
*Some questions have multiple correct answers
1 Health benefits of intimacy
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A Cuddling increases bone density
B Sex is a nasal decongestant
C Masturbating improves eyesight
2 States of matter
A In condensed matter physics, a “hyperfluid” is a material with zero viscosity, meaning it can flow backwards in time and, when stirred, will spin forever (both forwards and backwards in time)
B In condensed matter physics, a “time crystal” is a state of matter in which the configuration of the component parts shifts in a repeating cycle forever without using any energy
C In condensed matter physics, an “ontological condensate” is an ultracold gas that could reveal the true nature of being, should we ever be able to isolate it
3 Hairy faces
A Beards might have evolved to keep faces warm
B Beards might have evolved to store food in through winter
C Beards might have evolved to soften the blows from punches
4 Animals at play
A Komodo dragons play tug of war
B Crows play blackjack
C Elephants play hide and seek
5 Celestial bodies
A Astronauts could use their own hair to create Martian space suits
B Astronauts could use their own blood to build a Martian base
C Astronauts could use their own nail clippings to create rocket fuel
6 Grand delusions
A Capgras syndrome is the irrational belief that a familiar person has been replaced with an exact duplicate
B Fregoli syndrome is the irrational belief that a familiar person, typically someone persecuting the affected individual, is disguised as various other people
C Cotard syndrome is the irrational belief that part of your body is missing or you are dead or don’t exist
7 Living fossils
A Bunions are the only part of your body that fossilises while you are still alive
B Dental plaque is the only part of your body that fossilises while you are still alive
C Gall stones are the only part of your body that fossilises while you are still alive
8 Big data
A The Large Hadron Collider stores information on CDs
B The Large Hadron Collider stores information on floppy discs
C The Large Hadron Collider stores information on magnetic tapes
9 Self-improvement
A Walking backwards can enhance your short-term memory
B Doing a headstand for 90 seconds three times a week can boost your libido
C Pressing your temples and rubbing clockwise can increase your IQ
10 Alien weather
A It rains solid diamonds inside Uranus
B It rains liquid water on Venus
C It rains hydrofluoric acid on Mercury
11 Madcap maths
A In mathematics, the hairy ball theorem states that there is no non-vanishing continuous tangent vector field on even-dimensional n-spheres. In other words, given a ball with hairs all over it, it is impossible to comb the hairs continuously and have all of them lying flat
B In mathematics, the ham sandwich theorem states that, given n measurable objects in n-dimensional Euclidean space, it is possible to divide all of them in two halves with a single (n – 1)-dimensional hyperplane. In other words, if you make a sandwich from bread, butter and ham, you will always be able to slice it to share all three ingredients equally
C In mathematics, the ugly duckling theorem is an argument showing that, if you assume a finite number of properties combinable by logical connectives and a finite number of objects, any two different objects share the same number of (extensional) properties. In other words, a duckling is just as similar to a swan as two swans are to each other
12 Emotional eating
A People feel angrier about inequality after eating hummus
B People find disgusting ideas more palatable after consuming ginger
C People become more interested in science after drinking tomato juice
13 Directionally challenged
A Honeybees prefer to turn right
B Honeybees always fly west when they first leave the hive
C Honeybees sometimes hitch rides on dragonflies
14 Extraordinary orifices
A Spiders can shoot cyanide out of their eyes
B Humans release alcohol through their ears
C Pigs can breathe oxygen through their rectums
15 Quantum weirdnesses
A In quantum physics, entangled particles transmit information faster than the speed of light
B In quantum physics, the exact position and momentum of a particle can’t be deduced simultaneously
C In quantum physics, “virtual” particles can pass between parallel universes
16 Life on other planets?
A Astronomers have spotted “ogres” in the lakes on Saturn’s moon Titan
B Astronomers have spotted “leprechauns” in craters on Mars
C Astronomers have spotted “elves” in Jupiter’s skies
17 Dishonest males
A Lying men release volatile chemicals that smell like maple syrup
B Lying men mimic the body language of the person they are lying to
C Lying men only look to one side
18 Astronaut animals
A A tortoise has been to space
B A pig has been to space
C A porcupine has been to space
19 My mistake
A The pratfall effect means that people will like you more if they see you making mistakes
B The spotlight effect means that your mistakes aren’t noticed by others as much as you think
C The Johnson effect mean that the more mistakes you make, the less likely you are to admit them
20 Amphibious applications
A In the 1950s, people used toad slime to treat their wounds
B In the 1950s, people used frogs as pregnancy tests
C In the 1950s, people used newts to help diagnose whooping cough
21 Molecular mischief
A Chemists have discovered that they could make novel molecules by throwing known molecules against the wall
B Chemists have discovered that they could make new molecules by having known molecules partially digested by a mongoose
C Chemists have discovered that they could make new molecules by singing Harry Belafonte songs to known molecules
22 Computer says what!?
A A wormhole has been created inside a quantum computer
B A time crystal has been created inside a quantum computer
C A quantum tunnel has been created inside a quantum computer
Answers
1 B
2 B
3 C
4 A
5 B
6 A, B and C
7 B
8 C
9 A
10 A
11 A, B and C
12 B
13 A
14 B and C
15 B
16 C
17 B
18 A
19 A and B
20 B
21 A
22 B
Quiz compiled by èƵ staff