The Final Round of Focii 2020 Science and Technology General Quiz held as part of Teknos 2020 in Department of Electronics, CUSAT held on 18th January 2020
3. Question 1
In 2017, a controversial object appeared in the night sky and was observed for a
matter of weeks. It was determined to be the first known object that came from
outside of our solar system. Its strange maneuvers and properties made
scientists think it was an elongated (cigar-shaped) type of asteroid or comet or
alien space probe — we couldn’t be sure which. It was called a name which
means “heavenly messenger” or “messenger from the past”. What name was
this object given?
7. Question 2
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."
This is the opening sentence of a 1984 science fiction novel by American-
Canadian writer William Gibson. It is one of the best-known works in the
cyberpunk genre and the first novel to win the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick
Award, and the Hugo Award. It was Gibson's debut novel and the beginning of
the Sprawl trilogy. Set in the future, the novel follows Henry Case, a washed-up
computer hacker who is hired for one last job, which brings him up against a
powerful artificial intelligence. Identify this novel which is considered to be a
pioneering work in cyberpunk science fiction.
10. Question 3
Cognitive functions, also referred to as psychological functions, as described by
X in his book Psychological Types, are particular mental processes within a
person's psyche that are present regardless of common circumstance. This was a
concept that served as one of the conceptual foundations for his theory on
personality type. In his book, he noted four main psychological functions:
thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. He created some of the best known
psychological concepts, including synchronicity, archetypal phenomena, the
collective unconscious, the psychological complex, and extraversion and
introversion. Identify this gentleman X whose theories on personality have
gained huge popularity in recent times and have inspired countless geniuses of
art including Stanley Kubrick, Federico Fellini and David Bowie.
13. Question 4
"Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid." This is a quote by an
Austrian-born American film actress and inventor who was also posthumously inducted into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame. She became a star with her performance in Algiers (1938), her
first film made in the United States. Her greatest success was as Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille's
Samson and Delilah (1949). At the beginning of World War II, she and composer George Antheil
developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes, intended to use frequency-hopping
spread spectrum technology to defeat the threat of jamming by the Axis powers. Although the
US Navy did not adopt the technology until the 1960s, various spread-spectrum techniques are
incorporated into Bluetooth technology and are similar to methods used in legacy versions of
Wi-Fi. Recognition of the value of this work resulted in the pair being inducted into the National
Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. Identify this remarkable woman whose death marks 20 years
tomorrow.
16. Question 5
The cartoon refers to an
international scientific
research project with the
goal of determining the
physical and functional
mapping of a particular
sequence. Identify the blank.
20. Question 1
In 2011 the NASA's Kepler Mission made the first unambiguous detection of a
circumbinary planet, Kepler 16B - a planet orbiting two stars - 200 light-years
from Earth. The existence of a world revoloving around two stars, was famously
portrayed in the fourth instalment of a world famous movie franchise more than
30 years ago . What is the name of this fictional planet where the iconic double
sunset takes place and is seen as a defining image of the franchise.
21. Question 2
Seasons are for the most part controlled by the way a planet leans toward or
away from its sun. For example, the Earth's axis does not run straight through
the planet. Instead, it has a slight tilt that points the Northern Hemisphere
toward the sun during part of the planet's orbit (causing summer) and away for
another part (causing winter). It is possible that a "wobbly" axis could create
variable seasonal length, said Greg Laughlin, an astrophysicist at the University
of California Santa Cruz, but not necessarily on the timeline that is being
presented. What are we trying to scientifically explain here?
22. Question 3
X (better known as Y) is a trickster and mischievous ghost. He is the anti-hero of
his own live-action movie that was directed by Tim Burton in 1988. The title of
the movie “Y” is a play on the ghost character's name, which in turn is based on
the X star, which is housed in the infinite blackness of space but in the same
constellation as the more famous star Orion. Identify X and Y.
23. Question 4
The species—Sauroniops pachytholus, was identified from a single fossil
unearthed in south-eastern Morocco in 2007. Likewise four specimens of a new
crocodilian species that were unearthed in the Cerrejon coal mines of northern
were named Athracosuchus balrogus. Identify the fictional connection that
connects these two species names.
24.
25. Question 5
X is a genius, who demonstrates himself to be an expert in many fields of
science, holding three PhDs in nuclear and theoretical physics, and planetary
astronomy. He is also an experienced engineer, archaeologist, biologist and
chemist. X's deafness is a frequent source of humour in his interactions with
other people, as he often repeats back what he thinks he has heard, usually in
the most unlikely words possible. He does not admit to being near-deaf and
insists he is only a little hard of hearing in one ear. He is especially provoked if he
ever hears anyone call him a "goat". Identify this fictional character who first
appeared in 1943.
27. Question 1
In 2011 the NASA's Kepler Mission made the first unambiguous detection of a
circumbinary planet, Kepler 16B - a planet orbiting two stars - 200 light-years
from Earth. The existence of a world revoloving around two stars, was famously
portrayed in the fourth instalment of a world famous movie franchise more than
30 years ago . What is the name of this fictional planet where the iconic double
sunset takes place and is seen as a defining image of the franchise.
