stood open and allowed
unfettered trade. They were sealed after Sauron sacked Eregion
to find the Elven rings.
127
130. Q38
One among the many similarities between Greek and Hindu
mythology is between X and Y.
X was held by his mother, Thetis, at his ankle and dipped into the
river Styx, leading to his body becoming invincible, except at his
heel.
Y was instructed by his mother to come and stand before her fully
naked, saying that her gaze on his naked body would make him
invincible. However, Y wore a 'gamucha' or a small towel tied
around his waist over his thighs, which led to his mother's gaze
falling on his full body except his thighs, making it the only
vulnerable part of his body.
X and Y were both killed by blows to these vulnerable parts of
their bodies.
ID X and Y.
130
133. Q39
“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as ______ join us.
These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one
fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also,
we’d like to publicly apologize to ______ for ruining Comic-Con for
him forever.”
Reaction to casting of whom in what role?
133
136. Q40
Neil MacGregor, a former director of the British Museum, wrote in
“A History of the World in 100 Objects” that the boats reflected
frightened fishermen of an insecure, cloistered country being
forced to open its ports for trade, while local critics state that
they represent the serenity and stillness in the face of danger,
and a delicate balance with nature - the fishermen have a job to
do, and will not stop at anything to deliver the fish to the market.
What are we talking about?
136
