General Knowledge Quiz

[Strat-tastic]

They can't count to three.

Some of them surely can

I fink....

The 't' sound is good for checking for distortion.

Not quite, but I like your thinking. Expand....

 

[DaleCooper]

Test for sibilance?

 

[Strat-tastic]

Test for sibilance?

Okay close enough for 'two'.

What about 'one'?

 

[DaleCooper]

Okay close enough for 'two'.

What about 'one'?

Frequency response?

 

[Trackman]

1 (2..3) Volume level?
2&3 - Sound the same with bad frequency response, like on the telephone.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Frequency response?

I need more.

1 (2..3) Volume level?
2&3 - Sound the same with bad frequency response, like on the telephone.

Not primarily volume, although it is a check of course.

 

[DaleCooper]

I need more.

Not primarily volume, although it is a check of course.

Determine whether bass cut is necessary?

 

[Strat-tastic]

Determine whether bass cut is necessary?

Close enough Dale.
The W sound of one checks bass response, the T of two the treble.
Hence one, two. Not just something to say, but there is sound ( ) reasoning behind it.
Your sound check.

 

[DaleCooper]

Close enough Dale.
The W sound of one checks bass response, the T of two the treble.
Hence one, two. Not just something to say, but there is sound ( ) reasoning behind it.
Your sound check.

Thank you, here's Neil Innes demonstrating the method.

Next question:

What record is held by a specimen of Armillaria ostoyae?

 

[Neo9320]

Longest time surviving without a head?

 

[Marton]

It’s the largest living creature in the world.

 

[DaleCooper]

Longest time surviving without a head?

Imaginative and a bit gruesome but it didn't have a head to start with.

It’s the largest living creature in the world.

I wouldn't call a 35,000 tonne fungus a creature but otherwise correct. Your turn...

 

[Marton]

I suppose I meant living being. The idea of it being sentient is horrific.

For what is Gruinard notable?

 

[Peterthegreat]

I suppose I meant living being. The idea of it being sentient is horrific.

For what is Gruinard notable?

Anthrax contamination.

 

[Gloster]

Supposedly now decontaminated, but I am not putting it on my list of holiday places to visit. For good measure, they may have inadvertently contaminated a bit of the nearby mainland.

 

[Marton]

Anthrax contamination.

Correct.

Over to you

 

[Peterthegreat]

Sorry nearly missed this. Can I declare open floor as I will be away for a few days?

 

[Caboose Class]

What is the connection between the northernmost city in New Zealand (Whangārei) and the northernmost city in Morocco (Tangier)?

 

[DaleCooper]

What is the connection between the northernmost city in New Zealand (Whangārei) and the northernmost city in Morocco (Tangier)?

Antipodal?

 

[Caboose Class]

Antipodal?

Correct answer. The two largest cities situated exactly (within a mile or two) on opposite sides of the earth. Your turn to spin the globe!

 

[DaleCooper]

Correct answer. The two largest cities situated exactly (within a mile or two) on opposite sides of the earth. Your turn to spin the globe!

Thank you.

The next question is a bit esoteric so the best strategy could be wild guesses and guesses beget hints:

What do these numbers represent?

Great Britain west 1.25
Ireland west 1.26
Ireland east 1.10
Norway 1.52

 

[TheEdge]

Some ratio to do with the irregularity of their coastlines. Although I feel like if it was correct Norway would be 152,000.

 

[DaleCooper]

Some ratio to do with the irregularity of their coastlines. Although I feel like if it was correct Norway would be 152,000.

That's probably as near as we're going to get. They are actually the fractal dimensions of the coastlines.
A few more (surfaces rather than lines):
Balls of crumpled paper 2.5
Broccoli ~2.7
Cauliflower ~2.8
Lung alveoli surface 2.97

Your well deserved turn...

 

[TheEdge]

That's probably as near as we're going to get. They are actually the fractal dimensions of the coastlines.
A few more (surfaces rather than lines):
Balls of crumpled paper 2.5
Broccoli ~2.7
Cauliflower ~2.8
Lung alveoli surface 2.97

Your well deserved turn...

It was quite the punt as I really thought Norway's figure was far too low. But after stealing your thunder somewhat...

Sci-fi films are often that, fiction with limited science. But one sci-fi film got its science so correct that scientists in that field have gone on to use portions of the film in their studies. Which film and field?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

I remember the film Contact getting praise for it's scientific accuracy so that is my guess.

 

[DaleCooper]

Film: Alien
Field: Exobiology

 

[OhNoAPacer]

I'll try guessing properly thus time
Film Contact
Field Search for Extraterrestrial Life

 

[DaleCooper]

I'll try guessing properly thus time
Film Contact
Field Search for Extraterrestrial Life

I thought it might be linguistics.

 

[TheEdge]

None of the above sadly.

 

[DaleCooper]

Film: The Martian
Field: Survival on other planets