29. Question 2
Seasons are for the most part controlled by the way a planet leans toward or
away from its sun. For example, the Earth's axis does not run straight through
the planet. Instead, it has a slight tilt that points the Northern Hemisphere
toward the sun during part of the planet's orbit (causing summer) and away for
another part (causing winter). It is possible that a "wobbly" axis could create
variable seasonal length, said Greg Laughlin, an astrophysicist at the University
of California Santa Cruz, but not necessarily on the timeline that is being
presented. What are we trying to scientifically explain here?
31. Question 3
X (better known as Y) is a trickster and mischievous ghost. He is the anti-hero of
his own live-action movie that was directed by Tim Burton in 1988. The title of
the movie “Y” is a play on the ghost character's name, which in turn is based on
the X star, which is housed in the infinite blackness of space but in the same
constellation as the more famous star Orion. Identify X and Y.
33. Question 4
The species—Sauroniops pachytholus, was identified from a single fossil
unearthed in south-eastern Morocco in 2007. Likewise four specimens of a new
crocodilian species that were unearthed in the Cerrejon coal mines of northern
were named Athracosuchus balrogus. Identify the fictional connection that
connects these two species names.
34.
35.
36. Question 5
X is a genius, who demonstrates himself to be an expert in many fields of
science, holding three PhDs in nuclear and theoretical physics, and planetary
astronomy. He is also an experienced engineer, archaeologist, biologist and
chemist. X's deafness is a frequent source of humour in his interactions with
other people, as he often repeats back what he thinks he has heard, usually in
the most unlikely words possible. He does not admit to being near-deaf and
insists he is only a little hard of hearing in one ear. He is especially provoked if he
ever hears anyone call him a "goat". Identify this fictional character who first
appeared in 1943.
42. Question 2
X Inc. is a company that develops plant-based substitutes for meat products. Founded in 2011,
and headquartered in Redwood City, California, the company's stated aim is to give people the
taste and nutritional benefits of meat without supposed negative health and certain
environmental impacts associated with livestock products. The company researches animal
products at the molecular level, then selects specific proteins and nutrients from plants to
recreate the experience and nutrition of specific meat products. The company's signature
product, the X Burger, was launched in July 2016, after years of research and development.
What is this out of the world burger (also the name of the company) named as?
45. Question 3
Marconi Union is an English musical trio consisting of Richard Talbot, Jamie
Crossley and Duncan Meadows. On 16 October 2011, Marconi Union created an
eight-minute track, titled "Weightless", in collaboration with the British
Academy of Sound Therapy. The song features guitar, piano and manipulated
field recordings. It is punctuated throughout by low tones that supposedly
induce a trance-like state. What distinction did the world of science give to this
particular track?
48. Question 4
This word 'X' is used to define an essential part of human cells that affect how
our cells age. They are the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect
our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces. It word is made
up of two Greek words for end and (part). Cells replenish by copying themselves.
This happens constantly throughout our lives. X gets shorter each time a cell
copies itself, but the important DNA stays intact. Eventually, X get too short to do
their job, causing our cells to age and stop functioning properly. Therefore, X act
as the aging clock in every cell. Identify X.
51. Question 5
X is a theorem first proposed by Y in the form of a note scribbled in the margin
of his copy of the ancient Greek text Arithmetica by Diophantus. The scribbled
note was discovered posthumously, and the original is now lost. However, a copy
was preserved in a book published by Y's son. In the note, he claimed to have
discovered a proof that the Diophantine equation x^n+y^n=z^n has no integer
solutions for n>2 and x,y,z!=0. After 358 years of effort by mathematicians, the
first successful proof was released in 1994 by Andrew Wiles, and formally
published in 1995; it was described as a "stunning advance" in the citation for
Wiles's Abel Prize award in 2016. How do we know X better as?
55. Question 1
The X is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field
center in La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. There is a tradition at X
to eat "good luck peanuts" before critical mission events, such as orbital
insertions or landings. X's major active projects are the Mars Science Laboratory
mission (which includes the Curiosity rover), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter, the NuSTAR X-ray telescope, the SMAP
satellite for earth surface soil moisture monitoring, and the Spitzer Space
Telescope. Identify X which took on it's current name in November 1943 during
its days of being an army research facility.
56. Question 2
X is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject,
which will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics
experiment. It is an experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor that is being
built next to the Cadarache facility in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, in Provence,
southern France. The project is funded and run by seven member entities—the
European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
Identify X.
57. Question 3
X traces its founding to 1884 and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
and it's rival, the Institute of Radio Engineers was formed in 1912. They merged
on January 1, 1963 to form the entity that we are familiar with today. Identify
this organisation which boasts founding members of the likes of Thomas Alva
Edison, Nikola Tesla, Elihu Thomson, Edwin J. Houston, and Edward Weston.
58. Question 4
This particular Shiva statue was a gift from India to celebrate its association with
X, which started in the 1960’s and remains strong today. In the Hindu religion,
Lord Shiva practiced Nataraj dance which symbolises Shakti, or life force. This
deity was chosen by the Indian government because of a metaphor that was
drawn between the cosmic dance of the Nataraj and the modern study of the
‘cosmic dance’ of subatomic particles. Where would you see this statue?
59. Question 5
The current President of this distinguished organisation is Venkatraman
Ramakrishnan, a British-American structural biologist of Indian origin who took
up the post on 30 November 2015. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with
Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath, "for studies of the structure and function of
the ribosome" in 2009. In this organisation there are about 1,700 fellows,
allowed to use the post nominal title FRS. Identify this organisation.
61. Question 1
The X is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field
center in La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. There is a tradition at X
to eat "good luck peanuts" before critical mission events, such as orbital
insertions or landings. X's major active projects are the Mars Science Laboratory
mission (which includes the Curiosity rover), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,
the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter, the NuSTAR X-ray telescope, the SMAP
satellite for earth surface soil moisture monitoring, and the Spitzer Space
Telescope. Identify X which took on it's current name in November 1943 during
its days of being an army research facility which is currently housed in California
Institute of Technology.
63. Question 2
X is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject,
which will be the world's largest magnetic confinement plasma physics
experiment. It is an experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor that is being
built next to the Cadarache facility in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, in Provence,
southern France. The project is funded and run by seven member entities—the
European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States.
Identify X.
65. Question 3
X traces its founding to 1884 and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
and it's rival, the Institute of Radio Engineers was formed in 1912. They merged
on January 1, 1963 to form the entity that we are familiar with today. Identify
this organisation which boasts founding members of the likes of Thomas Alva
Edison, Nikola Tesla, Elihu Thomson, Edwin J. Houston, and Edward Weston.
Identify X.
66.
67. Question 4
This particular Shiva statue was a gift from India to celebrate its association with
X, which started in the 1960’s and remains strong today. In the Hindu religion,
Lord Shiva practiced Nataraj dance which symbolises Shakti, or life force. This
deity was chosen by the Indian government because of a metaphor that was
drawn between the cosmic dance of the Nataraj and the modern study of the
‘cosmic dance’ of subatomic particles. Where could you see this statue?
69. Question 5
The current President of this distinguished organisation is Venkatraman
Ramakrishnan, a British-American structural biologist of Indian origin who took
up the post on 30 November 2015. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with
Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath, "for studies of the structure and function of
the ribosome" in 2009. In this organisation there are about 1,700 fellows,
allowed to use the post nominal title FRS. Identify this organisation.
72. Question 1
When X submitted his dissertation, a 59-page calculation titled "On the Stability
and Turbulence of Liquid Currents,“ to the Munich faculty on July 10, 1923. The
topic arose from an earlier research contract his mentor Arnold Sommerfeld had
received from a company channeling the Isar River through Munich. The
problem was to determine the precise transition of a smoothly flowing liquid
(laminar flow) to turbulent flow. It was an extremely difficult mathematical
problem; in fact, it was so difficult that X offered only an approximate solution.
Name X who we know now as one of one of the key pioneers of quantum
mechanics.
75. Question 2
William Perkin was a British Chemist who was tryng hard to discover a cure for
one of the deadliest diseases in the world, malaria.While trying to replicate the
malaria fighter quinine in his laboratory, Perkin inadvertently discovered the first
synthetic dye instead. As a result Perkin forgot about malaria and made a mint
establishing the synthetic dye industry. What color did he find that was not
earlier accesible to the average person?
78. Question 3
X acids are actually a class of compounds where the m and n chains can have
different lengths and can contain unsaturation. They were named after a greek
word, meaning to mislead, since they were particularly difficult to isolate using
standard gas chromatography techniques. One of the inventors, Prof Klein, also
thought that they had 'horns like the devil'. What is X which follow the standard
acid naming conventions with an evil twist to it?
81. Question 4
In 2006. NASA sent the New Horizons probe into space that was designed to fly
by Pluto, and along with a bunch of electronics that it had on board, it was also
carrying a small portion of the cremated remains of a man who discoveredthe
first object in the Kuiper Belt (which came to be known as the Universe's third
zone) in 1930. Who is this remarkable backyard astronomer?
84. Question 5
A juggalo is a fan of the group Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic
Records hip hop group. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and
characteristics. One of the most defining characteristics being the corpse
makeup style. It was recently identified that this makeup style had some
properties that could potentially help a particular cross section of angry,
oppressed people in a very particular way. What way?
89. Thank you!!
Edwin Muriyaden Wilson
M.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering
With specialization in Microwave and Radar systems (2019-2021)
Contact me via
E : edwinwilson@cusat.ac.in
M: +91 8547 4341 50
